As 2025 comes to a close, it's worth reflecting on the historical significance of a year that marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II as well as the founding of the United Nations.
China, not surprisingly, has taken advantage of these symbolic milestones to underscore its self-image as a "guardian of the postwar order."
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in September, for example, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled a new diplomatic framework, the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), which Foreign Minister Wang Yi calls "a blueprint for humanity's shared future."