People-centered approach underpins China's four global initiatives

BEIJING, Jan. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily:

In 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Tianjin Summit marked a historic moment that resonated around the world.

Proposed by China, the four global initiatives—the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), and the GGI—together form a system of public goods to address global challenges, laying out a clear framework to advance the reform and improvement of the global governance system.

Each of the four initiatives has its own focus while complementing one another: promoting prosperity through shared development, safeguarding stability through common security, enhancing mutual trust through mutual learning among civilizations, and pursuing greater common good through improved governance.

Together, they point toward an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity, providing clear strategic guidance for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Concerned with humanity as a whole while also focusing on the concrete needs of individuals, the four global initiatives share a distinctly clear value: putting people first. The building of a community with a shared future for humanity aims to enable people of all countries to share peace, development, and dignity, and to create a better future for human society.

Development—for whom?

The GDI clearly upholds a people-centered approach. It advocates safeguarding and improving people's livelihoods in the course of development, protecting and promoting human rights. It aims to ensure that development is for the people, relies on the people, and that its fruits are shared by the people, so as to achieve all-round human development.

Security—for whom?

Without a peaceful and stable environment, people's well-being cannot be guaranteed. The GSI emphasizes resolving differences and disputes among countries through dialogue and consultation by peaceful means, and respecting the development paths and social systems chosen independently by each country. The purpose is to ensure that all countries enjoy a peaceful and stable external environment, enabling people all around the world to live and work in peace and contentment.

Civilization—to nurture whom?

In the flourishing garden of human civilizations, the dignity of every nation and every individual should be protected, and the value of every civilization should be respected. The GCI calls for promoting the common values of humanity and supports people of all countries to achieve their shared pursuit of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom through their own choices.

Governance—whose well-being does it improve?

People of all countries should be the fundamental participants and beneficiaries of global governance. Global governance can only gain widespread support and public consent when it is aimed at improving people's well-being with a real sense of gain.

The GGI explicitly calls for "a people-centered approach." It stresses that global governance system should be reformed and improved to ensure the participation and benefits of all peoples.

By providing new financing channels for global development, promoting global climate governance, and advancing international cooperation on sustainable development, China has taken the lead in driving governance reform in areas such as international financial architecture reform, artificial intelligence, climate change, and trade, fully reflecting a people-centered approach.

The traditional Chinese values believed that the people are the foundation of a country and only when the people lead a good life can the country thrive. It is also convinced that bringing benefit to the people is the fundamental principle of governance. These values are what shape today's China, which responds to people's concerns and pursues the larger interests of all countries.

Chinese modernization remains firmly people-centered, and the global public goods China provides are likewise focused on "people," coordinating efforts around their needs. This is precisely the emotional and value-based foundation upon which the four global initiatives have won broad recognition.