In a June 17 white paper titled More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China's Principles, Proposals and Actions, the Chinese Government details its vision for making the world a better place in the face of complex challenges. Edited excerpts follow:

Committing to universal and common security 

To date, more than 50,000 Chinese peacekeepers have been dispatched in 29 peacekeeping operations authorized by the UN Security Council. The country has also established the world's first standing peacekeeping police unit and maintains a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops.

On the Ukraine crisis, China follows the four key principles as its fundamental guide: The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be upheld, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all parties should be taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported. It released China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis and, together with Brazil and other Global South countries, launched the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine Crisis, building synergy and creating conditions for ceasefire and peace talks.

On the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China has urged the UN Security Council to pass the first ceasefire resolution for Gaza since the outbreak of the new round of conflict. It has provided emergency humanitarian assistance to Gaza and taken a clear stand in support of the two-state solution, promoting a comprehensive, just and lasting resolution of the Palestinian question.

China has facilitated the historic reconciliation and restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and 14 Palestinian factions visited China for reconciliation talks and signed the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity.

Championing an Asian security model characterized by security for all, common ground amid differences, and dialogue and consultation, China has facilitated a ceasefire agreement between conflicting parties in northern Myanmar and played a constructive role in the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand and the cross-border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It has proposed the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa, supporting countries in the region in responding to security challenges.

Promoting openness, cooperation and common development 

China has become the main trading partner of over 160 countries and regions, signing 24 free trade agreements with 31 countries and regions in the process. It has facilitated and achieved high-standard implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and signed the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol. It endeavors actively to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement to expand the globally oriented network of high-standard free trade areas. The country firmly safeguards the rule-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, engages fully and deeply in WTO reforms, and has announced that it will not seek new special and differential treatment in current and future negotiations at the WTO.

Steps have been taken to expand voluntary and unilateral opening up, with the launch of 23 pilot free trade zones, island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port, and open platforms such as the China International Import Expo, China International Fair for Trade in Services, China International Consumer Products Expo and China International Supply Chain Expo. Additionally, zero tariffs have been placed on the least developed countries and African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), China's imports of goods and services exceeded $15 trillion.

China has promoted cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) toward a new stage of high-quality development. China has signed cooperation documents with over 150 countries and 30 international organizations, hosted three editions of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, established more than 30 special cooperation mechanisms in key areas such as the economy, trade, energy and infrastructure, and established a secretariat for the forum. The China-Europe Railway Express freight service has operated more than 130,000 trips to date. In 2025, the volume of trade in goods between China and BRI participants reached 23.6 trillion yuan ($3.4 trillion), up by 6.3 percent year on year, accounting for 51.9 percent of the country's foreign trade. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund have provided financing support to hundreds of projects. Renminbi financing windows have been set up, and the two-way investment between China and its BRI partners totaled more than $240 billion between 2021 and the first half of 2025. Communication and exchange have flourished in culture, tourism, education and media, as well as between the youth of different nations.

More than $23 billion of development funds of various types have been mobilized. China has established the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, increased its total to $4 billion, and launched the China-FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) South-South Cooperation Trust Fund (Phase III).

Practicing true multilateralism 

China's contribution to the UN regular budget increased from less than 1 percent in 2000 to over 20 percent in 2025, making it the second largest contributor. It has paid in full its assessed contributions to the UN in support of the effective operation of UN agencies. It has launched and renewed the China-UN Peace and Development Fund and increased its input to the fund, providing strong support to major UN agendas.

China has joined nearly all universal intergovernmental organizations and signed over 600 international conventions and amendments, fulfilling its treaty obligations in good faith and honoring its international commitments.

China encourages the Group of 20, a major forum for economic dialogue between developed and developing countries, to pursue international cooperation in the spirit of equal consultation and mutual benefit. In 2026, China will host the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) meeting for a third time, under the theme Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together. The meeting will focus on three priorities: openness, innovation and cooperation.

