In
a world where trade protectionism and isolationism are rising, the consensus to
reverse this destructive trend and uphold multilateralism is fortunately and
constantly expanding globally.
The
international community is in an urgent need of a systematic approach to
bolstering multilateralism. China, as always a champion of all-win cooperation
and an open world economy, can offer some useful clues by trying to answer
three fundamental questions.
The
first one is why we need to give multilateralism a boost. The days when the law
of the jungle ruled have gone. No nation can survive as an isolated island in
this increasingly interconnected world because such daunting problems and
challenges as climate change and terrorism need global solutions and a
concerted drive.
While
attending the 11th BRICS summit in Brazil last week, Chinese President Xi
Jinping noted that the essence of multilateralism is that international affairs
should be addressed through extensive consultation rather than decided by one
country or a few. He also said that no country is born to be dominant, and no
model is destined to be superior.
Whenever
differences or disputes emerge, dialogue and consultation should always be a
better option. The willful use of force and power politics should be rejected.
Secondly,
what is the ultimate goal of promoting multilateralism? The obvious answer is
to build a better world that enjoys lasting peace and stability, and common
prosperity.
China
has proposed that nations of the world come together to build a community with
a shared future for mankind. This notion has gained growing recognition around
the world and been incorporated into a number of UN documents.
While
addressing the Group of 20 Summit in Buenos Aires last year, Xi said: “Greater
coordination and complementarity among countries meet the need of productivity
growth. They will also shape the future of relations of production. In this
process, countries are increasingly becoming a community with shared interests,
shared responsibilities and a shared future.”
Therefore,
the third question is how to build such a desired better world by championing
multilateralism.
