Firmly Uphold and Practice Multilateralism and Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind

坚定维护和践行多边主义 坚持推动构建人类命运共同体

Yang Jiechi

杨洁篪

The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated shifts in the international landscape. The world has entered a period of turbulence and transformation. Meanwhile, peace and development remain the underlying trend of our times. People across the world have an even stronger desire for peace, development, cooperation and common progress. With the direction of global development and the future of humanity in mind, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward the vision to build a community with a shared future for mankind and foster a new type of international relations. This vision has broadened and deepened the concept and practice of multilateralism in the new era, and gained high acclaim and wide support from the international community. China is a staunch supporter of multilateralism. China is committed to the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law. While remaining strong in its determination to safeguard its national interests and dignity, China is steadfast in promoting the development of multilateralism in the right direction. Under current circumstances, to firmly uphold and practice multilateralism has taken on special and far-reaching significance for world peace and development.

世界正经历百年未有之大变局，新冠肺炎疫情全球大流行加速国际格局演变，世界进入动荡变革期，但和平与发展仍然是时代主题，各国人民求和平谋发展促合作图共赢的期待更加强烈。习近平总书记着眼世界发展方向和人类前途命运，提出构建人类命运共同体和新型国际关系重大倡议，拓展深化新时代多边主义理念和实践，赢得国际社会高度赞誉和广泛支持。我国坚定支持多边主义，坚定维护以联合国为核心的国际体系和以国际法为基础的国际秩序，坚决捍卫国家利益和民族尊严，推动多边主义朝着正确方向发展。当前形势下，坚定维护和践行多边主义，对于促进世界和平与发展具有特别重要而深远的意义。

I. The history of evolution of multilateralism

一、多边主义历史沿革

Multilateralism has gone through a historical process of continuous evolution. The end of World War II saw the birth of the United Nations, whose Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 and entered into force on 24 October 1945. The UN Charter, which serves as an important guide for promoting world peace and development, marks an important new start in the development of multilateralism. In the 1950s and 1960s, with the unfolding of national independence movements against imperialism and colonialism across Asia, Africa and Latin America, a large number of developing countries gained independence and joined the UN. This lent a strong boost to the development and progress of multilateralism. On 25 October 1971, the 26th session of the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758 with an overwhelming majority to restore all the lawful rights and interests of the People’s Republic of China at the UN. The restoration of China’s lawful seat at the UN and the entry of a great number of developing countries are of great historic significance to the development of multilateralism. Over time, the UN has grown into the most universal, representative and authoritative inter-governmental organization. Multilateralism has increasingly gained strength as a symbol for justice, progress and people’s well-being. The end of the Cold War ushered in a period of accelerated advancement toward a multi-polar world, economic globalization, IT application and cultural diversity. A growing number of international mechanisms have been established and steadily improved. Multilateralism has become a clear policy choice of countries across the world. In response to the 2008 global financial crisis, the G20 Summit came into being and has since become a major platform for discussions on global economic governance, allowing emerging markets and developing countries to participate on an equal footing in the decision making on global economic governance. In the past several years, though, certain countries, driven by misguided unilateral and protectionist policies, chose to withdraw from international organizations and agreements one after another. Multilateralism suffered a serious setback. In response, members of the international community overwhelmingly voiced opposition and called for efforts to uphold multilateralism and maintain international cooperation.

多边主义经历了持续演进的历史过程。第二次世界大战结束之后，联合国宪章于1945年6月26日签署并于10月24日生效，联合国正式成立。联合国宪章为促进世界和平与发展提供了重要遵循，标志着多边主义新的重要开端。20世纪50、60年代，亚非拉国家掀起反帝反殖、争取和维护民族独立运动，一大批发展中国家获得独立并加入联合国，有力促进了多边主义发展与进步。1971年10月25日，第二十六届联合国大会以压倒性多数通过第2758号决议，恢复中华人民共和国在联合国一切合法权利。中国恢复联合国合法席位和广大发展中国家的加入，对多边主义发展具有重要历史意义，联合国逐渐成为最具普遍性、代表性、权威性的政府间国际组织，多边主义的正义性、进步性、人民性不断增强。冷战结束后，世界多极化、经济全球化、社会信息化、文化多样化深入发展，国际机制不断建立和完善，多边主义成为世界各国明确政策取向。为应对2008年国际金融危机，二十国集团领导人峰会应运而生，成为讨论全球经济治理的重要平台，新兴市场国家和发展中国家平等参与全球经济治理决策。过去几年，个别国家奉行单边主义、保护主义错误政策，频频“退群”“毁约”，多边主义遭受严重挫折，国际社会普遍对此表示反对，要求坚持多边主义、维护国际合作。

Multilateralism, which is underpinned by the UN Charter, represents humanity’s historical progress from war to peace, from privilege to equality, and from monopoly to consultation. As General Secretary Xi Jinping noted in his special address at the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda, “Multilateralism is about having international affairs addressed through consultation and the future of the world decided by everyone working together.” Countries in the world, bound by a shared future, need to share responsibilities as well as benefits, and all must come together in the trying moments of ours. Such belief is deeply rooted in the traditional Chinese culture, and is reflective of the popular aspiration of people across the world. The multilateralism that China champions is grounded in the UN-centered international system. It is consistent with the vision for a multi-polar world and for a community with a shared future for mankind. To build a community with a shared future for mankind points to the direction and provides guidance for upholding and practicing multilateralism, while the practice of multilateralism brings about global institutional guarantee for building such a community. The call for multilateralism reflects the progress of our times. It serves the interests of all countries and peoples, and sets the right direction for a world undergoing major changes and transition.

基于联合国宪章的多边主义体现了人类社会从战争到和平、从特权到平等、从垄断到协商的历史进步。正如习近平总书记在世界经济论坛“达沃斯议程”对话会特别致辞中所说，“多边主义的要义是国际上的事由大家共同商量着办，世界前途命运由各国共同掌握”，命运共通，责任共担，利益共享，时艰共克，这既是中华传统文化价值取向，也是世界各国人民共同追求。我国倡导的多边主义建立在以联合国为核心的国际体系之上，同世界多极化主张、人类命运共同体思想一脉相承。构建人类命运共同体为维护和践行多边主义提供了方向引领，维护和践行多边主义为构建人类命运共同体提供了国际制度方面的重要保障。这一主张体现时代进步，符合世界各国和各国人民利益，是世界大变局正确发展方向。