Guard the fruits of victory

Eighty years after the end of the World Anti-Fascist War, it is time to chart an updated course for global peace and development that is relevant to today's international environment

The Allied victory in the World Anti-Fascist War not only rescued human dignity and freedom but also laid the foundation for the current international order.

The primary institution of this postwar order, the United Nations, was a success, but its inability to change has made it vulnerable to failure. The fruits of victory are increasingly being sabotaged.

The primary lesson learned from the defeat of fascist forces is that peace and stability rest on global cooperation that in turn is predicated upon an agreement about the importance of a global rules-based order. The concept is upheld by institutions which are respected for the roles they play in sustaining the operation of these rules.

The functional departments of the UN have played the most significant role in maintaining peace, alleviating poverty and disease, and creating the conditions for stability and prosperity. Growing out of the ashes of World War II, the UN embodied the hopes and aspirations of those who saw that cooperation was the foundation of global stability.

From peacekeeping forces playing a mediating role in small-scale conflicts, to ongoing humanitarian aid in health initiatives, the protection of children and the delivery of ongoing aid to counter the impacts of famine, the UN has provided a model of cooperation within an agreed rules-based framework.

On a broader economic level, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have provided global stability, which, together with economic growth, fostered increasing levels of prosperity.

The UN has provided a global institutional framework that encouraged the development of regional cooperation across a wide range of international issues.

In the Asia-Pacific region, this includes cooperative agreements such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation mechanism and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which provide avenues for trade and political cooperation. The stability brought by the postwar globalization has enabled trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which operates on a multilateral level.

The most significant outcome of the peace that followed the end of World War II had been the growth of globalization and global cooperation within a rules-based structure. But in recent years, this concept has come under attack. In response, China has taken a leadership role with its staunch defense of the concept and its global benefits.

China's Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative are proposed responses designed to endorse and support the functions of the UN and push back against the forces of anti-globalization.

This is the legacy lesson from the defeat of fascism — only global cooperation provides protection against the type of global conflict seen in World War II.

The extreme unilateral and arbitrary tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump threaten to sabotage the foundations of the post-World War II aspirations for a genuine representative and responsive global rules-based order.

The UN achieved very significant gains in world health, education, the alleviation of poverty and other social programs involving the UN Children's Fund. These successes are now under threat as the United States withdraws from many programs and suspends financial support.

The sense of charitable global cooperation which provided the guiding force for these postwar programs has been replaced with a transactional focus that overtly supports the objectives of the US and its desire to dominate the international landscape.

The first major sustained attack on the legitimacy of the UN-centered international order came during the first Trump administration when the US refused to confirm the appointment of new members to the World Trade Organization's Appellate Body.

This presaged a wider direct attack on the functions of the UN, threatening to destroy the 80-year legacy of broad cooperation in international affairs.

These actions erode the legitimacy of the post-World War II international order and forget or ignore the lessons learned from the defeat of fascism. They also undermine the capacity to recognize the significant changes that have occurred in international relations.

These were changes driven by the success of these postwar institutions in lifting human dignity and encouraging the desire for freedom. These changes spread prosperity, creating new aspirations that could not be satisfied under the original structure of the post-World War II international order.

It is the resistance to acknowledging changes in the economic structure of the international order that is undermining the effective rule of international law. The structures of global cooperation which grew out of the defeat of fascism are now under greater threat than they have ever been.

The 80th anniversary of the defeat of fascism is a vivid reminder of what was achieved through cooperation, and of what is now under threat from those who wish to undermine global cooperation.

The ability to adjust and reform is essential for the survival of the international rules-based order. To achieve this, it is crucial to embrace global diversity with greater inclusivity of the Global South. A peaceful and cooperative future depends on recognizing the changed international environment. New members need to be brought to the tables of international bodies to adjust rules so they are fit for purpose.

Cooperation is fostered through pragmatic action in fields as diverse as setting the framework for artificial intelligence and adjusting the remit of the WTO. China leads by example with the World AI Conference in Shanghai and its support for regional trade forums that give voice to the Global South.

The idea, expressed by the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, is put forward in memory of the spirit of the anti-fascist victory which defended human dignity and laid the foundation for the international order. The 80th anniversary of victory in the World Anti-Fascist War reminds us that vigilance is required to protect the fruits of this victory.

This marks a time to consider how to chart an updated course for global peace and development that is relevant to today's international environment. At this historical juncture, it is essential to accommodate the new economic realities if the international community is to build on the achievements of the past, which were hard won in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.

The author is an international financial technical analysis expert and a former national board member of the Australia China Business Council. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.