Supporting the Global South in playing a greater role 

In 2017, the BRICS Xiamen Summit delivered more than 60 outcomes, giving rise to the BRICS Plus approach and three key engines that drive cooperation: political security, trade and finance, and people-to-people exchange. BRICS is an emerging-market cooperative mechanism that initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is the first international organization named after a Chinese city, founded with China's participation and headquartered in the country. Through the joint efforts of its member states, the SCO has grown into a group of 27 countries spanning Asia, Europe and Africa, and its economic aggregate is approaching $30 trillion. In 2025, the SCO Tianjin Summit formulated a development strategy for the coming decade.

China believes that the international financial architecture should be more balanced in representation and better reflect the realities of the world economy. It argues that the World Bank should conduct shareholding reviews and the International Monetary Fund should carry out quota share realignment in accordance with the agreed timeframes and roadmaps to address the democratic deficit in global financial governance.

China supports the reform of the UN Security Council, believing that increasing the representation of developing countries is the right direction of the reform, and that it is imperative to address the historical injustice suffered by Africa, with priority and special arrangements made for the continent's demands. It maintains communication and coordination with its partners in the Global South through mechanisms such as the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77, and plays an active role in championing justice at major international events such as the UN General Assembly.

Promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations 

China upholds a vision of civilization characterized by equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness, and promotes harmonious coexistence among different civilizations to share and admire the beauty of all. On June 7, 2024, at the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, China facilitated the unanimous adoption of a resolution designating June 10 as the International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations.

China has acceded to or ratified 29 international human rights instruments and has played a constructive role in the formulation of several major international human rights documents, including the Declaration on the Right to Development and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. China has served six terms as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, making it one of the most frequently elected and longest-serving countries.

China has established over 3,000 sister city and sister province/state relationships with more than 150 countries, building bridges for people-to-people exchange. Entry policies are being continually optimized, with unilateral visa-free access already in place for 50 countries, full mutual visa exemption for 29 countries, and 240-hour transit visa-free policy expanded to 55 countries across 65 entry ports. In 2025, 30.08 million foreigners entered China visa-free, accounting for 73.1 percent of all foreign arrivals, a year-on-year increase of 49.5 percent.

Providing more public goods for the international community 

In 2020, at the UN General Assembly, China declared that it would strive to peak its carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. In 2025, at the UN Climate Change Summit, it announced a new round of nationally determined contributions, including reducing economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10 percent from peak levels by 2035 and striving for a larger reduction; increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption to over 30 percent; and scaling up the forest stock volume and developing a carbon emissions trading market.

As of the end of October 2025, China had signed 55 climate-related cooperation documents with 43 other developing countries, implemented over 300 sessions of capacity-building programs, and had provided and mobilized over 177 billion yuan ($26 billion) in program funding since 2016.

China has put forward the Global AI Governance Initiative, advocating a people-centered and AI-for-good approach. It initiated the establishment of the Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building, built the Digital South project under the Global Development Project Pool, and has held multiple capacity-building workshops and thematic dialogues in this regard.

Additionally, it has proposed the establishment of a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization and put forward the Global AI Governance Action Plan and the AI+ International Cooperation Initiative, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to AI development and governance.

China has signed health cooperation agreements with over 160 countries and international organizations, and initiated and participated in nine international and regional health cooperation mechanisms, including those between China and African countries, between China and Arab states, and between China and Southeast Asian nations. China has dispatched more than 30,000 medical workers to 77 countries and regions and treated 300 million patients.

In 2019, China became the largest contributor to the core budget of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its protocols, as well as the largest contributor among developing countries to the Global Environment Facility, positions it maintains to this day.

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

Comments to yanwei@cicgamericas.com 

Four Major Global Initiatives 

Over a decade ago, President Xi Jinping put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, with the goal of creating a better world and a better life for people of all countries. In the face of a widening Global North-South divide and severe delays in implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, China has proposed the Global Development Initiative to advance common development. In the face of complex international and regional situations and security governance challenges, especially when certain countries seek absolute security at the expense of other countries' security, China put forward the Global Security Initiative in time to address the peace deficit and tackle security problems. Amid the rising clamor about the "clash of civilizations" and "confrontation between different systems," and the stoking of narratives about an "antagonism of values" by some countries, China has proposed the Global Civilizations Initiative to promote exchange and mutual learning among civilizations. Faced with a widening governance deficit and growing efforts to undermine the UN and multilateralism, China has put forward the Global Governance Initiative, expanding on the institutions of the other three global initiatives and aiming at building a more just and equitable global governance system. 

