UN official lauds China's support for openness

China's support for multilateralism and open economic cooperation is particularly important as geopolitical divisions, rising protectionism and stalled development goals challenge international cooperation, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Policy Guy Ryder told China Daily.

"China's support for multilateralism, for the rule of law, coincides absolutely with the goals and the methods of the United Nations," Ryder said during the 2026 Global Governance Forum (Xiong'an) in Hebei province.

He said a UN-centered multilateral system was indispensable for tackling conflicts, climate change and emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence.

China is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and the second-largest contributor to both the UN's regular and peacekeeping budgets. According to China's Foreign Ministry, it has participated in 29 UN peacekeeping operations, with more than 50,000 personnel deployments over the years.

Beyond those contributions, Ryder attached particular importance to Beijing's consistent support for the organization. "China's strong support means a great deal for us," he said.

On economic cooperation, Ryder said China's development had benefited its own people while helping drive global growth.

"China's been an important engine of growth and development in the global economy," he said.

With protectionism mounting and uncertainty weighing on the world economy, China's commitment to open markets and international economic cooperation matters beyond its borders, he said.

That role is especially significant as progress toward the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals remains badly off track. The UN's 2026 report found that only 15 percent of the 139 targets with sufficient trend data were on track.

"China's role in helping us move forward on global development is going to be of critical importance," Ryder told China Daily.

Ryder identified mistrust among countries as a major obstacle to cooperation, saying suspicions about one another's intentions made it harder to pursue common objectives.

Dialogue essential

"I think the real problem of trust is between member states," he said, stressing that dialogue was essential to rebuilding confidence.

He looked to China to help overcome divisions hindering collective action on issues including climate change, AI, and peace and security.

"We look to China to help bring people together to find the solutions that we very urgently need," Ryder said.

Making cooperation more effective also requires international institutions to better reflect today's world, he said. The UN has expanded from 51 members in 1945 to 193, yet developing countries still lack sufficient influence in major institutions.

"Our system is still designed, it's still set up, as if the world was still in 1945," he said.

Ryder called for stronger African representation on the Security Council and a greater voice for developing countries in the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. He described China's solidarity with the Global South as a distinctive feature of its role in global governance.

Ryder also highlighted China's four global initiatives, covering development, security, civilization and governance, saying they address issues already at the heart of discussions within the UN and the wider multilateral system.

"To the extent that these initiatives feed into and reinforce and support the agenda of the United Nations, we welcome them very much," he said.

He singled out the Global Development Initiative as an example, saying it contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals agreed upon by UN member states. He expressed hope that China's efforts to advance the initiatives would produce tangible results not only for China but for the international community as a whole.