This year marks a pivotal milestone as the world observes the 80th anniversary of both the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, or World War II (WWII) and the founding of the United Nations (UN). In the wake of two catastrophic world wars, the international community came together to chart a new course for humanity, one rooted in cooperation, mutual respect, and collective security. The establishment of the UN was not just an institutional innovation, it was a declaration of shared resolve to prevent future wars and build a more peaceful, stable world. 

Eighty years later, that vision faces mounting challenges. Geopolitical tensions are rising, development disparities are deepening, and global governance is under strain. Deficits in peace, security, and cooperation are widening, just as the world stands at the cusp of a new era marked by turbulence and transformation. In this context, the principles that emerged from the ruins of war demand not only remembrance, but renewed commitment. 

Only when nations across the world treat each other as equals, live in harmony, and mutually support one another can common security be safeguarded, the root cause of war eliminated, and historical tragedies prevented from recurring, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 3, at a grand commemorative gathering in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. 

The resistance war (1931-45) is more than a chapter in national memory. It stands as a cornerstone of the global victory in WWII. As the world observes this anniversary, the act of commemoration must go beyond ceremony. It is a solemn reminder that the rules, institutions, and multilateral frameworks forged from the ashes of catastrophe were designed with one overarching aim: to ensure that such devastation never returns. 

The UN was born to write a new page in global governance. History has taught us that when the international system reaches a crossroads, we must all commit ourselves to peaceful coexistence and cooperation. 

China, a country that bore immense wartime suffering, emerged from the ruins with a solemn promise to uphold international order. Over the decades, it has remained true to that promise, assuming greater responsibilities in global peacekeeping, climate action, development cooperation and multilateral diplomacy. 

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus meeting in Tianjin on August 31-September 1, President Xi introduced the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), outlining the principles, methods and pathways to reform and improve global governance. 

The initiative distills five guiding commitments: adhere to sovereign equality, abide by the international rule of law, practice multilateralism, advocate the people-centered approach and focus on real results. 

The GGI also dovetails with earlier China-proposed frameworks such as the Global Development, Global Security and Global Civilizations initiatives, all of which are public goods intended to respond to imbalances in the international order and deficits in global governance. 

The SCO meeting where Xi unveiled the GGI also underscored how China envisions the initiative’s implementation: through platforms guided by the “Shanghai Spirit” of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for civilizations and common development. 

Through the SCO and other platforms, China has shown how multilateral institutions can thrive on consensus, mutual respect and shared benefits. The SCO’s expansion to a big family of 27 countries, covering Asia, Europe and Africa, with nearly half of the global population and a quarter of global economic output, exemplifies the type of collaborative governance the GGI seeks to globalize. 

Importantly, the GGI is not about replacing the existing international system but about reforming it from within to better serve the global majority, particularly the Global South. 

Eighty years ago, the international community came together to end the horrors of war. Today, it must reunite, not only to address escalating regional conflicts but also to confront shared vulnerabilities and pursue collective aspirations. In leading this call, China is offering direction, rooted in its history, shaped by its development experience and aimed at building a future where global governance serves everyone, not just a select few. 

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon  

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