In this pivotal year of 2025 - commemorating both the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the UN - Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), offering China's wisdom and solutions to further strengthen and improve global governance. The Global Times (GT) has launched a series of interviews, "China's vision on global governance," to share international scholars' insights into the spirit, contemporary relevance and global significance of the GGI.
In the sixth installment of the series, Busani Ngcaweni (Ngcaweni), director-general of the National School of Government in South Africa and research associate in world economics at the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, shared his insights of "staying committed to real results," an important principle of global governance and the fifth core concept of the GGI, with GT reporter Su Yaxuan. "The GGI's emphasis on coordinated action is so important. It shows that multilateralism can solve problems," he said.
GT: The current international landscape is undergoing changes and turbulence. The UN and multilateralism are being challenged, and the deficit in global governance continues to grow. Why is China in a position to propose and promote the GGI, such a pragmatic governance initiative?
Ngcaweni: China is in a position to advance the GGI because it has consistently demonstrated its ability to translate vision into action. The initiative rests on five principles: sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, people-centred approach and real results. These are not abstract aspirations but direct responses to the paralysis we see in the existing global governance institutions.
Secondly, China has never sought to position itself as a hegemon, either regionally or globally. China's foreign policy has consistently emphasized mutual respect, non-interference and the pursuit of shared development. This posture has afforded China both the moral credibility and the political legitimacy to champion initiatives that resonate beyond its borders.
Accordingly, its proposal of the GGI carries particular weight, as it seeks not merely to advance narrow national interests but to amplify the collective aspirations of the Global South. By calling for meaningful reform of the United Nations, the initiative underscores the demand for a more inclusive, representative and equitable system of global governance that reflects the realities of the 21st century rather than the hierarchies of the post-World War II era. The world needs a Global South consensus that prioritizes dignity, equality and cooperation. This consensus is not vassalage, nor is it revenge.
GT: Why should "staying committed to real results" be made one of the core concepts of global governance, as outlined in the Concept Paper on the Global Governance Initiative? What is the significance of emphasizing "taking real actions" for improving the effectiveness of global governance and advancing system reform?
Ngcaweni: "Taking real actions" is critical because legitimacy now depends on results, not rhetoric. People and governments have lost faith in declarations that fail to shift reality. By making "staying committed to real results" a principle, the GGI directly confronts this effectiveness deficit.
The turbulence in global economic governance has become a form of economic violence. It undermines prosperity and stability, especially in the Global South. The answer to this cannot be more speeches but practical reforms in finance, investment in green transitions, technology sharing and capacity building. That is why the GGI's emphasis on coordinated action is so important. It shows that multilateralism can solve problems.
GT: Which of China's practices in promoting global governance best reflects this action-oriented approach? Emphasizing "taking real actions" and "staying committed to real results" requires addressing pressing issues while also considering long-term challenges, particularly those faced by developing countries. What are the key pressing issues at present, and what contributions has China made in addressing these challenges?
Ngcaweni: The strongest examples are the practical platforms launched under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. China has established cooperation in energy, green industry and the digital economy, while also creating centers for scientific innovation, higher education and vocational training. It has pledged significant expansions in renewable capacity and opened opportunities for shared research in artificial intelligence. These are concrete, measurable outcomes.
The pressing issues for developing countries remain climate change, the digital divide, inequities in finance and vulnerabilities in health. China has engaged in each of these areas, from Belt and Road investments in renewable energy to health partnerships across Africa and advocacy for financial reform. Developmental statecraft is about building rather than bullying. These contributions embody that practice and reflect the promise that governance must be constructive, inclusive and focused on development and peace.
GT: Since the proposal of the GGI, it has triggered strong resonance in the international community, with countries such as Belarus, Cuba and Myanmar expressing support and showing great confidence in the initiative. Why has the GGI earned such trust?
Ngcaweni: Trust has been established because the GGI is not rhetorical. It creates concrete platforms.
Multipolarity is not chaos but balance. Countries respond positively because the GGI insists on sovereign equality and genuine multilateralism. It does not impose the house rules of a few but invites many centers of decision-making. It has gained trust because most countries of the Global South have firsthand experience of the skewed and unequal current system of global governance. It has earned trust because countries of the Global South yearn for a reformed system of global governance that will advance peace and equitable development, thus realizing the aspirations they laid out in 1955 at the Bandung Conference.
Dialogue is central to the foreign policies of both South Africa and China, and this pluriversality implies that there is no single way of governing, no superior civilization and no monopoly on knowledge. The GGI echoes this ethos, which is why it resonates and earns trust. It is not about replacing one hegemon with another, but about fostering a partnership that affirms dignity.
GT: The GGI makes it clear that "developed countries should earnestly take on their responsibilities and provide more resources and public goods." How do you view this?
Ngcaweni: Developed countries should join the GGI, but only on the basis of equality, respect and responsibility. The GGI is not antagonistic. It is about creating a fairer order where all bear responsibilities. Developed states have resources and technologies that can help, but they must contribute rather than dominate. They must also take responsibility for the current global order and stay committed to its collective reform.
Peace is not simply the absence of war. It is a virtue rooted in justice, benevolence and fairness. Action-oriented support embodies this philosophy, which is why China's approach is seen as more reliable and effective. The GGI is action-oriented, insisting on measurable delivery and the pursuit of redress toward an equitable world order - an essential precondition for peace and development. That is why it is trusted as a genuine alternative to the broken promises of the past.
Source: Global Times:
Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing
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Source: Prodigy.press
Release ID: 1829186
