The slow and difficult birth of a newly constructed world – Part I

By Amarynth

Starting with China’s Global Governance Initiative, the next three posts with analyze what China and Russia actuality are doing towards a multipolar and a multilateral world formation.

We may as well say it now, that the collective west will never accept this.  If we look back at Zbigniew Brzezinski’s The Grand Chessboard, the title is there as a title.  The subtitle holds the expressed value, and this is:  American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives.  Nothing has changed.  FM Lavrov stated during is various UNGA meetings that the reality will force them, and this is so, as they will be left behind in their own orbit, with nobody giving much attention.  Up until that time, we will be in hybrid war with kinetic outbursts in selected nodes, designed for primacy of something:  Oil and products, Financial System and pumping up the fear to try and and gain respect.  This is not working easily as fear is a short-term weapon.   Even with all the technology guns out against LULA in Brazil, they could not take the first round.      

The concomitant process must be real education for the middle and smaller states and countries as they’ve gone literally round the bend and think they will claw out some heavenly position if they play their cards right now.  We see this in spades if we watch the gyrations of Pakistan alone.  Actually with everyone expecting that Turkiye will stand up in a divisive manner, they are really not and are involved now to desperately find a solution, with Russia, to deal with the ships being battered in the Black Sea.  Europe is preparing for war, but Russia has already won.  Bessent blows bubbles of economic insinking for Iran, and Russia steps out with a massive credit line.  (See further what China has actually asked countries to do in terms of tariffs and sanctions*.)  Israel is shouting their own primacy daily, yet countries in general, not all, but many, are stopping their new diaspora and taking this rabble to court and throwing them out.  Slowly, oh so slowly the world is beginning to react to this genocide.  The US cannot win against Iran and a mob is gathering around Yemen, because nobody is winning against Yemen and neither will the mob win.   In terms of Pakistan having posted soldiers in Saudi Arabia, Russia is a step up on them because Russia is working with Pakistan and with Afghanistan to hopefully heal some wounds and stop that war.   This means Pakistan must behave.    

The weaknesses of the Strategy of Primacy are becoming visible.  These weaknesses become self-reinforcing and consume it from the inside out. Take a look at the street action in Europe.  That is how great powers decline, not necessarily through one catastrophic defeat, but through the cumulative consequences of failures they become incapable of correcting.

The requirements of the method needed for carrying out the strategy, has become such a burden that the strategy is falling. The strategy is running up against its own inabilities and the balloon is deflating, step by step.  Nothing is easy any longer for maintaining and establishing primacy.  There are no more easy primacy wars to win.

Here is China’s high level solution already written in 2025:.

I. Background

The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Eighty years ago, upon deep reflection on the bitter lessons of the two world wars, the international community decided to establish the United Nations, commencing a brand new practice in global governance. Over the past 80 years, the visions and practice of global governance, i.e. the international system with the U.N. at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter have made historic contributions to maintaining world peace and development.

The current international landscape is undergoing changes and turbulence. The U.N. and multilateralism are being challenged. The deficit in global governance continues to grow. The existing international institutions have shown three deficiencies. First, serious underrepresentation of the Global South. The collective rise of emerging markets and developing countries necessitates boosting the representation of the Global South and redressing historical injustice. Second, erosion of authoritativeness. The purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter have not been effectively observed. Resolutions of the Security Council have been challenged. Unilateral sanctions, among other practices, have violated international law and disrupted the international order. Third, urgent need for greater effectiveness. The implementation of the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is seriously lagging behind. Issues such as climate change and the digital divide are becoming more salient. Governance gaps exist in new frontiers such as artificial intelligence (AI), cyberspace and outer space.

As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and the biggest developing country, China has all along been a staunch builder of world peace, contributor to global development, defender of the international order and provider of public goods. Focusing on a subject of our times, namely what kind of global governance system to build and how to reform and improve global governance, and regarding it as the fundamental guideline to uphold the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and practice the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, China proposes the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) to promote the building of a more just and equitable global governance system and work together for a community with a shared future for humanity.

II. Core Concepts

1. Staying committed to sovereign equality. This is the foremost premise of global governance. Sovereign equality is the most important norm governing state-to-state relations, and the foremost principle observed by the U.N. and all other international institutions and organizations. The essence of sovereign equality is that all countries, regardless of size, strength or wealth, shall have their sovereignty and dignity respected, their domestic affairs free from external interference, the right to independently choose their social system and development path, and the right to participate in, make decisions in and benefit from the global governance process as equals. Greater democracy should be promoted in international relations to make the global governance system better reflect the interests and aspirations of the majority of countries and to increase the representation and say of developing countries.

