China urges stronger Global South representation at the United Nations

BEIJING: China has called for greater representation for emerging and developing countries at the United Nations, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying the current global system does not adequately reflect their interests as international tensions continue to mount.

Speaking at a rare press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday on a white paper about making global governance fairer and more balanced, Wang said the authority of the United Nations was coming under growing strain amid widening political and economic disputes around the world. He said countries of different sizes, levels of strength and stages of development should all be treated equally within the international community.

Wang said the world was facing overlapping crises and a succession of new challenges. He warned that deep-rooted contradictions were being exposed more sharply, while both unexpected shocks and long-ignored risks were appearing repeatedly. In his remarks, he also referred briefly to the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, though no detailed comments on either situation were reported.

According to China’s official Xinhua news agency, Wang called for firm efforts toward a ceasefire in the Middle East and urged all sides to help create the basis for a sustainable regional security framework. He said the white paper was intended to help build international consensus on how to respond effectively to global challenges, adding that preserving the authority and status of the United Nations was essential for that effort.