China Calls for UN Reform, Fairer Global Governance

 

China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, has called for reforms to the United Nations and a more equitable system of global governance, stressing multilateralism, fairness, and cooperation as key principles.

Speaking at the 23rd Lanting Forum in Beijing on Monday, Wang reflected on the UN’s 80th anniversary and warned against rising unilateralism amid new global challenges.

“How do we reform and improve global governance to make it more relevant in an increasingly multipolar world? That is a consequential question occupying minds everywhere,” he said in remarks shared with journalists in Abuja.

Wang outlined President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative, describing it as China’s strategic framework for addressing today’s global issues. The initiative, he explained, rests on five pillars:

1. Sovereign equality – ensuring equal participation of all nations in global affairs.

2. International rule of law – upholding a fair and orderly governance system.

3. Multilateralism – promoting global unity and cooperation.

4. People-centered development – focusing on inclusivity and shared benefits.

5. Practical outcomes – ensuring efficient and effective governance processes.

The initiative, supported by over 140 countries and international organisations, complements China’s other major frameworks, including the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilisation Initiative.

“The international community recognises this as a timely call for unity in a world threatened by division,” Wang noted, adding that growing conflicts and displacement underscore the urgency of global cooperation.

He warned that “power politics and bullying” risk undermining the foundations of international order and urged nations to fully uphold the UN Charter and international law without bias.

Wang reaffirmed China’s support for the World Trade Organisation and its Belt and Road Initiative, announcing plans to grant zero-tariff treatment to all tariff lines from least-developed and African countries maintaining diplomatic ties with China.

Addressing other global challenges, he said artificial intelligence must be developed responsibly and “benefit all humanity,” cautioning against monopolisation or misuse by powerful nations.

Wang also renewed calls for greater representation of developing countries in global decision-making bodies, including reforms of the IMF, World Bank, and UN Security Council.

“China believes the Global South not only has the will and the right but also the capacity to play a central role in global governance reform,” he asserted.

He further highlighted China’s support for regional blocs such as APEC, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and announced the establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation in Hong Kong.

Concluding his speech, Wang linked China’s domestic growth with its global vision, stating:
“A steadily modernising China will create vast opportunities for shared development. A China devoted to peace and progress will take on greater responsibility in advancing humanity’s common goals.”

Wang reaffirmed China’s commitment to work with the international community toward a more just, inclusive, and balanced global governance system.