2. Staying committed to international rule of law. This is the fundamental safeguard for global governance. The purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter are universally recognized basic norms of international relations. They must be upheld unwaveringly. In emerging areas, international rules should be formulated on the basis of extensive consensus. International law and rules must be applied equally and uniformly, without any double standards or imposition. The authority and solemnity of international law must be upheld. Major countries, in particular, must take the lead in advocating and defending international rule of law.

3. Staying committed to multilateralism. This is the basic pathway of global governance. Multilateralism is the core concept of the existing international system and international order. The principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit must be upheld. Global affairs should be decided by all, the governance system built by all, and the fruits of governance shared by all. Practice of unilateralism must be rejected. The U.N. is the core platform for practicing multilateralism and advancing global governance, whose role must be enhanced, not weakened. Other global and regional multilateral institutions should give play to their respective strengths and play a constructive role. All discriminatory and exclusionary arrangements should be avoided.

4. Staying committed to the people-centered approach. This is the underpinning value of global governance. The people of all nations are the fundamental actors in global governance, and their well-being is its ultimate benefit. The global governance system must meet the people’s needs and consistently foster their confidence and belief in a stable future in order to be extensively supported and effective. It must seek improvement through reforms in order to inspire, among peoples of all countries, a greater sense of fulfillment through accelerated common development, a greater sense of safety through more effective response to humanity’s common challenges and a greater sense of well-being through advancing the common interests of different countries and communities.

5. Staying committed to real results. This is an important principle of global governance. Effective global governance is essentially one that resolves real problems. Given the close links among various issues, global governance should be carried out in a more coordinated, systematic and holistic way. It must address both root causes and symptoms to find sustainable solutions. It must both tackle pressing issues and take into account long-term challenges. Developed countries should earnestly take on their responsibilities and provide more resources and public goods. Developing countries, on their part, should pull together for strength and do their best for the world.

III. Way Forward

The GGI is another major initiative proposed by China, following the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). The GDI focuses on promoting international cooperation on development, the GSI on encouraging dialogue and consultation over international discord, the GCI on promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and the GGI on the direction, principles and path for reforming the global governance system and institutions. The four initiatives have their respective priorities and can be pursued simultaneously. They will each be a source of positive energy for a changing and turbulent world and impetus for humanity’s development and progress.

The “five core concepts” of the GGI stem from the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, and respond to the shared aspiration of most countries. To reform and improve global governance does not mean to overturn the existing international order or to create another framework outside the current international system. Rather, the goal is to make the existing international system and international institutions better at taking actions, working effectively, adapting to changes, responding promptly and effectively to various global challenges, and serving the interests of all countries, particularly developing ones. No matter how the international landscape changes, China will remain firm in safeguarding the international system with the U.N. at its core and the international order underpinned by international law, stand firmly on the right side of history, and join hands with all progressive forces in the world to build a community with a shared future for humanity and make relentless efforts for mankind’s noble cause of peace and development.

We will uphold principles, embrace new ideas, stay open-minded and inclusive, adhere to the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, and work under the framework of the GGI with all parties to enhance policy communication and coordination, so as to build extensive consensus and enrich the methods and pathways for reforming and improving global governance.

We will leverage the platforms provided by the U.N., relevant international organizations, and regional and subregional multilateral institutions to take active actions with all parties and contribute our thoughts and energy to reforming and improving global governance. Priority will be given to areas where governance is in urgent need and scant supply, such as the reform of the international financial architecture, AI, cyberspace, climate change, trade, and outer space, and to firmly upholding the authority and central role of the U.N. and supporting the U.N. in implementing the Pact for the Future. We would like to increase communication and cooperation in these areas to build consensus, identify deliverables, and bring about early harvests.

Humanity has become a closely intertwined community with a shared future. Enhancing global governance is the right choice for the international community to share in development opportunities and address global challenges. China will strengthen joint efforts with all parties to explore ways to reform and improve global governance and open up a bright future of peace, security, prosperity, and progress.

On a pactical level, China is making progress as well:

28 countries call for end to unilateral coercive measures at UN

The time for this is right, as countries are refusing Tariffs and Sanctions and they are slowly understanding that they will no longer pay any tribute to the system of .  With the last bunch of sanctions against Iran, China instructed their banks to ignore these sanctions.  Of course countries need to start paying attention, and some are.  This is however not a promise of a rose-garden and we will still be slogging through this for some years.