Xinhua Commentary: Acting in Accordance with the Dao to Build a Better World — Providing Stability and Certainty to a Century of Changes with the Four Global Initiatives
The world today is undergoing profound transformations on a scale unseen in a century. Deep-seated contradictions are interwoven: the North-South development gap is widening, the number of armed conflicts has risen to a post-World War II high, confrontations are being artificially created in civilizational interactions, and the global governance system is severely impacted by unilateral actions. Against this complex backdrop, China has successively proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), and the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). These Four Global Initiatives, interconnected and mutually reinforcing, form a systematic framework of action that charts the course for human progress and injects vital stability and certainty into a world of change and disorder.
I. The Global Development Initiative: Laying the Material Foundation
"Development holds the master key to solving all problems." Proposed in 2021, the GDI prioritizes development, putting people at the center. Its "Six Commitments" — staying committed to development as a priority, to a people-centered approach, to benefits for all, to innovation-driven development, to harmony between humanity and nature, and to results-oriented actions — are closely aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. From the China-Laos Railway to the Global Development Fund, China is turning this initiative into tangible outcomes through the Belt and Road cooperation and other platforms, demonstrating its role as a builder of global development.
II. The Global Security Initiative: Safeguarding the Precondition for Peace
"Security is the precondition for development, and humanity is an indivisible security community." Introduced in 2022, the GSI advocates for a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept. It aims to address the root causes of international conflicts and improve global security governance. China has released the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper and a progress report, systematically outlining its approach. By fostering multi-level platforms for security dialogue and cooperation, China actively contributes its wisdom and strength to resolving regional hotspots and upholding world peace.
III. The Global Civilization Initiative: Gathering Consensus through Dialogue
Proposed in 2023, the GCI champions respect for the diversity of world civilizations, promotes the common values of humanity, emphasizes the preservation and innovation of civilizations, and strengthens international people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China's efforts were instrumental in establishing the UN "International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations". Platforms like the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations and the Liangzhu Forum embody this spirit, fostering mutual learning and harmony among civilizations, countering the rhetoric of superiority and clash.
IV. The Global Governance Initiative: Providing Institutional Safeguards
The GGI, put forward in 2025, is guided by five pillars: sovereign equality, observance of international rule of law, practice of true multilateralism, advocacy for a people-centered approach, and adherence to action orientation. It represents a systemic correction to the hegemonic logic that has long plagued traditional governance models. By advocating for a more just and equitable global governance system, this initiative addresses governance deficits and paves the way for collective solutions to transnational challenges.
Conclusion: An Integrated Path Forward
These Four Global Initiatives form an organic whole: development fortifies the material base, security safeguards the environment for peace, civilization converges shared values, and governance provides institutional guarantees. Together, they constitute China's concrete and systematic plan of action for advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. By following the fundamental principle of "acting in accordance with the Dao" — that is, by following the underlying trend of history and the shared aspirations of peoples — China stands ready to work with all nations to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.
