Advocate equal and orderly world multipolarity and inclusive economic globalization

Currently, the transformations of the world, the era, and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways, nurturing strategic opportunities while also presenting significant challenges. In response to a series of major challenges facing the world today, such as the deficits in peace, development, security, and governance, President Xi Jinping systematically summarized the historic achievements and valuable experiences of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs at the end of the year. He proposed "two major propositions": advocating for an equal and orderly world multipolarity and inclusive and beneficial economic globalization. These "two major propositions" complement each other and form an inseparable whole, reflecting the high degree of linkage and close interaction between world politics and economy today. Theoretically, the "two major propositions" represent a regular understanding of the development trends of the current era, profoundly revealing the rich connotations and epochal characteristics of world multipolarity and economic globalization. In practice, the "two major propositions" promote the development of international order and systems towards a more just and reasonable direction, pointing the way forward for people of all countries at this historical crossroads.

Looking at the world today, multipolarity has become a fundamental trend. However, there is no consensus in the international community on how the process of multipolarity will develop under the great changes in the world, or how countries will participate and promote it. China advocates for an equal and orderly world multipolarity, which, compared to a unipolar or bipolar world, better reflects the international community's common pursuit of fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation, more closely aligns with the practical needs of maintaining world peace and development, and more effectively contributes to the reform and improvement of the global governance system.

The multipolarization of the world should be equal, and the key is to adhere to the principle that all countries, regardless of size, are equal. Mutual respect and equality among countries of all sizes are requirements of the progress of the times and the primary principle of the United Nations Charter. President Xi Jinping pointed out: "Countries vary in size, strength, and development stages, but all are equal members of the international community, with equal rights to participate in regional and international affairs." Advocating for an equal multipolar world is of great significance for ensuring the normal development of international relations, promoting international peace and development, and especially for protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the vast number of developing countries.

For centuries, a few countries or groups of countries have monopolized international affairs by leveraging their economic and military advantages or exploiting the flawed institutional designs of the old international order, allowing hegemony and power politics to prevail. Since the end of the Cold War, particularly in the new century, economic globalization has fostered trade prosperity, investment facilitation, human mobility, and technological advancement, driving rapid global economic growth. This has especially spurred the collective rise of emerging market countries, with multiple development hubs gradually forming across the world, fundamentally reshaping the global landscape. However, the outdated mindset of hegemony and power politics persists. Certain countries attempt to replace and undermine universally recognized principles and norms of international law with a so-called "rules-based order," opposing and containing the deepening trend of global multipolarity. The essence of such actions is to impose their own will and standards on others, prioritizing their own interests above those of other nations, thereby severely threatening world peace and stability.

Regarding the chronic issues in the international order, President Xi Jinping emphasized that in today's world, the democratization of international relations has become an unstoppable trend of the times. No single country or group of countries can dominate world affairs alone. The fundamental spirit of the democratization of international relations is to oppose hegemonism and power politics, and to have all countries in the world resolve international issues and govern world affairs together through equal consultation. We advocate for an equal world multipolarity, where the concept of equality is rich in meaning, mainly reflected in the following aspects: First, it emphasizes the adherence to sovereign equality, where the sovereignty and dignity of all countries, regardless of their size, strength, or wealth, must be respected, internal affairs must not be interfered with, and all have the right to independently choose their social systems and development paths. Second, it emphasizes the adherence to equal participation, promoting equal participation, enjoyment of rights, and role-playing by all countries in the multipolarization process. Rules set by one or a few countries should not be imposed on others, nor should unilateralism by individual countries dictate the pace for the entire world, thereby enhancing the representation and voice of the vast number of developing countries. Third, it emphasizes the adherence to equal treatment, treating all countries in the world equally without "double standards," insisting on equality of rights, opportunities, and rules, ensuring that all countries can find their place in the multipolar system, play their due roles under the premise of adhering to international law, and become promoters of the democratization of international relations, breaking the traditional narrative that multipolarity is only about a few major powers. Fourth, it emphasizes that major powers should have the magnanimity and responsibility to take on greater responsibilities for regional and world peace and development, rather than monopolizing regional and international affairs, leading by example in advocating equality, cooperation, integrity, and the rule of law, and demonstrating the demeanor of major powers.

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The multipolarization of the world should be orderly, ensuring that the process of multipolarization is generally stable and constructive. Order is the fundamental prerequisite for global prosperity and development, as well as an important foundation for the stable development of the international system. In the international community, order is a generally stable state that emerges from the positive interactions of countries according to universally recognized international rules, and it is a constructive and positive force.

Some countries often worry that the process of multipolarity will bring about instability and disorder. In fact, much of the turmoil and chaos in today's world is not the result of the vigorous development of multipolarity, but rather the consequence of certain major powers obsessively prioritizing their own interests, and in their quest to maintain a unipolar hegemony, they do not hesitate to incite division and confrontation. In recent years, certain major powers have rallied their allies to impose unilateral sanctions, erect high barriers of protectionism, and arbitrarily "withdraw from groups and break treaties," actions that not only go against the general wishes of the world's people but also trample on the legitimate rights and dignity of nations.

