Multipolarization unstoppable trend for its fairness

The Munich Security Conference released its Munich Security Report 2025 on Monday. The three-day forum this year is scheduled to start on Friday in the German city.

The report analyzes the far-reaching consequences of the multipolarization of the international order, and makes the case for "depolarization" highlighting the need for substantial reforms of the international order.

The report zooms in on eight actors which it thinks assert the claim to constitute a pole in the international order, among which China is ranked second, after the United States and before the European Union.

While the Chinese side believes "multipolarization is the underlying trend of today's world and an unstoppable trend of our times", as Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said while taking a question on the report in a regular news conference on Tuesday. The report holds a neutral, if not critical view on multipolarization.

China believes that multipolarization can help foster global peace and stability. But the report paints a negative picture of widening divides and growing competition among the major powers that stands in the way of joint approaches to address global crises and threats.

Mindful of the coexistence of different views on multipolarization, Guo stressed that what China stands for is an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally-beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

"We are committed to practicing true multilateralism, working for greater democracy in international relations and call for countries around the world to jointly safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold fairness and justice, and play a constructive role in resolving international and regional hotspot issues," Guo said.

As the report indicates, some in the West think the idealized multipolar world order China champions is just a banner it tries to uphold in a bid to give more morality and justice to its actions countering the US' China-targeted divisive, unilateral and bullying moves, if not a cover for Beijing's "weaponizing its economic strength".

But that is a distortion of China's vision of a community with a shared future for mankind. It is more accurate to say the "multipolar" world order China seeks to realize is a fair and inclusive multilateral global governance design rather than the coexistence of different poles that tend to divide the world into different smaller unipolar sub-worlds.

As Guo said, the world today is confronted with multiple challenges. It is therefore all the more important for countries around the world to have closer cooperation, instead of building small yards with high fences or dragging the world into bloc confrontation.

China is ready to work with all parties to share opportunities, overcome challenges and promote development together, making the multipolar world order fair, just and inclusive.