The Chinese government has issued a white paper detailing its strategy to reform global governance by renovating the existing international system rather than creating a new one. The document emphasizes that the current UN-centered architecture, established in 1945, remains indispensable but requires updates to address overlapping crises and shifting global dynamics. This approach aims to align the framework with evolving realities while upholding the core principles of the UN Charter.

Central to this strategy is the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), unveiled at the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Tianjin Summit. The initiative has garnered support from close to 160 countries and international organizations. Its core tenets include sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and real actions, all consistent with the UN Charter.

China has highlighted specific actions taken to advance these principles across various sectors. In the realm of security, the country brokered the restoration of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran and co-launched a five-point peace initiative with Pakistan. Economically, China has established 23 pilot free trade zones and implemented zero-tariff policies for least developed countries and African nations.

Efforts to empower the Global South include supporting the expansion of BRICS and the SCO, as well as backing the African Union's admission to the G20. Regarding global public goods, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has approved more than 320 projects with cumulative financing surpassing 60 billion U.S. dollars. Additionally, the Global AI Governance Initiative promotes the ethical development of artificial intelligence.

The white paper reiterates China's stance as the first signatory to the UN Charter, asserting that the goal is to reinforce the existing "house" of global governance rather than tear it down. By patching cracks and strengthening the edifice, China aims to create a shelter that serves more people and responds to the universal aspiration for fairness and justice.

The year 2026 marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), a pivotal phase in the nation's medium- to long-term development. The outline of the plan dedicates a specific chapter to accelerating the green transition across the board and building a Beautiful China. This strategic move aims to chart a steady course amid profound restructuring of the global order and technological tipping points, emphasizing the dialectical unity between environmental protection and economic growth.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, the plan interprets development logic through four coordinated tasks: carbon emission cuts, pollution reduction, green development, and economic growth. Huang Chengliang, secretary general of the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, emphasized that this approach breaks outdated misconceptions that environmental protection holds back economic growth. He noted that carbon emission cuts drive the innovation of energy mix and the phasing out of backward, high-energy-consuming production capacity.

José Medeiros da Silva, a Brazilian professor at Zhejiang International Studies University and a translator of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, highlighted the practical implementation of these concepts. Observing Anji County in Zhejiang Province, he noted how the local economy has been reorganized around natural resources, demonstrating that cultural heritage, ecological stewardship, and modernization can coexist. He stated that the "two mountains" concept—lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets—transcends the Chinese context, offering a reference for countries seeking to reconcile economic growth with environmental protection.

The plan lists "major new strides in advancing the Beautiful China initiative" as a major objective for 2026-2030. Medeiros da Silva assessed China's ability to combine long-term vision with practical implementation as impressive, noting that Five-Year plans translate broad strategic objectives into concrete priorities and measurable objectives. This integration illustrates the interconnected nature of ecological civilization, green development, common prosperity, and new quality productive forces.

China has built the world's largest clean power supply system, with renewable energy accounting for over 60 percent of total installed capacity. Production and sales of new energy vehicles have ranked first globally for 10 consecutive years, and in 2025, the share of new energy vehicles in domestic new car sales exceeded 50 percent. These achievements demonstrate that environmental protection has generated new sources of economic momentum.

China's timeline for its dual carbon goals sets a transition period of just 30 years between carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. In September 2025, President Xi announced China's 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) at the UN Climate Summit, marking the first time China has put forward an economy-wide absolute emissions reduction target covering all greenhouse gases. This move is expected to inject stronger momentum into global climate governance.