By Jiang Shixue – Jul 28, 2026
At the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, in Tianjin, China, on September 1, 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). On June 17, China’s State Council Information Office released a white paper titled “More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China’s Principles, Proposals and Actions”.
**What is GGI?**According President Xi Jinping’s speech and the white paper, the GGI has five core concepts：
- Upholding sovereign equality. Sovereign equality is a fundamental principle enshrined at the UN Charter, which governs state-to-state relations. Indeed, countries may vary in size, strength and level of development, but all are equal members of the international community. Therefore, the sovereignty of each nation must be respected.
In order to uphold sovereign equality, all countries should engage in equal consultation in a spirit of mutual respect and properly manage differences. In particular, the major countries of the world should behave themselves and promote win-win cooperation, rather than to seek hegemony and bullying. Deviation from the principle of sovereign equality would reduce international relations to a zero-sum game of power politics and plunge the world into endless instability. Acting against the trend of history by seeking hegemony and bullying is doomed to fail.
- Abiding by the rule of law. The rule of law in international relations is the fundamental guarantee of global governance. Only a global governance system based on the rule of law can truly provide all countries with a fair and just environment for development, ensure a balance between rights and obligations, and promote the evolution of the international order in a more just and equitable direction.
The UN Charter clearly sets forth the principles such as “maintaining international peace and security,” “promoting international cooperation,” “settling international disputes by peaceful means,” and “refraining from the threat or use of force in international relations.” These principles manifest the basic norms of international relations and constitute an important cornerstone of the stability of the post-war international order. Therefore, to push forward global governance, it is highly necessary to maintain the rule of law in international relations by adhering to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Again, major countries are key forces in promoting the rule of law in international relations. In particular, they should take the lead in observing rules and upholding the law, and avoid placing their own interests above international law or imposing their own domestic rules on others.
- Promoting multilateralism. Multilateralism was born for the cause of peace and development. No country can develop outside the global governance system, nor can any country secure its future by turning away from international cooperation. Therefore, multilateralism is not a choice; it is the only inevitable path to world peace and development.
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The essence of promoting multilateralism is that international affairs should be addressed through dialogues, consultation and cooperation based on shared benefits. In this regard, the UN is the most important platform for practicing multilateralism and resisting unilateralism. In addition, it is necessary to make good use of the constructive roles of various global and regional multilateral mechanisms, mobilize the resources and strengths of governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other parties, and make global governance more coordinated and effective.
- Placing people at the center. People’s wellbeing is a core concern of global governance. The people of every country across the world are the essential participants and direct beneficiaries of global governance. Only by serving public interests, boosting public confidence, and meeting public expectations can the global governance system win extensive support and function effectively.
Placing people at the center also means that great attention must be attached to the people’s livelihoods, dignity and common prosperity. It also means that the gap between the Global North and the Global South must be narrowed. Therefore, development must be re-centered on the international agenda, global development resources must be mobilized, and the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development must be accelerated.
- Pursuing results-oriented action. The effectiveness of global governance ultimately depends on whether beautiful visions can be realized through concrete efforts. As no single country can achieve this objective alone, joint actions and shared responsibilities among all stakeholders are required urgently. By aligning different strategies and pooling resources can the synergy be created to drive global governance forward.
Developed countries should fulfill their international obligations in good faith, honor their commitments on development assistance and climate financing, and should not evade their international responsibilities under any pretext. Developing countries should strengthen themselves through unity, improve South-South cooperation mechanisms, and inject enduring momentum into improving global governance. That is to say, the North and the South should complement each other’s strengths and work in the same direction.
As a responsible major country, China champions the building of a community with a shared future for humanity and takes the lead in promoting global governance. Furthermore, it has consistently been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order, and a provider of public goods, while actively advancing the efforts for building a more just and equitable global governance system.
China stands ready to work hand in hand with Latin America and the Caribbean to implement the GGI under the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits.
Let’s hope that, with the implementation of the GGI, we can create a brighter future for the world.
JS/OT
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