It is stated in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress that “China upholds true multilateralism, promotes greater democracy in international relations, and works to make global governance fairer and more equitable.” This makes it clear that the solution to reforming the global governance system lies in upholding true multilateralism.

Reform of multilateral system as the core

As global problems arise and persist due to failures in global governance, there is a growing call for reform of the system within international society. Comprehensive reform would involve multiple aspects, among which, the most important element is reform of the multilateral system and international institutions, including UN, the IMF, the World Bank, and the G20.

Within the only international system operating across the world, the UN is the core. As the most important multilateral institution, the UN shoulders the responsibility of maintaining world peace and fostering global development. But in recent years, the UN has entered a deadlock and been beset with a legitimacy crisis known as the “deficit of democracy.” Reform of the UN system is staggering under difficulties, and its role in global governance is weakened.

The Bretton Woods institutions, which consist of the IMF and the World Bank, have played a crucial role in boosting the stability of the world economy, but serious defects exist regarding their internal governance. For example, developed countries have almost complete control over the important decision-making of Bretton Woods institutions, while the legitimate interests of developing countries cannot be ensured.

To advocate multilateralism, the key is that we make sure international affairs are handled through collective discussion rather than being dictated by one single country or a few countries. Overriding the UN-centered multilateral mechanisms, unilateralism and bullying have deconstructed international cooperation and this poses severe threats to world peace.

Upholding true multilateralism

Upholding true multilateralism has become one of the key concepts in China’s foreign policies. Being an imperative obligation instead of a selective option, it can only be fulfilled by the international community. China has always followed the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and it supports the UN in playing a bigger role in the reform of the global governance system. As the first country to sign the UN Charter, China has become the second largest contributor of UN’s dues, and the second largest provider of assessed contributions to UN peacekeeping operations. Among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, it is also the country which dispatches the largest number of peacekeepers.

The necessary reform also needs to firmly uphold the international order based on international law and oppose hegemony-based governance and bloc politics. Different countries have different ideas of global governance, and “pseudo-multilateralism” is bound to fail.

The congress report states, “Today, our world, our times, and history are changing like never before. The historical trends of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit are unstoppable. The will of the people and the general trends of our day will eventually lead to a bright future for humanity. And yet, the hegemonic, high-handed, and bullying acts of using strength to intimidate the weak, taking from others by force and subterfuge, and playing zero-sum games are exerting grave harm. The deficit in peace, development, security, and governance is growing. All of this is posing unprecedented challenges for human society. The world has once again reached a crossroads in history, and its future course will be decided by all the world’s peoples.” Faced with changes of a magnitude not seen in the past hundred years—and a once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic—international society needs solidarity and cooperation more than ever. Upholding true multilateralism is an inevitable choice that benefits the common home of all people.

Zhu Xu is deputy director of the Center for Asia-Europe Studies at Xi’an Jiaotong University, and associate professor from the School of Marxism at the university.