Fairer, more equitable era can begin if countries draw wisdom from history

Talk is cheap, and some in the West do a lot of it in relation to China, seemingly in the belief that Francis Bacon was right when he advised: slander boldly, something always sticks. Thus in every conceivable way, China is presented as a threat; a malignancy that has to be isolated and controlled.

Yet fictions meant to please should bear at least some resemblance to reality.

Rather than being a threat to global peace and stability, China is a steadfast constructive force in a changing world, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in his speech on Friday at the Munich Security Conference. Unlike certain Western power that tends to put unilateralism, minilateralism and acts of bullying, trickery and extortion above the basic norms of international relations — including sovereign equality, the peaceful resolution of disputes and noninterference in internal affairs — China holds high the torch of true multilateralism and promotes the building of a community with a shared future for mankind that is grounded in the United Nations-centered international system.

The UN is at the core of practicing true multilateralism and advancing global governance, and China supports it playing a central role in international affairs. It urges countries to cement its foundations, rather than destroy its pillars. Although countries may have different views on the meaning and priorities of multilateralism, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter remain the greatest consensus of the international community.

Speaking at a high-level UN Security Council meeting on multilateralism and global governance reform on Tuesday, Wang said that countries should not just sit by and watch multilateral institutions "become dysfunctional and ineffective due to their own failure to cooperate". He called on the Security Council members to rise above narrow-minded geopolitical considerations, and "reinvigorate true multilateralism, and speed up efforts to build a more just and equitable global governance system" in the face of today's global crises.

Some might wonder what is the difference between multilateralism and true multilateralism, regarding the latter to be merely a play on words.

But as China has consistently demonstrated there is a real distinction between the two. While multilateralism is a necessary tool for international cooperation, true multilateralism represents a higher standard that ensures fairness, inclusivity and respect for all nations.

In a world plagued by trust, development, peace and governance deficits, and facing complex global challenges such as climate change, pandemics and inequality, true multilateralism is essential to build trust, foster equity and create sustainable solutions that benefit everyone. Without these principles, multilateralism risks becoming a tool for the powerful to impose their will on the less powerful, undermining its legitimacy and effectiveness.

In April 2021, President Xi Jinping clearly championed the concept of "true multilateralism" in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference. Since then the concept has increasingly received support from the international community, as China has continuously upheld its value and great practical significance. To uphold true multilateralism, all parties should resolutely uphold the authority and standing of the UN, promote global governance based on extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, advance greater democracy in international relations, and oppose unilateralism and all forms of "fake multilateralism".

As Wang said on Tuesday, global governance has to be improved, "not through words but through actions", with the sure path for the promoting of international cooperation. The vision and initiatives put forward by President Xi — a community with a shared future for mankind, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative — represent China's action paths for global cooperation.

Indeed, the two world wars and the Cold War that ensued should have driven home the message that countries are interdependent, and that no country alone can address the many woes the world is facing today. True multilateralism remains the call of people around the world and the trend of the times. It serves the interests of all countries and peoples, and sets the right direction for reforming and improving global governance in a time of intensifying turbulence and transformation.