Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, recently addressed a press conference on the margins of the 14th National People’s Congress on March 8, 2026. His address was wealthy with insights on almost every major fault line of contemporary geopolitics. The centrality of China in global affairs is now hackneyed. It is the vanguard of the new multipolar world order, the counterweight to Western hegemony.
Perhaps the most profound issue addressed by Wang is his critique and rejection of the U.S’ unipolarity. He observed that whereas China and the United States have a significant impact on the world, all the more than 190 countries on the planet must be respected. He recognises that world history has always been written by many countries together, and the future of humanity is forged through the collective efforts of all nations. Wang recognises the fundamental truth that diversity is inherent to human society and that multipolarity is the natural state of the international system.
A reading of world history makes clear how humanity was disastrously affected whenever there was great-power rivalry and bloc confrontation. China’s promise to the world is that it will never take the beaten path of seeking hegemony, even as its strength grows. Besides the remarks Wang made on the commitments China makes in its foreign policy, the Chinese constitution is also clear on the principle that the country is to follow an independent foreign policy and is to be committed to pursuing a path of peaceful development. Therefore, Wang was simply reiterating comments by several Chinese leaders who have often declared to the world that no matter how the international situation evolves and how strong China becomes, it will never seek hegemony or expansion.
Therefore, Wang dismissed the “G2” format as a framework for China and the U.S. to address global challenges, even as Beijing seeks bilateral engagement with Washington. And it is not like Wang simply rejects the American framework without an alternative for how the international landscape should evolve. He articulated China’s proposal for building an equal and orderly multipolar world. He explained that in an “Equal” world, we can have an opportunity for every nation, regardless of size or strength, to be respected as an equal member of the international community, and have a place and play its role in a multipolar world. He also explained that “Orderly” means all countries should uphold the widely recognised international rules, namely the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and the basic norms of international relations.
I largely agree with Wang that every country should see it as a common responsibility to build an equal and orderly multipolar world. Wang urges the major countries with more resources and capabilities to be more generous, shoulder more responsibilities, and set an example of observing rules, honouring commitments and upholding international law. However, it is disappointing to see that this is not the constructive role that some Western nations are seeking.
Wang Yi also made very enlightened comments on U.S.-China relations. H recognises that the relationship between China and the United States is one of far-reaching and global implications. Neither country should therefore ignore the other, as doing so would only lead to mutual misperception and miscalculation. It is cliché that if the two countries slipped into conflict or confrontation, the whole world could suffer a disaster of unprecedented proportions. Wang observes that whereas neither side can remodel the other, they have an opportunity to choose how they want to engage, that is, “to commit to a spirit of mutual respect, to hold the bottom line of peaceful coexistence, and to strive for the prospect of win-win cooperation… That’s what serves the interests of the Chinese and American peoples, and that’s also the expectation of the international community.”
Wang also paid deep thought to the focal point in the current international situation in Iran. He presented China’s attitude on this issue as both objective and impartial. China’s principled position on this issue is the call for cessation of hostilities. Wang made a profound insight that the history of the Middle East tells the world time and again that force provides no solution and armed conflicts will only increase hatred and breed new crises.
If there is nothing Western leaders involved in this conflict could pick from this speech, it should be just the paragraph carrying the above remark. He also called for respecting national sovereignty, since sovereignty is the cornerstone of the current international order. He urged the parties to reject the abuse of force because might does not make right. He called on the parties to observe the principle of noninterference in internal affairs, noting that ‘the people in the Middle East are the true masters of this region. Middle Eastern affairs should be determined by regional countries independently.” And adding that “plotting a colour revolution or seeking regime change will find no popular support.” Wang also encouraged that the hotspot issues of this conflict should be settled politically rather than militarily. He reiterated that the major countries should play a constructive role and use their strengths in goodwill.
Speaking about 2025 as a significant year in Chinese diplomacy, Wang heralded the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) establishedby President Xi Jinping as a key platform to deal with emerging global challenges, the prominent governance deficit in the world, and the severe shock waves undermining multilateralism. He maintained that the most unequivocal requirement of the GGI is that the U.N. keeps pace with the times, improve its governance system through reform, and adapt to the evolving international situation and the changing dynamics in the global balance of power in the 21st century.
One gets a sense from listening to Wang Yi’s press conference remarks that China is currently in perhaps its most confident and assertive era. It has grown the zest to articulate an alternative vision for global order, and suggest alternative frameworks of leadership, rather than simply critique the existing one. What the global foreign policy arena witnesses now is a highly contested space between Western liberal institutionalism, which is losing its appeal, and a Chinese-led pluralism that prioritises sovereignty, non-interference, and South-South solidarity. My hope is that Africa recognises the opportunity and strategic complexity of the times and makes the best of them.
The writer is a senior research fellow | Development Watch Center.