Global governance should be improved through reform: Chinese FM

MUNICH, Germany -- The global governance should be improved through reform in order to calibrate the right course of history, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Friday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while addressing the "China in the World" session of the ongoing Munich Security Conference.

Wang said the international situation has become more volatile and intertwined over the past year. The law of the jungle and unilateralism have been rampant, and the cause of human peace and development has reached a new crossroads.

Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative, calling for the practice of sovereignty equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and real actions, in a bid to build a more just and reasonable global governance system, Wang said.

The initiative conforms to the progressive trend of the times, represents the broadest common ground of the international community, and has been quickly and widely supported and endorsed, he said. It has injected new impetus into the building of a community with a share future for humanity, and also provided a Chinese compass for the ship of history to navigate through the storm to reach the bright shore.

Humanity has gone through hardships to this day, and sticking together through thick and thin is the right choice, Wang said, calling on the global community to improve global governance through reform and calibrate the course of the historical ship.

In his remarks, Wang made four suggestions in this regard.

First of all, the United Nations (UN) system needs to be revitalized. The UN is an important achievement of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, a historical choice of our ancestors, and a peace project to which countries have injected the most effort so far. Wang said the world only has the responsibility to reinforce and repair this "edifice" jointly built by the people of the world, but has no right to destroy it.

Without the UN, the world will return to the era of the law of the jungle, and the vast number of small and medium-sized countries will lose their multilateral support they rely on, Wang said. Today, the most important task is to return to our original aspirations, revitalize the leading position of the UN, abide by the purposes of the UN Charter, enhance the effectiveness of the UN system, in order to help it better adapt to the needs of the 21st century, Wang added.

Secondly, countries should coordinate and cooperate. Wang said the reason why the current international system is not functioning enough is that some countries enlarge differences, pursue their own priorities, and are keen on camp confrontation. Wang said that to maintain international coordination and cooperation is to seek common ground while reserving differences and achieve win-win cooperation. Dialogue and cooperation are needed when there are differences. He expressed hope that countries can respect and empower each other, achieving harmony without uniformity.

Looking back on history, Wang said every progress made by humankind is the result of sincere cooperation among countries across differences. He said that unity is strength, and unity brings hope.

Thirdly, to always practice multilateralism. In the upcoming multipolar world, it is necessary to practice true multilateralism and promote the democratization of international relations, Wang said, urging countries to abide by the same set of rules, that is, the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, so that all countries, especially the vast number of small and medium-sized countries, can find their place and play their due role in the international system.

In particular, big countries should set an example in various fields, including taking the lead in promoting cooperation and not engaging in conflicts and confrontations, abiding by the rules and not engaging in double standards, practicing equality instead of coercion, promoting opening up rather than self-interest, Wang said.

Noting that the Global South is rising collectively, Wang said the global governance system should keep pace with the times to more fully reflect their voices and their representativeness.

Fourthly, Wang said the top priority now is to stop the war and promote peace. Today, there are still over 60 conflicts lingering around the world. The vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security proposed by President Xi has pointed out the solution. All parties should promote peace talks, oppose fanning the flames, and resolve conflicts through mediation and dialogue.

Wang called for unremitting efforts to achieve a ceasefire and reconstruction in Gaza, saying that implementing the two-State solution and restoring fairness and justice to the Palestinian people is an inescapable responsibility of the international community. The situation in Iran affects the overall peace situation in the Middle East, and all parties should act with caution to avoid triggering new conflicts. The Ukraine crisis has finally opened the door to dialogue. Wang said all parties involved should seize this opportunity to strive to reach a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement, eliminate the root causes of conflicts and achieve long-term stability in Europe. On the issue of Venezuela, the bottom line of international rule of law must not be crossed and the principle of national sovereignty must be upheld, Wang said.

China will be a firm contributor for peace, stability and historical progress, and will promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Wang said.

The Chinese foreign minister also answered on-site questions on the Ukraine issue, China-EU relations, China-US relations and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region.

During the security conference, Wang met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, and Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka.