BEIJING -- At the recent "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" Meeting, President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), emphasizing that "staying committed to sovereign equality" is the foremost premise of global governance.

The essence of sovereign equality is that all countries, regardless of size, strength or wealth, shall have their sovereignty and dignity respected, their domestic affairs free from external interference, the right to independently choose their social system and development path, and the right to participate in, make decisions in and benefit from the global governance process as equals.

Yet today, unilateralism and protectionism remain rampant, while hegemonism and power politics surge against the tide of history. A few countries, relying on sheer strength, monopolize global decision-making and dominate international affairs. Against such realities, the GGI's emphasis on sovereign equality speaks directly to the inequalities embedded in the current global order.

To uphold sovereign equality is to advance the democratization of international relations. Global South nations are rising collectively, but their representation and voice in the global governance system remain far from adequate. This historical injustice must be corrected. The Global South deserves to be heard more, and the legitimate rights and interests of all countries must be safeguarded.

China has always matched words with deeds. It always treats all nations as equals, pursuing mutual respect and mutual benefit. In handling international affairs, China stands for fairness and justice, firmly opposing hegemony, power politics and the attempts of a few to dictate the destiny of others or monopolize development opportunities.

It is a well-known fact that China champions multilateralism, speaks up for developing countries, and strives to enhance their representation and voice in global governance.

Only by adhering to sovereign equality, and ensuring equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules for all countries, can the legitimacy and fairness of global governance be secured. Only in this way can consensus and cooperation be built to achieve win-win results and common development.

As the world's largest developing country and a member of the Global South, China will continue to work with fellow developing nations to firmly safeguard common interests, tackle global challenges together, and push the global governance system toward greater fairness and justice.