China’s Global Civilisation Initiative seeks to challenge the West’s narrative of civilizational uniqueness and project the Chinese model of modernisation as an alternative to the Western model. However, since its inception in March 2023, only a few countries have joined the initiative, suggesting either a lack of clarity about its framework or an unwillingness to join.  

The Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) is a foreign policy proposal introduced by Xi Jinping at the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting on 15 March 2023. Xi Jinping stated that China was “ready to work with the international community to open up a new prospect of enhanced inter-civilizational exchanges and mutual understanding among countries…”. [i]

Primarily, the GCI centres on ‘four common advocacies’—inclusiveness among civilisations, and exchanges transcending estrangement; humanity as a common value rather than imposing one’s civilisational value over others; preserving cultural traditions while innovating culture or practices to solve modern-day problems; and promoting people-to-people exchanges and inter-civilisational dialogue.[ii] China claims that the idea behind the GCI is to promote the civilisational and cultural values of all countries and regions, while rejecting the dominance of Western civilisational values as standard values.[iii] Xi Jinping, while proposing the GCI, pointed out that the co-existence of diverse civilisations will help transcend feelings of superiority.[iv]

The GCI tries to deconstruct the ‘civilisational superiority’ and ‘civilisational hierarchy’ theories rooted in hegemonic narratives. At the same time, the GCI also aims to boost China’s international influence, offering a cultural and ideological counterweight to Western-led global norms.[v] It positions Beijing as a champion of non-Western heritage and equal partnership among Global South countries.[vi]

The GCI advocates using civilisational exchanges to transcend civilisational barriers, eliminate antagonisms arising from cultural differences, and consolidate the foundation of pluralistic symbiosis for a community with a shared future for humanity. [vii] This is also the core concept of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Diplomacy that calls for all nations to cooperate closely, respect one another, and share their interconnected destinies to solve global problems.[viii]

The GCI advocates that mindsets such as the belief that a strong nation must seek hegemony, the practice of the strong bullying the weak and the pursuit of a zero-sum game are increasingly out of step with the times.[ix] However, China doesn’t seem to practice the GCI’s advocacies. For instance, in December 2018, Beijing imposed trade restrictions on Canada’s agricultural exports to protest the Canadian arrest of a high-profile Chinese executive.[x] The Chinese military has intimidated the Philippines in the South China Sea.[xi]

Various actors behind the formulation, propagation, and implementation of the GCI include Xi Jinping, the State Council, the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Think Tanks, Academia, and others. Soon after Xi Jinping introduced the GCI, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the GCI demonstrates the CPC’s responsibility in confronting humanity’s shared challenges and offers a Chinese solution to advance global modernisation and the progress of human civilisations.[xii] Similarly, the State Council’s ‘2025 Report on the Work of the Government’ in March 2025 also recommended the promotion and implementation of China’s four Global Initiatives. The report specifically noted that these initiatives seek to reform and develop the global governance system.[xiii]

China has not yet released any white paper or document detailing its framework, principles, and long-term objectives. Nonetheless, the essence and objectives of the GCI can be traced to speeches by senior Chinese leaders in recent years. For instance, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, while speaking at the ‘2026 International Day for Dialogue among Civilisations’, stated that human civilisation faces unprecedented challenges, including the erosion of the international rule of law and a deepening trust deficit.

China argues that unilateralism and hegemonism are eroding the international rule of law, and rejects any single nation or small bloc acting as ‘global police’. It denounces extraterritorial sanctions and economic measures imposed by Western powers without authorisation from the United Nations Security Council. Xi Jinping called for upholding the rule of international law at the SCO Plus meeting in Tianjin in September 2025.[xiv]

China also claims that trust in international relations is increasingly lacking.[xv] To address the weakening of the international rule of law and trust deficits, Wang Yi suggested using exchanges in various forms, as mentioned in the GCI, to foster unity and........

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