On June 5, 2026 local time, Vice President Han Zheng attended the plenary session of the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, where he delivered a speech titled “Implementing the Global Governance Initiative and Jointly Working for a Better Future.”

Han Zheng noted in his speech that momentous changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the world, and global challenges and the deficit in global governance are becoming more pronounced. President Xi Jinping solemnly put forward the Global Governance Initiative, which sets out five core concepts: staying committed to sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and real results. The Initiative has received positive responses and support from nearly 160 countries and international organizations. The Group of Friends of Global Governance has been launched at the United Nations, sending a unified message of safeguarding the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, upholding genuine multilateralism, and opposing unilateralism. China is not only the initiator of the Global Governance Initiative, but also a country that has taken concrete actions to rally all parties in jointly advancing the reform and improvement of the global governance system.

Han Zheng said that China and Russia, both major countries and permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, shoulder important missions in the transformation of the global governance system. Not long ago, President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin met in Beijing, and the two sides issued the Joint Statement Between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Advocating a Multipolar World and New Type of International Relations. This fully demonstrates the firm resolve and major-country responsibility of China and Russia to jointly promote a more just and equitable global governance system. China stands ready to work with Russia and all other parties to strengthen cooperation on implementing the Global Governance Initiative and jointly build an open, inclusive, fair and just world of win-win cooperation.

Han Zheng made four proposals for implementing the Global Governance Initiative. First, uphold equal cooperation and advocate a vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. All countries should practice genuine multilateralism, ensure equal participation, equal decision-making and equal benefit-sharing in global governance, steadfastly promote greater democracy in international relations, and enhance the representation and say of developing countries. Second, stay committed to international fairness and justice and uphold the status and authority of the United Nations. International fairness and justice should be safeguarded through international legal rules that are applied equally and uniformly. Double standards and selective application should be rejected. The United Nations should be supported in reinvigorating its authority and vitality under the new circumstances, so that it can serve as the main platform for countries to coordinate actions and jointly address challenges. Third, promote common development and deliver a stronger sense of fulfillment to people of all countries. With the aim of improving people’s well-being, all parties should fully implement the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and advance common development and shared prosperity. China stands ready to take its hosting of the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting as an opportunity to work with all parties to build an Asia-Pacific community and inject new impetus into the development and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large. Fourth, strengthen coordinated action and deliver more visible outcomes. Global actions should be better coordinated. Countries, international organizations and multilateral institutions should strengthen the alignment of development strategies and policy coordination, and pool great strength for addressing global challenges and promoting common development.

Han Zheng said that this year marks the beginning of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period. The 15th Five-Year Plan charts a grand blueprint for China’s development in the coming five years and presents a bright vision of win-win cooperation between China and countries around the world. China stands ready to work with all parties to fully implement the Global Governance Initiative, build a more just and equitable global governance system, and jointly create a brighter future for humanity.

During the interactive session following his speech, Han Zheng responded to the moderator of the plenary session on China-Russia relations. Han Zheng said that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, China-Russia relations have maintained sound, stable and high-level development, setting a prime example of a new type of major-country relationship and injecting valuable stability and positive energy into a changing and turbulent world. China stands ready to work with Russia, guided by the important common understandings reached between the two heads of state and with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, to further deepen strategic mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation, enrich the contemporary substance of China-Russia comprehensive strategic coordination, and ensure that the outcomes of China-Russia cooperation will bring greater benefit to the two peoples and to the world.

During the forum, Han Zheng also had brief and friendly exchanges with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and others.