Panel 1: Global Leaders' Meeting on Women: China's Contribution to the Development of the Cause of Women 

From October 13 to 14, 2025, China and UN Women jointly hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing. Under the theme of One Shared Future: New and Accelerated Process for Women's All-Round Development, the summit was attended by guests from over 110 countries, including heads of state and government, heads of parliament, officials at the vice-premier level, representatives at the ministerial level, representatives of UN agencies and international organizations, and diplomatic envoys. China's President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony. 

To further support the global cause of women, China announced that in the next five years it would donate a further $10 million to UN Women, earmark a quota of $100 million within its Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund for implementing development cooperation projects for women and girls in collaboration with international organizations, and launch 1,000 "small and beautiful" livelihood programs with Chinese assistance, prioritizing women and girls as the primary beneficiaries. At the same time, it would invite 50,000 women to China for training and exchange programs and establish a Global Center for Women's Capacity Building, aimed at conducting capacity building and cooperation for women's development with relevant countries and international organizations to train more female talent. 

Panel 2: International Organization for Mediation: Chinese Wisdom for the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes 

In 2022, China and like-minded countries initiated the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed). On May 30, 2025, the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation was held in Hong Kong, with 33 countries signing the convention and becoming its founding members. On August 29, 2025, the convention entered into force, with Hong Kong becoming the location of IOMed's headquarters. On October 20, 2025, the organization commenced formal operations. 

As the first intergovernmental legal organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation, IOMed focuses on mediating disputes to resolve conflicts and serves as an important mechanism that safeguards the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. It complements and creates synergy with litigation, arbitration, and other existing mechanisms to resolve international disputes, and provides a new platform for their peaceful settlement. 

Panel 3: New Development Bank: An Emerging Force in the International Financial System 

The New Development Bank was jointly established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in 2015. It is the first international financial institution to be headquartered in China, and the first multilateral development institution established and led by emerging market economies and developing countries. The bank aims to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS countries and other emerging and developing economies. Since its establishment, the New Development Bank has made steady progress in its operations and institutional development, becoming an emerging force in the international financial system and a landmark project of Global South cooperation. As of March 2026, it had approved loans of $42.9 billion for 139 development projects, covering key areas including clean energy and energy efficiency, transport infrastructure, environmental protection, water and sanitation, social infrastructure, and digital infrastructure. 

Panel 4: Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting Builds a Bridge for Mutual Learning Among Civilizations 

From July 10 to 11, 2025, the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting was held in Beijing under the theme Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development. In a congratulatory letter, President Xi emphasized that China is willing to work with other countries to champion equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations, implement the Global Civilizations Initiative, and promote the building of a global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations, in a bid to provide fresh impetus for advancing human civilizations and promoting world peace and development. 

UN Secretary General António Guterres also sent a congratulatory letter to the meeting, the opening ceremony of which was attended by more than 600 representatives from the political, cultural and educational sectors of about 140 countries and regions. The meeting adopted the Beijing Declaration of the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting and released a list of 110 actions to be taken. 

Panel 5: China's Green and Low-Carbon Industrial Transition Has Made Significant Contributions to the World 

China is a steadfast champion of and a major contributor to green development. It has built the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system and the largest and most complete new-energy industrial chain, contributing about one quarter of the world's newly increased green areas. It has carried out extensive cooperation on green-energy projects with more than 100 countries and regions, consistently providing high-quality and efficient low-carbon energy equipment and products to the world, especially to other developing countries. Its wind power, photovoltaic and new-energy vehicle products are now exported to over 200 countries and regions, supplying 70 percent of the world's wind power equipment and 80 percent of photovoltaic panels, driving down global wind and photovoltaic power generation costs by more than 60 percent and 80 percent, respectively. During the 14th Five-year Plan period (2021-25), China's exported wind power and photovoltaic products reduced other countries' carbon emissions by approximately 4.1 billion tons.