Xi stresses urgency of reforming global governance

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping stressed the urgency of strengthening global governance and reforming the global governance system against a backdrop of growing global challenges, according to a Tuesday press release.

Reform is about "laying down rules for the international order and international mechanisms" and "deciding in which direction the world will head," Xi said at a study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

"It is not simply a case of competing for the high ground of economic development, but what roles and functions nations will play in the long-term systemic arrangement of the international order," according to Xi.

The rise of developing countries has brought revolutionary changes to the world order, he said. For centuries, powerful countries divided the world and competed for profit and power through war and colonization, but that has been replaced in today's world by rules and mechanisms to balance different interests, he said.

"Today, more than at any time before, countries need to negotiate. Problems are not limited within borders, and challenges cannot be handled by any country alone," the president said at the meeting.

He cited China's coordination of the Belt and Road regional trade and infrastructure network and its proposal for a new, more cooperative model of major-country relations as examples of a focus on common interests.

Xi also called for establishing new mechanisms and rules for international economic and financial cooperation and regional cooperation, and reforming "unjust and improper arrangements in the global governance system."

Xi said international economic and financial organizations, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, should move forward to "reflect changes in the international landscape."

In particular, they should boost representation and the voices of emerging economies and developing countries.

He also advocated democratic and law-based rules to guide global governance so that the global governance system represents the will and interests of a majority of countries in a more balanced manner.

The international community also needs capacity building to cope with global challenges in sectors ranging from energy, food, the Internet and information security, global climate change, terrorism and epidemic control, Xi added.

Xi stressed "resolutely safeguarding" the international order and a system centered on the UN Charter principles, as well as "safeguarding and consolidating" the benefits that resulted from the victory in WWII.

"The purposes and principles of the UN Charter are not dated," Xi said, adding that the fact that they have not been effectively implemented is to blame for rivalries and injustices today.

Xi also called for upholding an open world economic regime and "taking a clear-cut stand against" trade and investment protectionism.

Additionally, Xi said China should defend its own interests as well as the common interests of developing countries, and focus not only on its needs as it develops, but also on the expectations the international community places on China.

Xi urged efforts to build a "community of common destiny" and to promote global governance featuring mutual consultation, efforts and sharing.