New global governance calls for integrity

China’s governance approach offers lessons in practical reforms

- CHLOE MALULEKE

AS THE world enters a new phase of geopolitical complexity, the question of global governance has become more urgent than ever. Climate change, trade fragmentation, digital inequality, and institutional fatigue have exposed the limits of international cooperation.

Traditional governance systems, shaped largely by Western models after World War II are struggling to respond to the pace and nature of modern challenges. In this evolving landscape, the global community has much to learn from governance models that have demonstrated adaptability, cohesion, and results. China’s governance approach, particularly its emphasis on discipline, self-reform, and people-centered development, offers lessons that can inspire practical reforms in the global governance architecture.

China’s Eight-Point Decision on improving poverty and government conduct and building closer ties with the people, introduced in 2012, may seem domestic in scope, but their underlying philosophy of accountability, thrift, and merit-based governance carries universal implications.

By prioritising integrity and performance over privilege and bureaucracy, the Chinese system has shown that sustainable governance is not about ideological rigidity but institutional discipline. For the global community, this principle can translate into a renewed call for ethical governance across multilateral institutions. The lesson is simple but profound. Legitimacy flows from conduct, not from declarations of power.