Strategic affairs expert: Global Governance Initiative timely, constructive

Jean Christophe Iseux von Pfetten, president of the Institute for East-West Strategic Studies, holds the Global Governance Initiative Concept Paper at the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Beijing, Sept. 18, 2025. [Photo by Wang Yiming/China.org.cn]

Jean Christophe Iseux von Pfetten, president of the Institute for East-West Strategic Studies in Britain, recently expressed support for China's Global Governance Initiative, introduced earlier this month.

In an interview on the sidelines of the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, held from Sept. 17 to 19, Pfetten said that China's latest proposal of the Global Governance Initiative is timely and constructive for addressing international challenges. 

He noted that the initiative is designed to bring countries back to the principle of international rule of law, which he described as the foundation of peace. "Without the international rule of law, you cannot have peace in this world. If you do not have the rule of law, then it is small wars here and there. And one day, one nation will use nuclear weapons. That will be the start of the end," he warned.

He recalled that China has long been consistent in promoting such principles, citing the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, proposed by then-Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1953, which he said already contained the essential elements for international relations and were later recognised by the United Nations.

At the same time, Pfetten acknowledged that some Western countries have opposed the initiative as well as the earlier Global Security Initiative. In his view, this reaction stems largely from fear. "They think, 'Oh, it's China, it's stronger than us.' However, if you examine China's history, it has never invaded anyone. The reaction is simply the reasoning of being frightened," he said.

Looking at the broader global context, Pfetten said that the world is still operating within an "old international order," and is not yet at the stage of a new cold war. He emphasized the continued importance of globalization and international institutions such as the UN and the World Trade Organisation. "If there is communication, we won't have a cold war," he said.

The scholar also underscored the need for dialogue between China and the United States on key issues, especially nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. "The future of world peace very much depends on how China and the United States communicate with each other in order to remain together on certain core principles. Without this, the planet will fall into chaos," he said.

He also highlighted the role of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum in fostering communication and conflict resolution, noting that such platforms are becoming increasingly indispensable.

"The Beijing Xiangshan Forum is excellent. There is no other forum in the world where Ukrainian representatives, NATO officials and Russian military leaders can sit together at one table," he said. "China has really done something remarkable."