Beijing’s top diplomat Wang Yi delivered a compelling vision for international cooperation during his keynote at the Munich Security Conference on February 14. Titled ‘Work Together to Set History on the Right Course,’ the speech addressed the chaotic shifts in global dynamics over the last year, marking a pivotal moment for peace and progress worldwide.
Central to Wang’s message was President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative, advocating five pillars: respect for sovereign equality, adherence to international law, commitment to multilateralism, focus on people’s needs, and pragmatic action. This proposal has struck a chord globally, accelerating efforts to forge a shared future community and providing clear guidance to steer humanity through turbulent waters.
Drawing on humanity’s resilient history, Wang argued that working together is the only viable path forward. He proposed comprehensive reforms to global governance, including four strategic recommendations: breathing new life into the United Nations framework, fostering deeper coordination between countries, safeguarding multilateral mechanisms, and most crucially, averting conflicts to nurture lasting peace.
Wang positioned China as an unwavering champion of peace, a dependable source of stability, and a catalyst for advancing history. Delivered against a backdrop of ongoing crises like the Ukraine war and Middle East instability, his words underscore Beijing’s proactive role in multilateral forums. Analysts see this as a strategic outreach to Europe and beyond, aiming to counter narratives of confrontation and build bridges for dialogue in an increasingly divided world.