The GGI will be conducive to strengthening international cooperation, fostering a fairer and more equitable governance system, and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. Image generated by AI

The GGI is the latest major initiative proposed by China, following the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI), and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). The new initiative embodies five core principles: sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and real results. These principles offer a fresh vision, philosophy, and pathway for reforming global governance during a new period of turbulence and transformation worldwide. They provide a framework for strengthening international cooperation, fostering a fairer and more equitable global governance system, and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

New vision

Reform and improvement of the global governance system must uphold sovereign equality, ensuring that the interests and aspirations of the majority of countries—particularly developing nations—are better represented. For decades, many of the system’s core mechanisms and platforms have been dominated by major Western powers, often wielded to impose Western standards and interfere in developing countries’ internal affairs. Sovereign equality is thus essential to giving developing nations a stronger voice. The BRICS New Development Bank, initiated with China’s support, embodies this principle through an equality-based governance model: Founding members hold equal shares, while major decisions are made through collective discussions and voting by the Board of Governors and the Board of Directors, ensuring balanced representation of all members’ interests.

Equally vital is adherence to international rule of law, which requires rejecting double standards and resisting the imposition of “domestic rules” of a few countries on the international community. Upholding international rule of law is the fundamental guarantee of global governance. China has long been a steadfast defender of international rule of law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. In handling interstate relations and international affairs, the relationships and interests among nations must be mediated through systems and rules. The International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), established through China’s efforts on May 30, 2025, represents a significant achievement in upholding and practicing international rule of law. As the first intergovernmental organization dedicated to addressing disputes through mediation, it offers an effective, peaceful path for resolving international conflicts.

Finally, multilateralism must be practiced, with an emphasis on extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, while firmly rejecting unilateralism. In particular, it is crucial to oppose efforts by certain major powers to monopolize international affairs, dictate the destinies of others, and use unilateral sanctions, asset freezes, or other coercive measures as tools of bullying. China has consistently advocated for “true multilateralism,” calling on the international community to embrace extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits as fundamental principles for reforming and improving the global governance system.

New philosophy

Compared with the previously proposed global initiatives—the GDI, GSI, and GCI, one of the GGI’s most distinctive features is its people-centered approach. Advancing global governance is ultimately an undertaking to benefit the world’s peoples, who are both its fundamental participants and beneficiaries.

This people-oriented approach underscores “putting people first,” grounding global governance in the basic rights to survival, development, security, and a healthy environment. It anchors the legitimacy of global governance in the overall wellbeing of the world’s peoples, while functioning as a powerful corrective to the longstanding tendency of certain countries to prioritize their own interests and hegemonic agendas on the global governance stage. At the same time, it establishes a value compass for bridging the North-South development divide and addressing governance deficits.

To implement the GGI and improve global governance, it is essential to draw upon the governance practices of various countries, enrich governance experience, and generate new ideas and knowledge for transforming global governance. China, as a major country with significant influence and practical capacity in governance, has achieved remarkable results both in long-term domestic governance and in more recent international engagement. Domestically, its achievements in poverty alleviation, development quality improvement, and efficiency enhancement stand out; globally, initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative and their associated mechanisms and platforms exemplify China’s contributions to governance innovation.

New pathway

The release of the GGI concept paper further refines the methods and pathways for advancing global governance.

First, it stresses an action-oriented approach, prioritizing practical solutions to real problems. Its guiding principle is effectiveness, with an emphasis on avoiding governance delays and fragmentation while seeking sustainable solutions.

Second, it identifies priority areas where tangible outcomes are needed. The concept paper outlines pressing global governance issues, including reform of the international financial architecture, artificial intelligence, cyberspace, climate change, and outer space, while reaffirming the central role of the United Nations and support for its implementation of the Pact for the Future. Its aim is to “build consensus and identify deliverables,” ensuring that governance produces concrete results.

Third, it embraces openness and inclusiveness, encouraging communication and coordination with all parties, building broad consensus, and promoting pragmatic cooperation. The GGI particularly underscores the importance of extensive consultation on global affairs, joint contribution to mechanisms and platforms, and shared cooperation benefits, continuously enriching the methods and pathways for reforming and improving global governance.

Finally, it emphasizes the balance between reform and stability. The concept paper explicitly clarifies: “To reform and improve global governance does not mean to overturn the existing international order or to create another framework outside the current international system. Rather, the goal is to make the existing international system and international institutions better at taking actions, working effectively, adapting to changes, responding promptly and effectively to various global challenges, and serving the interests of all countries, particularly developing ones.” This approach to handling the relationship between reform and stability reflects China’s strategic rationality and resilience in advancing global governance reform, as well as the composure and confidence fostered through its evolution from a passive participant in global governance to an active reformer.

Liu Zhenye is a professor from the Globalization and Global Issues Institute at China University of Political Science and Law.