•The threats and challenges facing the world today are endless, and there is an urgent need to improve global governance and strengthen coordination and cooperation.
•Promises made must be fulfilled. We must oppose unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, and maintain the authority and seriousness of international law.
Image: Reuters
With reigning confusion and expanding vacuum in global leadership, the world is searching for leadership from mounting crises. Both the Covid-19 pandemic and abdication of the US from its hitherto role have made worse of an already deteriorating situation, leaving countries searching for a nation that will anchor dearly held humanitarian ideals.
China is gradually stepping up to the challenge, as espoused by State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi at the United Nations Security Council Summit on September 25. In his address during the virtual meeting, Yi talked about "Maintaining International Peace and Security: Global Governance after the Covid-19 Epidemic".
Yi stressed that as the world celebrates the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UN, China advocates for reforms and improvement of the global governance system in order to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
Recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping answered questions on the kind of world mankind faces. He gave wide ranging solutions, for instance, on the kind of UN the world needs, calling on all parties to unswervingly follow the path of multilateralism, maintain the international system with the UN at its core, jointly build a community with both a shared future for mankind and a new type of international relations.
Leaders from various countries also reviewed the original mission of the UN. They issued a powerful voice for upholding multilateralism and demonstrated their common will to overcome the epidemic in unity and seek peaceful development.
The threats and challenges facing the world today are endless, and there is an urgent need to improve global governance and strengthen coordination and cooperation.
At the same time, as developing countries are rising in groups, the global governance system needs to reflect the reality of international politics and reflect the multi-polar development process.
Yi spelt out five proposals from the Chinese side. First, practise the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. Countries, big or small, are equal members of the international community. Major risks and challenges know no boundaries, and the future and destiny of countries are closely related.
Responding to risks and challenges requires pooling global resources, drawing on the wisdom of all parties, and forming a strong synergy. Global affairs should be discussed by everyone, the governance system should be built by everyone, and the results of governance should be shared by everyone, so that countries can become participants, contributors, and beneficiaries of world peace and development. Listening to the voice of developing countries demands respecting their demands and safeguarding their rights.
Secondly, the world must jointly respond to non-traditional security threats. In the 21st century, from the "September 11" incident to the international economic and financial crisis, to this epidemic, mankind has faced global risk challenges.
We must coordinate the response to traditional security and non-traditional security threats, and put public health and climate change on the international agenda. Non-traditional security threats require overall planning and comprehensive policy implementation. The Security Council should abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Image: OZONE
Thirdly, to improve global governance, major powers must play an exemplary role by taking the lead in implementing the UN Charter, in providing global public goods, and in contributing to world peace and development. At a time when the world is facing major risks and challenges, the major powers must take the future and destiny of mankind as a priority and abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices.
Fourth is maintaining international law and order. To build a global governance pattern, we must establish a sense of legislation. It is necessary to abide by the basic norms of international relations such as sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs of other nations, and peaceful settlement of disputes.
Promises made must be fulfilled. We must oppose unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, and maintain the authority and seriousness of international law.
The times are developing, and the laws must keep up. The international community should jointly promote the formulation of laws in emerging areas such as the deep sea, polar regions, networks, and outer space to benefit every country fairly.
The UN also needs to keep pace with the times, increase representation and voice of developing countries"Chinese proposal
Fifth concerns the role of the UN. The global risk challenge we face is a compound crisis, which must be dealt with comprehensively. As the most universal, representative and authoritative international organisation, the UN is more qualified and superior to play a leading role than other countries and international organisations.
The UN also needs to keep pace with the times, increase representation and voice of developing countries, improve operational efficiency and emergency response capabilities, and modernise its governance system and capabilities.
As the core of the collective security mechanism, the Security Council is an important part of the global governance system and bears the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.
In the emerging geopolitics, the Security Council must fulfil the responsibilities entrusted by the UN Charter, guarantee world peace, provide stability to the international order, provide security to people of all countries, and hope for global governance.