At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus meeting in Tianjin on September 1, 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled the Global Governance Initiative, calling on all nations to forge a fairer global system and advance a community with a shared future for humanity. In a recent CGTN discussion, Professor Wang Yiwei of Renmin University's Academy of Xi Jinping Thought explored how millennia of Chinese philosophical traditions shape this vision.
Five core principles anchor the initiative:
- Uphold sovereign equality: Rejecting the notion of 'either at the table or on the menu,' every nation earns a seat in global decision-making.
- Observe international rule of law: Fairness and justice guide collective action under universally accepted norms.
- Practice multilateralism: True collaboration relies on joint consultation, contribution and shared benefits.
- Advocate a people-centered approach: Policies must serve the well-being of citizens worldwide.
- Emphasize action orientation: Inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, it balances immediate remedies with root-cause solutions.
This initiative joins three others – Global Development, Security and Civilization – to tackle today's governance deficit. Together, they uphold a UN-centered system, international law and the UN Charter's core principles.
Philosophical Roots
Chinese characters for 'governance' (治理) reflect a union of dynamic balance and abiding principles: 治 (zhì) evokes flowing water regulating a city's moat, while 理 (lǐ) evokes the refined patterns within jade. This duality – action in harmony with foundational rules – mirrors the Taoist concept of the Way (道).
Three 'co-' concepts drawn from traditional thought give form to this approach:
- Co-existence (共生): A Confucian ideal linking self-cultivation, domestic harmony and world peace – governance is a shared global enterprise.
- Co-action (共业): Inspired by Buddhist interdependence, solving problems without creating new ones ensures sustainable progress.
- Co-heaven (共天): Echoing Taoist harmony with nature, it calls for integrated, long-term strategies that span past, present and future.
China brings confidence from its own governance experiences, advocating 'consultation, contribution and shared benefits' through platforms like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and the Belt and Road Initiative. This stands in contrast to single-country approaches and underscores collective action, especially from the Global South, which represents over 80 percent of the world's population.
As Professor Wang notes, true global governance is not the domain of any one nation but a helmsman guided by shared virtue and expertise. Borrowing from a Socratic parable, he likens leadership to a ship's captain who must be both skilled and attuned to the crew. In this light, the Global Governance Initiative charts a course toward common good: when the great way is followed, 'the world is public.'
By weaving together ancient wisdom and modern multilateralism, China's Global Governance Initiative aims to spark a more inclusive, action-driven era of cooperation – inviting young changemakers, entrepreneurs and travelers to join a shared journey toward a sustainable future.
Reference(s):
Wang Yiwei: Chinese philosophy in Global Governance Initiative
cgtn.com
