On May 26, 2026 local time, after chairing the United Nations Security Council High-Level Meeting, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to the media.

Wang Yi noted that the Security Council held a high-level meeting themed “Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the U.N. Charter and Strengthening the U.N.-Centered International System”. The meeting was proposed by China in its capacity as the rotating President of the Security Council. He pointed out that in recent times, the purposes of the U.N. Charter have been disregarded, the basic norms governing international relations have been undermined, and world peace and security are in jeopardy. At this critical juncture, the Security Council must step forward and shoulder its responsibilities.

Wang Yi said that China’s initiative received a positive response from all countries. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, foreign ministers from over 20 countries, and representatives of various states joined together to revisit the founding vision of the U.N. and engage in lively and in-depth discussions on defending, reinvigorating and strengthening the U.N. Important consensus was reached.

It was widely agreed that the U.N. Charter has not become outdated and remains the cornerstone of the international order. The centrality of the U.N. must be strengthened, not weakened. As none of us wants to see international relations slide back to the law of the jungle, we need to uphold the same system—the U.N.-centered international system—and observe the same set of rules—the basic norms governing international relations based on the Charter.

It was also widely agreed that for the U.N. to better fulfill its role, it must enhance its operational capacity. In particular, the Security Council needs to assume its primary responsibility for maintaining peace and play its due role in managing crises. U.N. bodies should also carry out timely reforms to more effectively respond to the common concerns of the international community.

It was widely agreed that the trend toward a multipolar world is unstoppable, and that the domination of international affairs by one or a few countries no longer corresponds to the trend of the times. We should firmly follow the path of multilateralism, do our utmost to safeguard unity, oppose division, seek cooperation, reject confrontation, and jointly inject much-needed stability and certainty into the world.

They also shared the view that current global governance has visibly fallen behind and needs to be reformed and improved in keeping with the times. It should reflect the aspirations of all countries in a more balanced way and ensure equal participation and shared benefits for all. In particular, it is important to increase the representation and voice of the Global South and jointly build a more just and equitable global governance system.

Wang Yi stressed that President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative last year, which has received broad support from the international community. On May 28, China will hold a meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Governance in New York to build new consensus and inject fresh impetus into the reform and improvement of global governance. China will also host a forum on global governance in Xiong’an, China this autumn, and looks forward to working with friends from all countries to discuss the major issues of global governance. No matter how the international landscape may change, China will remain a staunch upholder of the U.N., a genuine supporter of multilateralism, and an active promoter of global governance.