BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- From Wednesday to Friday, participants at the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum explored urgent questions shaping humanity's future, examining how peace can prevail over war, and if global relations will move toward cooperation or fragmentation.

Attended by official delegations from over 100 countries, regions and international organizations, the forum drew intense attention to China's newly proposed Global Governance Initiative (GGI), a framework widely regarded as a potential solution to addressing the flaws of the current global governance system.

The GGI, first unveiled at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin on Sept. 1, rests on five core principles: upholding sovereign equality, adhering to the international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating a people-centered approach, and prioritizing concrete actions.

While receiving guests attending the forum, Zhang Youxia, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that the GGI charts the course for reforming and improving the global governance system, providing strategic guidance.

"Rising hegemony, unilateralism and protectionism are fueling widespread concerns," China's Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei said at the forum, noting that the GGI aims to address humanity's most pressing challenges to build a more just and equitable world.

Experts at the forum said the initiative reflects a responsible major country's commitment to advancing global stability, openness and prosperity, and comes at a critical moment in history.

"China is playing a pivotal role in the global economy, military affairs and other key domains, and I really applaud its GGI to maintain international order," said Harold E. Raugh, Jr., renowned American war historian, during an interview session at the forum.

Jean Christophe Baron von Pfetten, chairman of the Institute for East-West Strategic Studies in Britain, emphasized that respect for national sovereignty and adherence to the international rule of law form the foundation of a stable global order, a core tenet that aligns with the GGI. Citing ongoing tensions in the Middle East, he stressed, "No country should bomb another without a valid reason."

This respect for international norms, Baron von Pfetten said, is reflected in China's diplomatic practice. China has all along abided by international law, setting an example Western powers ought to follow. "When China proposed the GGI, it demonstrated a commitment to restoring the international order."

The GGI's focus on multilateralism struck a strong chord with representatives from the Global South, as many of them said that their voices could be easily marginalized in global decision-making, which is now dominated by individual major powers.

"The future of international relations lies in multilateralism," said Surasit Thanadtang, director of the Thai-Chinese Strategic Research Center under Thailand's National Research Council.

He invoked a Thai saying -- "Three heads are better than one" -- to explain why collaboration works. It generates more ideas and addresses shared concerns, rather than serving the interests of a few, Thanadtang said.

China's decades of active engagement with Thailand and other ASEAN nations, through joint infrastructure projects and trade partnerships, demonstrate its capacity and commitment to putting multilateralism into practice, according to the retired Thai general.

In 2024, bilateral trade in goods between China and ASEAN neared 1 trillion U.S. dollars, reinforcing their position as each other's largest trading partner for the fifth consecutive year, while two-way investment exceeded 450 billion U.S. dollars.

Siswanto Rusdi, director of Indonesia's National Maritime Institute, drew a clear contrast between China and major Western powers. "While Western powers tend to pursue hegemony to maximize their gains, China chooses to share development opportunities, and even welcomes other countries to 'hitch a ride,'" he said. He was referring to China's willingness to let partners benefit from its growth through mechanisms like the Belt and Road Initiative and expanded imports of goods from developing nations.

This approach, he added, "has expanded China's international influence and embodies the win-win essence of Eastern wisdom."

The GGI marks the fourth landmark global initiative proposed by China over the past several years, following the Global Development Initiative in 2021, the Global Security Initiative in 2022 and the Global Civilization Initiative in 2023, constituting China's global vision.

"These initiatives aim to reinforce the UN's fundamental principles while addressing emerging challenges in today's global landscape. In doing so, they aim to restore the UN system's functionality and vitality, and China can now drive this effort," said Zheng Yongnian, professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.  ■