China's white paper pushes Global South governance
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- China released a ~50-page white paper titled "More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China's Principles, Proposals and Actions" on June 17, expanding on Xi Jinping's Global Governance Initiative unveiled the previous year
- Wang Yi led a rare cross-agency press conference alongside state planner and Communist Party officials, warning that "the law of the jungle is resurfacing" because the UN Charter has not been effectively observed and safeguarded
- The white paper contains veiled criticisms of the United States, referencing countries that instigated trade and technology wars and a "certain major power" that withdrew from international organizations
- Beijing called for IMF and World Bank reforms to boost developing-country representation, with Vice Foreign Minister Miao Deyu declaring "the collective rise of the Global South is unstoppable"
- Wang Yi referenced the Iran war on the same day Trump and Iran's president signed a deal for Tehran to dilute enriched uranium in exchange for large-scale economic relief, calling for a ceasefire and "sustainable security architecture in the Middle East"
- Expert Wang Huiyao of the Center for China and Globalization called the release "really timely," noting China is set to host APEC in Shenzhen in November, the G20 will be held in the US the following month, and the UN is due to elect a new secretary-general by year-end
Why it matters: Beijing timed the 50-page policy document to coincide with three institutional moments it explicitly names: APEC in Shenzhen (November), the G20 in the US (December), and a new UN secretary-general election by year-end. The white paper positions China — already the P5's largest peace troop contributor and second-largest UN peacekeeping funder — as the standard-bearer for Global South representation in those forums.
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