China’s Global Governance Initiative, announced by President Xi Jinping on 1 September 2025 at the “SCO Plus” Meeting in Tianjin, presents a vision for reshaping the international system through principles rooted in Chinese political thought and long standing cultural traditions. Xi called on countries to work together to build a fairer global governance order and move toward a community with a shared future for humanity. The initiative outlines five core principles that frame China’s approach.
The first is sovereign equality, which China argues must serve as the foundation of global governance. It rejects what Beijing sees as the Western approach of dominance and hierarchy, insisting that all nations deserve a place at the table. The second is adherence to international law, emphasising fairness, justice, and respect for universally accepted rules. The third principle is multilateralism, which for China means consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. The initiative also prioritises a people-centred approach, measuring the success of governance by how well it serves human wellbeing. Finally, it stresses practical action, drawing a parallel with traditional Chinese medicine by calling for solutions that address both immediate challenges and deeper systemic issues, avoiding what it describes as the side effects of simplistic remedies.
The Global Governance Initiative is positioned alongside three other major frameworks advanced by Beijing in recent years: the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. Together, they aim to address what China sees as a widening governance deficit in the international system. Beijing argues that these initiatives collectively support the UN centred international order, uphold international law and reinforce the basic norms laid out in the UN Charter.
A central feature of the initiative is its reliance on Chinese philosophical traditions. The characters for “governance,” 治理, contain concepts that reflect centuries of reflection on order and balance. 治 conveys regulation and flexibility, likened to the flow of water, while 理 refers to the intrinsic principles of jade. Combined, they reflect a governance approach that seeks harmony with underlying natural and social laws. Confucianism highlights moral leadership and governing through virtue, Taoism emphasises alignment with nature and non-intervention, and Legalism insists on rule-based governance. Modern Chinese policy thinking continues to blend these approaches, aiming for institutional consistency and balanced implementation.
Three core ideas derived from these traditions are highlighted. Coexistence stresses that global governance begins with sound domestic governance and mutual respect. Co-action, influenced by Buddhist interdependence, calls for solutions that avoid creating new problems. Co heaven, rooted in Taoist thought, emphasises harmony between humans and nature and the need to address both long-term and emerging challenges, such as climate change and AI governance.
China sees its confidence in promoting the Global Governance Initiative as stemming from its own governance experience and modernization path. It promotes concepts such as consultation and shared benefits through platforms like the SCO, BRICS, and the Belt and Road Initiative. This contrasts with Western models, particularly the American tradition of leadership rooted in ancient Greek notions of steering global affairs. The initiative argues instead that true global governance should be a collective effort led by all nations, especially the Global South. In line with the Taoist teaching that the highest virtue resembles water, China says governance should aim for the common good and reflect the principle that “when the great way is followed, the world belongs to all.”
