Multilateralism more crucial in trying times

It is necessary to clarify and reach consensus on what real multilateralism is at a time when some countries are trying to apply their own rules internationally in order to mislead and deceive the world, experts said as a high-level United Nations meeting on upholding multilateralism was held on Friday.

The event, chaired by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, was aimed at galvanizing the efforts of all parties to maintain and practice true multilateralism so as to resolve pressing global issues and ensure the central role of the UN in international affairs.

It is one of the more than 20 meetings to be held this month as China takes the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for May.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of China's legitimate rights at the UN. As the first country to put its signature to the UN Charter, China has been championing, upholding, practicing and enriching multilateralism over the past years.

Just a day ahead of the meeting, President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in which he said China will continue to support the work of the UN and that of Guterres, and uphold genuine multilateralism.

Xi also said that all countries should refrain from pursuing unilateralism and hegemony, and should not use multilateralism as a pretext to form small circles or stir up ideological confrontation.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the Council's meeting was held at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the global economy struggles, regional hot spot issues remain unresolved and nontraditional security challenges such as climate change keep cropping up.

"Meanwhile, bloc politics is undermining the authority and efficacy of multilateral organizations and ideological confrontation is weakening the fairness and equality of multilateralism," he told reporters at a news briefing in Beijing on Friday.

China hopes to work with all parties－including UN Security Council members－to take the meeting as an opportunity to reaffirm support for multilateralism and a firm commitment to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, the spokesman said.

Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said that a few countries are in fact promoting unilateralism disguised as so-called multilateralism.

"The meeting is a timely and necessary occasion for member countries to have discussions and reach consensus on upholding real multilateralism, which must have the UN at the core," Ruan said.

As the world today is increasingly fragmented with some Western countries, especially the United States, showing greater anxiety vis-a-vis other countries' development, it is important to uphold multilateralism in order to promote globalization and realize inclusive growth, said Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University.

Li said that while the multilateralism upheld by China focuses on promoting the common development and prosperity of all nations, the "multilateralism" claimed by the US only cares about the interests of a small circle of countries.