Multipolarization is not about forming blocs, nor is it about fragmentation or disorder. We advocate that the world's multipolarization should be orderly, ensuring that the process of multipolarization is generally stable and constructive. President Xi Jinping emphasized, "China will resolutely uphold the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, advocating that international affairs should be handled through consultation among all." To achieve overall stability in the multipolarization process, all countries must jointly adhere to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and uphold the universally recognized basic norms of international relations. The frequent chaos in international affairs and the increasing challenges to world peace, development, and international justice are not because the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter are outdated, but because these purposes and principles have not been effectively implemented. Only when all countries firmly maintain the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, and act within the international system centered on the United Nations, can we prevent the multipolarization process from becoming a "jungle world" of a "rules vacuum." For the multipolarization process to be constructive, all countries must jointly practice true multilateralism, with international affairs being handled through consultation among all, and the future and destiny of the world being jointly determined by all countries. When multilateralism is well practiced, the welfare of humanity is maintained and developed; when multilateralism is undermined, the world becomes chaotic.

Economic globalization is the trend of the times. Despite countercurrents, dangerous shoals, and various challenges, giving up eating for fear of choking is not a solution. Only by providing sound guidance can we make economic globalization more beneficial to all and boost the confidence of people around the world in economic globalization. To steer economic globalization toward a promising future and deliver more benefits to people across the world, the international community should jointly advocate an economic globalization that is universally beneficial and inclusive, and create a better future for the global economy.

Economic globalization should be inclusive and beneficial to all, addressing the imbalances caused by unequal resource allocation and distribution. How to resolve the developmental disparities brought about by economic globalization and bridge the fairness deficit is a crucial issue that all parties must confront. President Xi Jinping pointed out, "Global prosperity and stability cannot be built on a foundation where the poor grow poorer and the rich grow richer." Advocating for inclusive economic globalization aims to promote more sufficient and balanced development, enhance the shared benefits of economic globalization, address the developmental imbalances between and within nations caused by global resource allocation, and foster an economic globalization that benefits the common development of all countries and peoples.

In recent years, economic globalization has encountered headwinds, which, to some extent, stems from the erosion of the principle of inclusiveness. At the external level of nations, issues such as the North-South divide, uneven recovery, development gaps, and technological disparities have become more pronounced. Some developing economies, particularly low-income and least-developed ones, suffer from inherent deficiencies in development resources and economic structures. Coupled with the impact of unfair international economic rules and order, they have gained relatively little from economic globalization, or even found themselves marginalized. At the internal level of nations, some advanced economies have experienced unequal distribution of benefits during economic globalization. While financial capital and multinational corporations reap enormous profits, some segments of the population have been left behind, witnessing a decline in their actual living standards. These advanced economies, once the primary drivers of economic globalization, are now rolling out a slew of protectionist policies in an attempt to shift their domestic problems abroad and externalize their contradictions. They perceive the broad economic ties fostered by globalization among nations as security threats, engaging in excessive politicization and securitization under various pretexts. In essence, these actions are about “instrumentalizing the economy and weaponizing trade to serve their ambitions for power,” all in pursuit of monopolizing development advantages and hoarding the gains of global economic growth for themselves.

It is not scary to encounter all kinds of problems; the key is to find solutions. Advocating for inclusive economic globalization aims to address a series of major issues and challenges facing the world today, steering economic globalization out of its current headwinds. On one hand, we must focus on growing the pie, aligning with the common aspirations of countries worldwide, especially developing nations, and reinforcing the international consensus that "development is the absolute principle." This will guide the global economy back onto a path of healthy, stable, and sustainable growth. On the other hand, greater efforts must be made to share the pie more equitably. While pursuing national interests, countries should also accommodate the legitimate concerns of others, paying special attention to the unique needs of developing nations. Measures such as debt relief and development assistance should be employed to support developing countries, particularly the most vulnerable ones facing severe difficulties. This approach will help resolve internal development imbalances within nations, fostering a people-centered economic globalization that promotes more balanced development and equal opportunities. The goal is to ensure that countries, social strata, and individuals across the board can participate in and benefit from socioeconomic progress.

Economic globalization should be inclusive and support countries in pursuing development paths suited to their national conditions. Today's world comprises numerous countries and regions, each with distinct histories, cultures, social systems, and development trajectories. Advancing economic globalization cannot be uniform or monolithic; it must acknowledge the diversity and differences in national development. The goal should be to seek common ground while reserving differences, to unite around shared interests and bridge disparities, thereby fostering human civilization and promoting global peace and development through an inclusive process of economic globalization.

In the process of economic globalization, some countries draw lines based on values and ideologies in foreign cooperation, promoting so-called "civilizational superiority," "clash of civilizations," and "end of civilization" theories, while pursuing exclusionary practices everywhere.