World should reform, improve global governance, says FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a keynote speech on Saturday at the "China Session" of the 62nd Munich Security Conference, emphasizing that the world should reform and improve global governance to keep the course of history on the right track.

Wang said that reforming and improving global governance must begin with revitalizing the United Nations system. "Although the UN is not perfect, it remains the most universal and authoritative intergovernmental organization in the world," he said. "Without the UN, the world would return to a law-of-the-jungle era, and small and medium-sized countries would lose their multilateral foundation."

He said the limited effectiveness of today's international system stems not mainly from the UN itself, but from certain countries that magnify differences, pursue a country-first approach, engage in bloc confrontation and revive Cold War thinking. "These actions undermine trust and weaken the atmosphere for cooperation, making international mechanisms harder to function," he said.

Wang asserted that monopolizing international power is unwelcome, as the world is moving toward multipolarity. He called for practicing true multilateralism, democratizing international relations, and ensuring that global affairs are discussed and decided by all countries together, based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. He particularly stressed the importance of equality of rights, opportunities, and rules for small and medium-sized countries.

Noting that more than 60 conflicts are still ongoing globally, Wang said countries should promote peace talks rather than add fuel to the fire, resolve differences through mediation and eliminate conflict through dialogue. He concluded by highlighting that China and Europe are partners in a multipolar world and should work together to prevent division and advance human progress.

"Europe must stand for the consistent application of international law — whether the issue concerns territorial integrity in Greenland or the economic sovereignty of Cuba," said Ondrej Dostal, a member of the European Parliament from Cezch, adding that "Multilateralism is Europe's shield. When we invest in global cooperation — in the United Nations, in equitable trade, and people-to-people exchanges — we reduce the space for wreckers and bulldozers. Europe must be a stabiliser in an unstable world — a bridge-builder, not a battering ram, and certainly not the subservient accomplice of one."

"Our strength does not lie in militarisation, but in diplomacy, support for multilateralism and international law, and trade that builds bridges between people. If we abandon those foundations, we become part of the very destruction we criticize," he told China Daily.

Zhou Bo, a senior fellow at Tsinghua University's Center for International Security and Strategy, said Wang Yi's speech clearly reflected China's firm and distinctive stance in an increasingly turbulent world. "In today's unsettled international environment, China presents itself like a stabilizer, maintaining a steady and resolute position," Zhou said. He noted that viewing global affairs through the Munich Security Conference is essentially seeing the world from a European perspective. "From Europe's vantage point, there seems to be little good news. What stands out are the crises unfolding in its neighborhood and the broader sense of insecurity," he said.

Zhou added that Wang Yi's remarks echo the expectations of many countries about China, namely that in turbulent times they hope China will play a greater role in promoting a more just and fair international order.