As the international system approaches 2026, it does so amid persistent uncertainty. The past year underscored the fragility of global stability, as geopolitical rivalries intensified, economic fragmentation deepened, and armed conflicts continued to challenge existing mechanisms of international governance. Against this backdrop, China’s trajectory in 2025 warrants careful examination. Rather than reacting impulsively to volatility, Beijing pursued a strategy characterized by continuity, institutional planning, and a clear articulation of its role in a changing world order.

The year 2025 unfolded during a period of accelerating transition toward multipolarity. Competition over norms, institutions, and development pathways sharpened, while divisions between openness and protectionism became more pronounced. At the same time, the boundary between peace and conflict appeared increasingly porous, raising questions about the sustainability of existing security arrangements. In this environment, China positioned itself not as a revisionist disruptor but as a stabilizing actor advocating predictability, multilateral coordination, and long-term governance solutions.

Central to this positioning was China’s evolving contribution to global governance discourse. In response to what it describes as structural deficits in international governance, President Xi Jinping advanced the Global Governance Initiative in 2025. This initiative complements three previously articulated frameworks: the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative. Taken together, these proposals constitute an integrated conceptual architecture aimed at reforming global governance while preserving its cooperative foundations.

From a policy perspective, these initiatives signal China’s preference for reform over rupture. Rather than rejecting existing international institutions, Beijing has sought to recalibrate them toward greater inclusivity, development equity, and security indivisibility. The emphasis on a “community with a shared future for humanity” reflects an attempt to frame global challenges-ranging from development disparities to security dilemmas-as collective problems requiring coordinated responses rather than zero-sum competition.

International perceptions of this........

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