True Multilateralism

By Zhang Guihong

The worst pandemic in a century coupled with drastic changes in the international landscape poses unprecedented challenges.

At the United Nations Security Council high-level meeting on May 7， Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated the need to follow the basic norms governing international relations built around the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. He also said that international rules must be based on international law， and must be written by all. They are not the patent or privilege of a few. They must be applicable to all countries， and there should be no exceptionalism or double standard.

However， during a meeting of the Group of Seven （G7） foreign and development ministers on May 4， U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that while they were trying “to uphold the international rules-based order that our countries have invested so much in over so many decades，” China was undermining the international order.

Blinken pointed the finger at China in March， alleging “human rights abuses” in Xinjiang and Hong Kong and urging the Chinese authorities to follow the “rules-based international order.” He also said， “Each of these actions [by China] threaten the rulesbased order that maintains global stability. Thats why theyre not merely internal matters and why we feel an obligation to raise these issues.”

The two countries seem to have different interpretations of international order， which may affect the future of global institutions like the UN.

UN at the core

The existing international political， economic and security order was established after World War II， with the UN as its foundation. It was threatened by the confrontation between the East and the West and the rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War period， and U.S. supremacy after the Cold War. However， the core of this order remains unchanged.

Despite the emergence of new global issues and changes in the international balance of power， the universality， representativeness and authority of the UN are still recognized and supported by its member states.

Since the beginning of the new century， the international community has faced major threats such as terrorism， a financial crisis， the fallouts of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

To address these crises， the UN needs to reform itself， moving from “a center for harmonizing the actions of nations” to a center for truly “serving the peoples of the UN.” International organizations are the basic tools and main mechanisms for sovereign states to achieve global governance， and the role of the UN is irreplaceable.