ZHOU Jinyan

As the world enters a new phase of uncertainty and transformation, China’s evolving vision of global governance is attracting growing attention. From the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to the recently announced Four Global Initiatives (4GIs), China has articulated its perspectives and proposals in four key areas of development, security, civilization and global governance.

From Connectivity to Common Development

Launched in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative focused on building economic corridors and enhancing regional connectivity. Over time, it has evolved from BRI 1.0 centered on physical connectivity to BRI 2.0, which emphasizes green development, digital innovation, and people-to-people exchange. Africa has become one of China’s closest partners in this journey. To date, 52 of the 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China, along with the African Union Commission, have signed cooperation agreements under the BRI framework. This shows that China and Africa have jointly built a model of inclusive cooperation in shared aspirations for development and modernization.

Building on the foundation of the BRI, China has put forward 4GIs that formed together a  more holistic view of global engagement.

• The Global Development Initiative (GDI) prosed in 2021 stresses six core principles, namely development as a priority, a people-centered approach, benefits for all, innovation-driven development, harmony between man and nature, and results-oriented actions. The GDI seeks to narrow the North–South gap and accelerate progress on the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• The Global Security Initiative (GSI) proposed in 2022 stressed “six commitments”, which are staying committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously, peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, and maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains. The GSI represents a vision of security rooted not in alliance or confrontation, but in mutual respect and shared stability.
• The Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) proposed in 2023 calls for jointly advocating respect for the diversity of civilizations, jointly advocating the common values of humanity, jointly advocating the importance of continuity and evolution of civilizations, and jointly advocating closer international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. The GCI underscores China’s belief that modernization does not mean Westernization and that every nation can pursue its own path.
• Most recently, the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) announced by President Xi at the “SCO+” meeting in Shanghai in September 2025 outlines five guiding principles, adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating the people-centered approach and focusing on taking real actions. The reform of the global governance system is not about overturning the existing international order or creating an entirely new system outside the current framework. Rather, the GGI aims to advance with the times through reform and improvement, enhancing the representativeness, effectiveness, and efficiency of existing international institutions and mechanisms.

Africa’s Perspective: Partnership, Not Prescription

Across the continent, African countries have actively engaged with and contributed to these initiatives. The Global Development Initiative (GDI) has been viewed as “a roadmap for narrowing the North–South gap,” with potential to advance industrialization, poverty reduction and climate adaptation. The Global Security Initiative (GSI) emphasizing peace through development and dialogue, resonates with African countries’ aspirations to strengthen their own security governance capacities. In the field of civilization, African scholars appreciate that the Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI) affirms the diversity of world civilizations and recognizes Africa’s own cultural agency in global modernization.

As many African intellectuals have observed, China’s cooperation paradigm, as reflected in the BRI and the 4GIs differs from the conditional approaches of some Western powers. Instead, the Chinese approach values connectivity, inclusivity and mutual learning. It mobilizes shared ideas rather than coercive power, offering the Global South an alternative path towards modernization.

There are currently two development paradigms in the world. The first is a coercive paradigm, represented by Western powers, which imposes its will on others through military force or other forms of dominance. The second is a cooperative paradigm, represented by China, which seeks to mobilize ideas and values to build a community with a shared future for humankind.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), together with the 4GIs, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, embodies this cooperative paradigm. These initiatives emphasize connectivity, inclusiveness, and respect for diversity, marking a milestone in shaping development models across the Global South.

Africa’s pivotal role in China’s global vision

Africa, as the continent where Global South countries are most concentrated, stands at the center of China’s global initiatives. Strengthening solidarity among Global South countries and promoting South-South cooperation both require Africa’s active participation. In China’s diplomacy, developing countries constitute “the foundation of the foundation”. China’s overall diplomatic layout has been summarized as“Major countries are the key, neighbouring countries are the priority, developing countries are the foundation and multilateral diplomacy is the stage.”Within this framework, Africa occupies a foundational position in China’s global engagement strategy.

Indeed, many of China’s diplomatic innovations and practices have originated in Africa. The Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has institutionalized South-South cooperation; the China-Africa Civilization Dialogue and the Partnership Initiative on Civilizational Mutual Learning echo the Global Civilization Initiative; and the Partnership Initiative on Common Security implements the Global Security Initiative through cooperative demonstration zones. In this sense, Africa has become not only a key arena for the practice of China’s global initiatives, but also a crucial platform from which China advances a cooperative paradigm of global order transformation.

As Agenda 2063 of the African Union enters its second ten-year implementation phase, the continent stands at a pivotal juncture that calls for both transformation and action. At this critical moment, the strategic alignment and coordinated action among China, the United Nations, and the African countries will be essential not only for revitalizing global efforts toward sustainable development, but also for realizing Africa’s long-anticipated structural transformation. Through the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Four Global Initiatives, China’s partnership with Africa continues to evolve from a focus on infrastructure and trade toward a more comprehensive agenda encompassing development, security, civilization, and governance. This deepening cooperation not only contributes to Africa’s pursuit of endogenous growth and collective self-reliance but also offers a more balanced, inclusive and equitable global vision.

The writer is an Associate Professor at Shanghai Academy of Global Governance & Area Studies, Shanghai University of International Studies, China