Global governance needs to be improved to solve crisis like COVID-19: Chinese ambassador

A new and effective global governance system has yet to be built to cope with a crisis of the magnitude of the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said.

"We don't have a very good functioning global governance so far, whether for the global economy or for global public health," Cui said in an interview with Ian Bremmer at Gzero World which began airing nationally on Saturday on U.S. public television.

"I think you're right. Of course we have to recognize the G20 had a good special summit, also a video call, and they have taken a number of good decisions. Now the task is to implement these decisions," said Cui in response to a question concerning international cooperation and coordination in fighting the pandemic.

"But still, I think, the current situation and the current deficiency in global governance ... I think people really have to make serious efforts to think about what kind of global governance we should be building. What should we aim at?" he said.

"If we still want to build some international governance system based on a particular political model or with the dominance of one or two particular countries, I don't think we can succeed," Cui said.

"If we aim at a new system of international governance that is open, inclusive, that is based on mutual respect among all countries, on the full recognition of the diversity of cultures, civilizations, political systems, economic systems, if we can do this, then I think all the things are ready for us to build a new and effective international governance system. We have to make the right choice now," he said.

The world has had a number of crises in the 21st century, one could say starting with the 9/11 terror attack , then the financial crisis, and now this COVID-19 virus, i.e. security challenges, financial instability and now public health, the ambassador said.

"If we can still call this a wakeup call, I think we should have woken up a long time ago, but still, if we have not started yet, we have to start real efforts to build a good international governance system for the 21st century, for the future," he said, adding that big countries, including the United States and China, have great responsibilities in spearheading the efforts.

"Even for other countries, some smaller, maybe poorer countries, countries that unfortunately don't have a lot of say in international decision-making, I think they are keenly aware of their vulnerability, of the lack of an effective, efficient and equitable global governance system," he said.

"It is ineffective, but they are not in a position to change it. So maybe they have hopes on us to take the lead for international efforts to build such a good governance system for everybody," he said.

WHAT CHINA WANTS IS NOT SELFISH INTERESTS

The Chinese ambassador pointed out that the current international institutions that were set up since WWII, including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Group of Seven, the United Nations (UN), and the World Trade Organization (WTO), are "making their best efforts to reform and to improve, to catch up with tremendous changes going on in the world."

For instance, since the financial crisis in 2008, the World Bank and the IMF have seen major reforms of the quota system, of how they respond to member states' needs, he said.

"I think they are making good efforts. Even at the recent G20 summit, these institutions are offering their contributions. They are ready to play their due role. Of course we have to encourage them to do more," he said.

"And for the WTO, it was very unfortunate that the Doha Round did not succeed. And many of the rules were set up before we have had all these new technologies. So I think there is a real need for us to support reform of the WTO, make it more up-to-date, make it better able to meet the challenge," he said.

If these existing institutions can respond to the needs and aspirations of their member states, "not just a few of them, but their entire membership," "in a timely and effective manner," then they could undergo good reforms, and they could "make themselves better able to perform their function," the ambassador said.

"If they fail to do that, that might force the member countries to think about the possibility of setting up new structures. But I do hope that we can carry out reforms with the existing institutions, just make them better."

Actually, he said, China has been "very actively" involved in the process, even for the international response to the financial crisis in the last decade, increasing its contributions to these institutions.

Now China is the second largest contributor to the United Nations' budget, the second largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, and the largest contributor of troops among the permanent members of the Security Council to UN peacekeeping operations.

"So we are increasing our contribution. We are doing our best to do more for the international community, because we believe we are all part of this community of nations. We do have a shared destiny. We do have a shared future. But of course, it is very much hoped that the United States will continue to do more," he said.

"But what China wants is not selfish interests. We want the purposes and principles of the UN Charter to be widely observed. If we can have all these principles implemented and respected globally, I don't think we want anything more for ourselves," he said.