3

Amitav Acharya, Constructing Global Order Cambridge University Press, 2018), p.1.

actors or socializing them into existing multilateral institutions is inadequate at best and insulting at worst. Active participation by new actors as positive agents in rule-designing, making and implementation is crucial to a new and more relevant multilateralism. Participation, in particular, should encourage communication and complementation of the two societies. since they have different goals and principles, it is of paramount importance for them to reach mutuality through empathy and sympathy.

values friendship. It is a redefinition of the relationship among the multiple actors and agents in global governance. different from competition for self-interest, partnership is based on amity and trust, seeking harmony in human relations. In self-other relations, it follows the principle of “confucian improvement,” meaning “establish if and only if let established,” and in individual-community relations it keeps to the value of “Mencian optimality,” holding that “self-advancement is best achieved if and only if the community is harmonious.” It pays adequate attention to self-interest, but, as partnership implies, it stresses that only in a harmonious community can an individual member fare best. It is particularly relevant in today’s world where the “economic man” assumption is a principle of multilateralism and fragmented individualism leads to an inhumane indifference to the global commons.

With these principles, for example, we may consider a “G20+1” approach to bridge the two societies and enhance effective global governance. It requires the G20 to take responsibility and provide the political leadership for major global decision-making. the competent special agency of the un, such as the World Health Organization, must work as the consultant and implementer. this is a combination of political will, necessary resources and effective decisions on the one hand, and professional support and action plans on the other. such a mechanism should apply to the global society as a whole and adhere to the principle of partnership.

Conclusion

Our world is again at a crossroads. the postcovid-19 world could be a fragmented space marked by confrontation and power struggles or a humane space for progress and prosperity. Which vision prevails will hinge very much on reform of the existing multilateral system. to reform it is not to overthrow it. As represented by the un system, the achievements of multilateralism since the end of the second World War are remarkable in maintaining peace and promoting prosperity. However, globalization has made the coexistence of interstate and global societies a new reality and governance failure occurs when the tension between them becomes too sharp. to relax and resolve the tension, reforms must be carried out while the principles and valuable practices of multilateralism are firmly adhered to. A new multilateralism, with pluralism, participation and partnership in the lead, will provide meaningful hope for bridging the two societies and bringing forth more effective and legitimate governance in our world.

Qin yaqing is professor of international relations at China foreign affairs university.