On October 1, 2025, the world’s attention turned to New York as Chinese Premier Li Qiang took the podium at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. In a speech delivered with characteristic poise, Li painted a vision of China’s expanding role on the global stage, signaling a clear intent: Beijing is not only willing but qualified to help shape the international order, especially as the United States appears to be pulling back from its traditional leadership role under Donald Trump.
Li’s address came just weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled his “Global Governance Initiative,” a blueprint for a more just and equitable world order. The timing was no accident. Li’s words, delivered before a packed assembly hall, drew a sharp—if indirect—contrast with the United States’ recent actions. While never mentioning the U.S. by name, Li’s references to “unilateralism,” “Cold War mentality,” “hegemonism,” and “bullying” left little doubt as to whom he was referring. In Beijing’s diplomatic lexicon, these terms have long been associated with American foreign policy.
“A China that bears in mind the greater good of humanity and stands ready to take up responsibilities will bring more positive energy into the world,” Li declared, according to the Macau Daily Times. He credited the United Nations for decades of relative peace and prosperity, but lamented that “the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation.” With a rhetorical flourish, he asked, “How could we, when confronted with unscrupulous acts of hegemonism and bullying, remain silent and submissive for fear of might?”
Li’s speech highlighted China’s recent efforts to lower tariffs and promote the global economy, its pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and its commitment to safeguarding the authority of the United Nations. These points, he argued, demonstrate China’s credentials as a responsible global actor—one that seeks to share its “wisdom and solution for navigating global transformations and overcoming pressing challenges.” He positioned China as a founding member of the U.N. uniquely equipped to help guide the world through its current upheavals.
Olivia Cheung, a lecturer in politics at King’s College London, told the Associated Press that Li’s speech was emblematic of a broader shift in China’s foreign policy posture. “Li’s speech confirms that China’s foreign policy posture today is firmly anchored in the ambition of turning a Western-dominant world order into one that is much more conducive to Chinese interests, values, and leadership,” she said. According to Cheung, China’s approach is now “notably more confident, strategic, and coherent” than it was in 2017, when Beijing’s calls for global governance reform were less substantive.
This shift is not happening in a vacuum. In Washington, there are growing concerns that China—the world’s second-largest economy—may be positioning itself to supplant the United States as the global leader. Yet, Beijing has repeatedly insisted that it does not seek to challenge or replace the U.S. Instead, President Xi has argued that China deserves a global voice commensurate with its economic clout and international stature.
Ali Wyne, a senior research and advocacy advisor for U.S.-China relations at the International Crisis Group, observed that China appears to be presenting itself as a key upholder of the postwar order, even as the United States seems to be losing confidence in its own creation. “China seeks to present itself as a key upholder of a postwar order in whose viability the United States seems to be losing confidence,” Wyne told the Associated Press. However, he also noted that China does not seem to have the capacity or desire to offer a wholesale alternative to the existing system. Rather, China is aiming to deepen its influence in certain areas and legitimize its view that new norms are needed to reflect shifting geopolitical realities.
Li’s speech also underscored the centrality of the United Nations in China’s vision for global governance. According to Cheung, Beijing’s strategic thinking has evolved under Xi Jinping—from prioritizing good relations with the U.S. and the West for economic growth, to actively seeking to reshape the international system so that it respects and accepts China’s interests as defined by Beijing. She emphasized that China views the current global governance system as “dominated by Western powers, especially the United States,” often to the detriment of non-Western interests.
Amid these diplomatic maneuvers, China’s internal political dynamics have also been making headlines. On the same day as Li’s U.N. address, China announced the appointment of Liu Haixing as the new head of the Communist Party’s International Department—the party’s diplomatic arm responsible for building relationships with political parties worldwide. Liu, 62, is a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience in Europe, including a stint as minister at the Chinese Embassy in France between 2009 and 2012. He has also served as assistant foreign minister and director-general of the Department of European Affairs, and most recently as executive vice-director of the general office of the National Security Commission of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, as reported by The Independent.
Liu Haixing replaces Liu Jianchao, who has not been seen in public since late July 2025. Speculation is rife that Liu Jianchao has been detained for disciplinary reasons, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that he is under investigation. Liu Jianchao had led the International Department since June 2022 and was considered a rising star, even floated as a possible future foreign minister. His disappearance follows the high-profile vanishing in June 2023 of then-Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who had only held the post for seven months before being replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi. An internal party investigation later found that Qin had engaged in an extramarital affair during his previous diplomatic assignment in Washington.
These disappearances are not isolated incidents. Since assuming power in 2012, President Xi Jinping has waged a relentless anti-corruption campaign, with more than six million officials punished for corruption and misconduct. While the campaign has been praised for addressing graft, critics argue that Xi has also used it to sideline political rivals and consolidate his authority at the top of the Communist Party.
The replacement of Liu Jianchao with Liu Haixing, alongside the broader themes of Li Qiang’s U.N. speech, reflects both the ambition and the turbulence of China’s current moment. On one hand, Beijing is projecting confidence and a desire for greater influence in global affairs, positioning itself as a champion of multilateralism and a responsible stakeholder in the international system. On the other, the party’s internal purges and the sudden disappearances of high-ranking diplomats hint at underlying tensions and the high stakes of loyalty in Xi’s China.
As the United States grapples with its own internal divisions and steps back from some international commitments, China is making a calculated bid to shape the future of global governance. Whether the world is ready to embrace Beijing’s vision—or whether China itself can maintain the unity and stability required to lead—remains to be seen. For now, one thing is clear: the contest to define the next era of international order is well underway, and China is determined to have its voice heard.
