China is supporting multilateralism one institution at a time

The International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed) was inaugurated at its headquarters in Wan Chai on Monday, bringing the new China-led mechanism into operation to fill the void in dispute resolution. With 37 signatories, the organisation is attracting Western interest, particularly from Switzerland.

The IOMed is just one among several bodies announced by or established in China this year. They include the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, Unesco’s International Institute for STEM Education, the UN Development Programme’s Global Centre for Sustainable Development and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) development bank. Collectively, these organisations signal Beijing’s faster pace of institution-building amid its drive for a more proactive role in world governance, especially through hosting UN institutions.

China has presented itself as a supporter of multilateralism, as embodied in Premier Li Qiang’s recent speech to the UN General Assembly. However, it was only after the Cold War that China took on institution-building as a way to get involved. The process had three phases.

The first phase began with regional security and economic issues, particularly through groupings such as the SCO. Gradually, China’s outreach increased in frequency through forums such as the Boao Forum and Brics.

The second phase began in 2013 when the Belt and Road Initiative was launched. The initiative has served as a key cooperation platform for international development. But China has acted more as a founder. For example, the New Development Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are striving to offer higher-quality products and knowledge output.

In the third and current phase, the Global Governance Initiative builds on these earlier frameworks, addressing what China has framed as the “three deficiencies” of lacking representation, authority and effectiveness.

  

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