Russia and China Issue Joint Declaration on the Emergence of a Multipolar World and a New Type of International Relations
Beijing. The Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China have issued a joint declaration on the emergence of a multipolar world and a new type of international relations. The declaration, released in Beijing on May 20, states that changes in the international landscape and in the global balance of power have been accelerating since the end of the Second World War.
“On the one hand, the wave of decolonisation and the end of the Cold War led to a significant increase in the number of sovereign states in the world. The international community has become more diverse and complex. The level of development and international influence of the countries of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean has grown. The number of regional and interregional associations has increased, with their activities covering all areas of international relations—from politics and security to the economy and the humanitarian dimension—and their role in world affairs is steadily growing. Interconnectedness and interdependence in the world have reached an unprecedented level in human history,” the declaration states.
The declaration concludes that attempts by a number of states to single-handedly manage world affairs, impose their interests on the entire world, and restrict the sovereign development opportunities of other countries in the spirit of the colonial era have failed. It notes that in the twenty-first century, the system of international relations is undergoing a profound transformation, evolving towards a long-term state of polycentricity and the formation of a new type of international relations.
On the other hand, the declaration points out that the global situation is becoming more complex, with negative neocolonial trends on the rise, including the practice of unilateral force-based approaches, hegemonism, and bloc confrontation. It adds that the basic universally recognised norms of international law and international relations are being regularly trampled upon, and it is becoming more difficult for states to coordinate their actions and settle conflicts within global governance institutions, many of which are losing their effectiveness.
Advocating a harmonious process of shaping an equal and orderly multipolar world and a new type of international relations, including a more just and rational system of global governance, Russia and China have undertaken and called upon the international community to adhere to the following basic principles in their relations with one another: the principle of openness of the world to inclusive and mutually beneficial cooperation, the principle of indivisible and equal security, the principle of democratisation of international relations and improvement of the global governance system, and the principle of the diversity of world civilisations and values. The two countries have expressed their commitment in the declaration to continue developing a shared vision for shaping a multipolar world and more just international relations of a new type.
