by Xinhua writer Xia Yuanyi

BEIJING, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- As the 2025 Munich Security Conference (MSC) convenes, a newly released MSC report underscores a growing trend toward multipolarity in the global order. While the report highlights an important shift, it reaches a flawed conclusion.

The 2025 Munich Security Report correctly identifies a widespread recognition that the era of unipolar dominance is waning. More and more people worldwide see the global order evolving into a multipolar one, marking a departure from the hegemony of a single superpower.

However, the report is mistaken in suggesting that China's vocal support for multipolarity is merely aimed at challenging the United States' global supremacy. A truly multipolar world does not mean the replacement of one dominant power with another. It means a world where countries, regardless of size or wealth, have a fair say in shaping global affairs.

China, a longstanding proponent of multipolarity, has consistently advocated for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. This vision resonates strongly as the Global South rises as a key force in shaping global affairs.

As an underlying trend in today's world, the momentum of multi-polarization is driven by collective efforts, not just by a few countries. The Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77 laid the foundation for resisting hegemony, while regional organizations like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the African Union (AU), the Arab League, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States have amplified the Global South's voice.

Multi-polarization is evident on global platforms, with the AU joining the G20 in 2023 and BRICS expanding to include five new members in 2024.

For too long, the existing international order has been shaped disproportionately by a handful of Western powers, often sidelining the voices and needs of developing nations. From trade rules to financial systems, from global security to climate governance, many countries -- especially in the Global South -- have felt excluded or pressured to conform to a framework that does not serve their development goals.

It is no surprise, then, that China's advocacy of multipolarity has been widely echoed in these regions. It is a vision of a world where no single country dictates the rules, where sovereignty is respected, and where international affairs are decided through consultation rather than coercion.

China does not seek to impose a new order but to contribute to a more balanced one. The principles of multipolarity, namely non-interference, mutual benefit and respect for sovereignty, have long been enshrined in China's foreign policy.

Initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, and active participation in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are practical efforts to foster cooperation and provide more development opportunities for all.

These are not strategies of geopolitical competition but endeavors to create a fairer global system where development is not a privilege of a few but a shared right of all.

The MSC is a platform for meaningful dialogue, and it is through such discussions that the world can move towards greater mutual understanding. It is time to surpass outdated Cold War mindsets and embrace a world where cooperation prevails over confrontation, and where every nation -- big or small -- has a seat at the table, rather than being a dish on the menu. Enditem

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