On October 25, 1971, the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 by an overwhelming majority, deciding to restore all the rights of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) at the United Nations and recognizing the representatives of its government as the only legitimate representatives of China at the United Nations. This historic decision enabled the Chinese people, accounting for one-quarter of the world’s population at the time, to take their rightful place on the world stage at the United Nations. It also made the Organization more universal, representative and authoritative. The decision carried profound and far-reaching significance for China, the world and the United Nations itself.
China and the United Nations: 55 Years of Shared Journey
As a founding member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council, China has consistently supported the balanced advancement of the UN’s three pillars: peace and security, development, and human rights. The United Nations, in turn, has provided China with an important platform for fully engaging with the international community and forging development partnerships around the world.
Over the past 55 years, China has remained steadfast in safeguarding world peace and security. China is the only country to have enshrined its commitment to peaceful development in its Constitution. It has consistently pursued an independent foreign policy of peace and has contributed more than 50,000 peacekeeping personnel to UN operations over the years. China is now the largest troop-contributing country among the permanent members of the Security Council and the second-largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping operations. It has also worked actively to foster a new type of major-country relations and launched initiatives such as the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis and the International Organization for Mediation. These efforts demonstrate China’s commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means and fulfilling its responsibilities as a major country in safeguarding international peace.
Over the past 55 years, China has been committed to advancing shared development for all. From straining its own resources to build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway decades ago, to advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with global partners today, China’s commitment has never wavered. It has extended zero-tariff treatment to 63 countries and launched the world’s first national import-themed expo. China has consistently leveraged its own development to open up new opportunities for the rest of the world. It accounts for over 70% of global poverty reduction gains and roughly 30% of the world’s economic growth year after year. Via vehicles such as the China-UN Peace and Development Fund and the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has mobilized more than US$23 billion to back over 1,800 cooperation projects across 120-plus countries, bringing real, tangible improvements to local communities.
Over the past 55 years, China has been actively advancing the international human rights agenda. It has consistently prioritized the promotion and protection of human rights and pursued a people-centered approach to development. China has built the world’s largest education, social security and healthcare systems and continued to advance whole-process people’s democracy, with its population enjoying high levels of well-being and security by global benchmarks. China has faithfully fulfilled its international human rights obligations, participated in four cycles of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and implemented four successive national human rights action plans, with the fifth under implementation. It has also played an active part in the development of international human rights mechanisms and contributed to the Human Rights Council’s adoption of resolutions on issues including the right to development, accessibility for all, and economic, social and cultural rights. Through these efforts, China has contributed to the sound development of the international human rights cause.
Geneva: A Witness to Milestones in China’s Multilateral Diplomacy
Geneva is a cradle of multilateralism, a major hub of global governance and a place where China’s multilateral diplomacy made its debut.
In 1954, Premier Zhou Enlai led the Chinese delegation to the Geneva Conference, marking the People’s Republic of China’s first appearance on the multilateral stage as one of the five major countries. In 1999, President Jiang Zemin attended the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. In 2017, President Xi Jinping delivered a landmark speech at the Palais des Nations at Geneva, setting out systematically for the first time the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity. In the years since, the four major Global Initiatives proposed by President Xi have gained traction on the world stage, including in Geneva. From the successful application of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence on the Geneva platform to the joint statement on improving international human rights governance delivered by China on behalf of 94 countries, Geneva has witnessed both the enduring commitment to peaceful coexistence that has guided China’s diplomacy and China’s contemporary efforts to uphold and advance multilateralism.
In recent years, as unilateralism and hegemonic practices have challenged the international order, China has firmly upheld the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and faithfully fulfilled its financial obligations as the second-largest contributor to UN regular budget. Through platforms and mechanisms such as the Group of Friends of Global Governance and the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, China has worked to build the broadest possible international consensus in support of multilateralism.
In response to growing calls for reforming and improving global governance, China has actively participated in reform processes across multilateral institutions. It has worked with other parties to advance key multilateral agendas in response to shared global challenges, including negotiations on the PABS annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement, the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance, and the Global Initiative on International Humanitarian Law. As governance in emerging fields struggles to keep pace with technological advances and the digital divide continues to widen, China is working to open up new frontiers for international cooperation. By publishing documents such as China’ s Position on Strengthening Outer Space Governance and the Progress Report on the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All, China is helping ensure that governance frameworks adapt to developments in these emerging fields and that international cooperation on artificial intelligence delivers tangible progress.
These actions speak for themselves: no matter how the international situation may evolve, China remains a steadfast defender of the United Nations, a committed supporter of multilateralism and an active contributor to global governance.
China Stands Ready to Work with All Countries to Strengthen the United Nations and Advance Multilateralism
Today, the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. Deficits in peace, development, security and governance continue to widen, and humanity’s pursuit of peace and development has reached another crossroads. In the face of these challenges, solidarity and collective action are the only right choices.
We must work together to uphold the central role of the United Nations. The UN was one of the great achievements of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. It is our common home, built through the collective efforts of the peoples of the world. It is our responsibility to make the United Nations stronger and more effective, rather than weaken or undermine it. We must reaffirm our commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, build broader international consensus around the United Nations, make better use of global resources and strengthen international coordination. We must stand firm in our support for the United Nations; help it adapt to the challenges of our time and enable it to deliver more effectively on its mandate.
We must work together to practice true multilateralism. The trend toward a multipolar world and more democratic international relations is irreversible. We must stand up for fairness and justice in international affairs, embrace a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and stay committed to peace. We must pursue open development, place development at the center of the international agenda, and fully implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
We must work together to build a more just and equitable system of global governance. Global governance should serve the common interests of all peoples and be shaped by the collective efforts of the international community. We must uphold the principle of global governance based on extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. By building trust, deepening cooperation and working together to overcome challenges, we can bring greater stability and positive momentum to a turbulent world. Together, we can tackle the common challenges facing humanity, bridge the development gap between the Global North and the Global South, and safeguard the shared interests of all countries.
From October 23 to 25, the 2026 Global Governance Forum (Xiong’an) was held under the theme “Rebuilding Confidence and Cooperation: Reforming and Improving Global Governance in a Transforming World.” President Xi Jinping sent a special letter to the forum, while Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered a keynote speech and announced practical measures to further implement the Global Governance Initiative. The forum provided a valuable opportunity for participants to exchange views and contribute ideas on reforming and improving global governance.
Representatives from more than 90 countries gathered in Xiong’an, China’s “city of the future,” to discuss ways to improve global governance and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
China stands ready to build on the momentum of this forum and work with all countries to create a more just and equitable system of global governance and a better future for humanity.
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