Astheworld’ssecondlargesteconomy,Chinashareditswisdomunderthebackgroundofcomplicatedglobalissues,andproactivelyshouldereditsinternationalresponsibility,inlinewiththe“responsiveandresponsibleleadership”concept,alsotheforum’stheme.
OpportunitiesandChallengesFacingChinainGlobalGovernanceReform
Lastyearwasayearofremarkableevents,fromEuropetotheMiddleEastandfromEastAsiatoLatinAmerica.Itraisedhotdebatesanddoubtsastothedevelopmentofglobalizationandprocessofregionalization.Theapproachoftacklingglobalproblemsthroughtheinternationalframeworkmechanismhaschanged,largelyduetopublicopinionthatoverwhelminglyprioritizesnationalinterestsandleanstowardsnationalism.Theemergenceofpopulistleadersandright-wingpartieshasengendereddisregardforinternationalconsensusandsharedidentity,bringinginsteadanemphasisonconflictsandconfrontations.Undersuchabackground,Chinawaspresentedwithbothopportunitiesandchallengesindecidingtotakepartinthisforumwithtopleaders,soplacingitselfatcenterstageinproactivelyengaginginthedevelopmentofglobalization,andproposingtotheworlditsglobalgovernancereforminitiative.
Ontheonehand,thenPresident-ElectDonaldTrumphadexpressedhiswillingnesstocurtailtheU.S.’sglobalresponsibilities.ThiswasevidencedinhispolicyofwithdrawalfromtheTPP(Trans-PacificPartnershipAgreement),advocating“AmericaFirst,”andcriticizingthecurrentinternationaltradesystembyrequiringtheU.S.’salliestosharemoresecurityexpenses.Whetherornothiscommentsareintendedaseye-catchingpoliticalrhetoricortointroduce“theartofnegotiation”withaviewtogreatergains,theyrevealtheU.S.’sdecliningglobalgovernance.Theyalsoembodyworldwidedissatisfaction–inbothdevelopedanddevelopingcountries–withthecurrentinternationalorderandsystem.
Notonly,assomecommentersargue,doesthisimplythat,astheU.S.retreats,Chinaisexpectedtofillthevoidandleadglobalgovernance.Moreimportant,italsoshowsthatthecurrentmechanismisincapableofsolvingtoday’sgrowingglobalproblems,andthatthecitizensofneitherdevelopednordevelopingcountriesbelievetheywillbenefitfromdeeperintegration.
Therefore,PresidentXi’striptoDavossignifiesmuchmorethanabidforgloballeadership;itraisestheperplexingquestion,“Howisitpossibleinsuchacomplexenvironmenttostrengthenconfidenceinintegrationandimproveinternationalcoordinationtoachieveabroaderandfairerinternationalorder?”
TheanswertothisquestionliesinChina’scallfor“democratizationofinternationalrelations,”whosecorevalueistoopposehegemonismandunilateralism,tocallonallcountriestosolveinternationalissuesthroughpeacefulnegotiation,andtodealjointlywithinternationalaffairs.Inthiscase,itcouldbesaidthat“democratizationofinternationalrelations”iswhatisneededatthistimeasthekeytoandpremiseofsustainablepeace,mutualdevelopmentandprogressforallhumanbeings.
PromotingGlobalGovernanceReform
Inaworldwhereglobalizationiswaning,PresidentXi’sattendanceattheDavosmeetingisclearlyabidtopromoteglobaleconomicgrowththroughcooperation,coordination,andsharedinternationalidentity,whichinturnimpliesamovetowardsglobalgovernancereform.
Ifwecomparetheprocessofglobalizationin2016toasuper-computer,wecanseethatitshardwarere-mains.Internationalsocietyisstillacomplicatedandmulti-connectedmachine,whereingreatpowersarecreatorsandshapersofinternationalrulesandnorms.Thecomputer’ssoftware,however,isnolongercompatible.BrexitweakenedEUintegration,andregionaltensionsandeconomicdeclinesledtostagnationofthecurrentmultilateraltrademechanism.Ifweseparatethehardwarefromthesoftware,thensimplycallingglobalizationintoquestionandconcludingthattheworldisdevelopingtowardsoneofself-interestisproblematic.Thesoftwaremaybechanging,butthehardwareisnot,thatistosay,globalissuesarenotrecedingduetoanti-globalizationactivities.
Aslongastheseproblemsexist,internationalcooperationandglobalgovernancewillendure.Xi’striptoSwitzerlandishencenotpartoftheanti-globaltrend,butratheraresponsibleefforttowardsfurtherdevelopmentofglobalgovernance.
