"As the US has reduced its support for global governance and withdrawn from several international organizations, China is increasingly emerging as a key provider of global public goods", said Li Cheng, Director of the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at HKU, in his keynote speech at the 2025 Understanding China Conference on December 1.
He noted that in the 1990s, the term "governance" was widely used by US elites, but today, fewer people are talking about it aside from some NGOs. Yet over the past two decades, the term has become a key focus for Chinese policymakers and scholars.
This year alone, China has proposed and established five new international organizations. Among them is the International Organization for Mediation, which is headquartered in Hong Kong. Li emphasized that China is moving into a phase of accelerated engagement in shaping multilateral systems.
The 2025 Understanding China Conference is being held in Guangzhou from November 30 to December 2. Approximately 200 delegates from 72 countries and regions are attending the conference to explore how Chinese modernization offers a fresh perspective for global governance.
Reporter | Chen Siyuan, Guo Chuhua, Zhang Ruijun
Video | Liang Zijian
Editor | Ouyang Yan, Steven Yuen, Ou Xiaoming, Shen He
