By JIANG SHIXUE*
What will happen to the world in the next four years? And specifically, how will global governance be conducted?
Donald Trump has assumed the presidency of the United States. He, together with his supporters in the country – just over half of the voters – will begin implementing the so-called MAGA strategy (Make America Great Again). However, in other countries, people are raising crucial questions: What will happen to the world in the next four years? And, specifically, how will global governance be conducted?
Global governance is the mechanism for addressing global issues. It is widely recognized that globalization is not the direct cause of global problems, but the rapid advance of globalization has made these issues even more evident. Such problems have caused enormous suffering to humanity, which reinforces the need to redouble efforts to strengthen global governance.
The number of global challenges is immense. Therefore, from an academic perspective, it is essential to divide the general concept of “global governance” into specific areas, such as economic governance, trade governance, financial governance, tax governance, climate governance, internet governance, digital governance, health governance, artificial intelligence (AI) governance, human rights governance, maritime governance, cultural governance, environmental governance, spatial governance, governance of the global commons, governance of new frontiers, security governance, poverty governance, intellectual property governance, among others. Each of these areas requires specific knowledge, distinct theories, appropriate research methodologies, as well as proposals for concrete policies and actions.
Global governance requires global leadership. In theory, the United Nations (UN) should perform this role with excellence. However, in practice, the organization has fallen short of global expectations. Several factors explain this ineffectiveness, with national selfishness being one of the main reasons. Since countries are unwilling to sacrifice their own interests, it is difficult to reach consensus among them. This dilemma has been exacerbated by the abandonment of multilateralism by the United States, the only global superpower, leaving the UN in an increasingly fragile position in the face of global challenges.
Effective global governance depends on international cooperation. In this context, the biggest obstacle is not only the lack of effective global leadership from the UN, but also the four deeply ingrained “isms” of US foreign policy: hegemonism, unilateralism, protectionism, and interventionism. From withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Agreement to imposing arbitrary tariffs, using national security as a political weapon, and blocking new members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body, US actions have undermined global efforts to foster cooperation and strengthen global governance.
Unfortunately, these “isms” are unlikely to disappear in the next four years or the foreseeable future, despite constant calls from developing countries and the Global South for the United States to assume its responsibility as a superpower.
In recent years, climate change has received increasing attention due to the severe damage it is causing to humanity. Although the United States and the European Union (EU) are believed to be strongly committed to this issue, their actions have shown otherwise. For example, both countries refuse to import clean energy vehicles made in China. If this type of protectionism continues, discussions about tackling global climate change will be nothing more than empty rhetoric.
Global governance is closely linked to the international order, whose shape influences how global efforts are conducted. The United States often argues for the need to respect a “rules-based order,” but rarely explains what those rules are or who sets them.
As Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized on numerous occasions, China seeks to remain a “builder of global peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order.” He has also proposed that countries promote an international order underpinned by international law. However, would President Trump accept this proposal for an order based on international law? The most likely answer is “no.”
The United States needs to recognize that it also suffers from many of the world's problems. It is therefore expected that it will assume its responsibilities and cooperate with other countries to advance global governance in the years to come.
*Jiang Shixue is a Senior Researcher at the Charhar Institute (China).
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