Chinaisapromoterofglobalgovernancereform.PresidentXi’sattendanceattheDavosforumconfirmsChina’sidentityandroleinglobalgovernancereform.Traditionalgeopoliticsemphasizestheinevitableconflictsbetweenemergingandestablishedpowers,whereinemergingpowersareregardedascausinginstability.Xi’stripchangedthisassumption.IncontrasttoU.S.PresidentDonaldTrump’svagueforeignpolicyandaggressivestanceonforeignaffairs,China’sinvolvementinglobalgovernancehasmadeBeijingpartofthestatusquoandasupporterofthecurrentinternationalorder.
TheDavosforumhaslongservedasaplatformforworldleaderstodiscussglobalissues.SincePresidentBillClintoninitiallyattendedtheforum17yearsago,theU.S.hasbeenitsleaderanditsEuropeancounterpartsthemajorplayers.Onthisoccasion,however,China,formerlyconsideredasrevisionistandachallengeroftheglobalizationprocessandworldorder,choosestomaintainthecurrentdevelopmenttowardsmultilateralisminresponsetoescalatingseriousglobalproblems.ThiscontrastssharplywiththeU.S.’sregionalist–evenisolationistapproach.
ThereasonbehindChina’schoiceisclearlynotthatthecountryhasbenefitedmostfromglobalization,ascertaincommenterssuggest.Onthecontrary,althoughChinahasbenefitedfromthecurrentinternationalsystem,ithasalsoexperiencedmuchnegativeimpactasregardsnationalinterests.Integrationwithinternationalsocietyhasalsodealtnegativeimpacts.WhatChinaappreciatedmostwasthestabilityoftheinternationalorderratherthanthesystemasawhole.
Consequently,China’sstandandroleinglobalgovernanceareconsistent,thatis,thatofsupportingtheorder’sstabilityandtheglobalizationtrend,butatthesameproposingreasonablesolutionsthatmakeitfairerandmorebalanced.
China’sVoiceinDavos
ChinawasrepresentedatDavosbyatopleveldelegationthatdeliveredChina’sproposalsonglobalgovernancereform.TheU.S.,astheleaderofglobalgovernance,hasalwaysemphasizeditsdominanceandleadershipoftheinternationalorder.ItscorevalueisthatofmaintainingtheU.S.’sbenignhegemonyandsupportingalliances,democraticstates,andfreemarketeconomiesthroughouttheworld.Yetithasprovidednoeffectiveproposalsonhowtoensurefairness,justice,andinclusivenessintheinternationalorder,howtobalanceregionalandglobalinterests,orhowtostrengthentheglobalmarketmechanism.
Chinahasraiseditsownsolutionthattranscendsthetraditionalcontradictionbetweencentralandmarginalizedstates;itadvocatespeacefulcoexistenceofdiversecultures.Differentpoliticalsystems,socialstructures,governance,andeconomicsituationscoexistintheinternationalsystem.Therefore,whileacknowledgingtheirconflictsandcontradictions,eachcountryshouldalsorespectoneanotherandseekcooperation.
Economically,despiteencroachingglobaltradeprotectionism,Chinainsistsonanopeneconomyandaninternationalsupplychain.Basedonthecurrentcooperationpattern,itpromotesmulti-levelandall-roundcooperationinbroaderfields,encouragesneglectedstatestoparticipateininternationalmarkets,andadvocatesanincreaseinthesupplyofpublicgoodsandmaintainingstabilityandfairnessintheglobalmarket.
ShoulderingtheResponsibilityofGlobalGovernanceReform
China’sparticipationinglobalgovernancereformhasprovidedtheworldwithanalternativeapproachandalsocreatedtangibleinitiativesandplans,suchastheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank(AIIB)andBRICSDevelopmentBank,throughwhichtoformulateandadjustglobalfinancialgovernancerulesandwidensourcesoffunding.ItmoreoverpromotesregionaleconomiczonesthroughtheBeltandRoadInitiative,soimprovingtheinterconnectionbetweenChinaandcountriesalongtheBeltandRoadandbetweenthecountriesthemselves.Itmaythusalleviatethecurrentimbalancedandunfairtradesystemandprovideopportunitiestodevelopingcountries.
Chinawillshouldertheresponsibilityofglobalgovernancereformthroughbothfinancialsupportandtradezonebuilding.Thecountrywillthusensurethatmorepeopleenjoythefruitsofintegrationbycreatinggreaterinclusivemutualbenefitsandamorereasonableandcoordinatedinternationalsystem.
XUYANZHUOisaresearchassociateattheInstituteofWorldEconomyandPoliticsofChineseAcademyofSocialSciences.
Chinawillensurethatmorepeopleenjoythefruitsofintegrationbycreatinggreaterinclusivemutualbenefitsandamorereasonableandcoordinatedinternationalsystem.