Daniel Burke

eir.news/2026/11/helga-zepp-… October 30—Under the motto “Rebuilding Trust and Cooperation: Reforming and Improving Global Governance in a Changing World,” the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs hosted the three-day “Xiong’an Global Governance Forum 2026” on the last weekend of October. The weight that the Chinese government and the governments of the Global South attach to the subject of global governance can be seen from the list of participants alone: many current and former policymakers from more than ninety countries were represented, including more than a dozen former foreign ministers and ministers of other departments, as well as more than one hundred leading figures each from academia and from government advisory institutions around the world. Four former heads of state or government had even come to Xiong’an, among them former Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The delegates also included numerous senior UN officials and heads of other international institutions. Business and youth delegates from dozens of countries took part in the deliberations as well. The Schiller Institute was represented by its founder, Helga Zepp-LaRouche. During numerous plenary sessions and panel discussions, multilaterally oriented governance and cooperation were addressed, as well as a fundamental reform of the United Nations with an emphasis on strengthening the Global South. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s win-win approach at the international level permeated the deliberations on sustainable development, as well as the analysis and “revitalization” of the international financial and trading systems. The emerging age of artificial intelligence (AI), it was stressed, requires an even stronger focus on global governance that includes all nations and institutions, as well as mutual learning and trust-building on an equal footing, regardless of the size or strategic relevance of the nations concerned. At the opening of the forum, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi read a message of greeting from Chinese President Xi Jinping, which said in substance: Xi Jinping observed that the world is undergoing accelerated change unprecedented in the past hundred years, and that the deficits in peace, development, security and governance are growing rather than diminishing. He had put forward the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), he said, in order to advance the building of a more just and equitable global governance system and a better world. In his own speech, Wang Yi contrasted what he believes to be two rival ideologies of governing. Regarding the future of the global governance system, the world faces two stark choices: The one exalts strength, favors self-interest, monopolizes power, and practices double standards, while the other champions multilateralism, and upholds sovereign equality, mutual respect, and international law. Upholding the UN Charter, he said, has been the indispensable foundation for safeguarding the peace and prosperity of nations ever since it came into being 80 years ago. Wang stressed the absolute necessity of preserving it in these turbulent times. Nevertheless, China supports reform of the UN in order to ensure equal representation for developing countries. Every country, large or small, has the right to choose its own social system, the one best suited to the development of its citizens, and the equality of all peoples must be protected. He highlighted the historic shift now emerging internationally: The rise of the Global South is the most momentous shift the world has seen since World War II; it reinforces and expands the force for good on the international stage. In keeping with this shift, the Global South must enjoy greater representation and say in international affairs. This will not only correct a historical injustice, but also provide a wealth of ideas for improving global governance…. Momentous transformations not seen in a century are unfolding before our eyes at a faster pace. While unilateralism and bullying resurge and the governance deficit widens, our world is decidedly moving toward multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations. This is the trend of our times and the trajectory of history, overwhelming and unstoppable. Humanity is woven together by intertwined interests and a shared future. We should unite as one, rise to the challenges, and take proactive, strong and persistent steps to make the GGI a full reality. Restructuring the World Order At the Xiong’an forum, China presented a concept for restructuring the world order in which the idea of One Humanity must take precedence over all national or particular interests. This idea is not really new, since it is implicit in the UN Charter; but above all, however, it is consistent with the traditional Confucian ideal of the harmonious development of all humanity. This intervention comes not a moment too soon, for the so-called “rules-based order” is disintegrating, and chaos reigns in large parts of the world. Even Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had to admit what the Global South has long known: The narratives of the international rules-based order were skewed, insofar as they encouraged the stronger to exempt themselves whenever it suited them, and “trade terms were imposed asymmetrically.” The Global Governance Initiative, by contrast, proposes a world order built on five core principles—sovereign equality, international law, multilateralism, the common good, and real results—with the aim of promoting a more just and equitable global governance system and cooperation for a shared future of humanity. Helga Zepp-LaRouche, fourth from right, joined by other conference participants. Helga Zepp-LaRouche, fourth from right, joined by other conference participants. Credit: EIRNS/Tobias Faku Given the worldview that prevails in the West, most journalists and politicians find it hard to imagine that China is genuinely motivated by altruistic ideals; instead, they tend to project their own motives onto China, claiming that China merely seeks to replace American imperialism and European colonialism with Chinese ambitions of power. In reality, Chinese philosophy is very different, and historically it rests very strongly on, among other things, the concept of tianxia, which goes back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046–771 B.C.) and means roughly “all under heaven.” President Xi Jinping’s concept of a shared future for humanity is in keeping with this idea. The “Canon of Yao,” the first chapter of the Book of Documents, China’s first collection of historical texts, presents the idea of “harmony among the states”—an idea also found in the various writings of Confucius. In the history of ideas in Europe, one has to go back to thinkers such as Nicholas of Cusa and his conception that harmony in the macrocosm requires all microcosms to develop into a harmonious whole, or to Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s idea of a preestablished harmony. Alexander von Humboldt thought along similar lines, understanding the world as a network of interconnected natural and human systems; so, of course, did Friedrich Schiller, for whom the world citizen and the patriot formed a unity, and Ludwig van Beethoven, with the hymn to humanity expressed in his Ninth Symphony: “Alle Menschen werden Brüder!” (All men shall become brethren!) Zepp-LaRouche Addresses the Conference The forum brought together people united by their concern over the present state of humanity and by the struggle for a better world order. Schiller Institute founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche also spoke on several of the many topics discussed in the 22 panels. In the panel on reform of the financial system, she warned urgently of an uncontrolled financial collapse triggered by the energy price shock: Given the fact that the financial system is already extremely overstretched, and that energy prices could rise further, since the war in the Middle East could even escalate, I think the potential for a collapse of the system worse than 2008 is very real. My question is: Is China—or any other government—preparing contingency plans? Because if [the collapse] happens in an uncontrolled way, the world would face an absolutely unprecedented catastrophe, which would increase the danger of wars spinning out of control, not only in the Middle East but also in Ukraine. So is there any contingency planning for this possibility? Zepp-LaRouche also spoke up in the panel on cultural dialogue. She spoke about the key role of Nicholas of Cusa in overcoming the apparent contradictions between cultures: Yes, I would like to say something about how one can find a corresponding idea [to the Confucian idea of harmony] in European philosophy, because the whole world is currently very worried about the direction Europe is taking. And I think we have to go back to the 15th Century, to the philosopher Nicholas of Cusa, whose ideas are entirely in line with Confucius—namely, the idea of harmony in diversity, the notion that peace in the macrocosm can only come about through the development of all microcosms. He also developed the idea of the coincidentia oppositorum, the coincidence of opposites, that is, the notion that the One has a higher power than the Many. And I see a great correspondence between this idea and Xi Jinping’s conception of a shared [future for the One] Humanity, according to which the One Humanity holds a greater significance and the diversity of all cultures finds its resolution. Because in every single civilization, including those we see in Dunhuang [in western China, with the Mogao and other caves—ed.], universal ideas find expression, albeit in different forms, and that is precisely what makes unity possible. So I think that in order to find a solution to the present difficult situation, it is extremely important that the idea of this harmony in diversity be spread to every part of the world, including Europe. In keeping with the spirit of renewal that pervaded the forum, it met in the “City of the Future,” Xiong’an, a newly built city constructed over the past nine years at Xi Jinping’s initiative. It is part of the effort to relocate heavy industry from Beijing to the Hebei-Tianjin-Xiong’an region in order to relieve the capital. Xiong’an is meant to be a model of the urban planning of the future: In this “smart city,” the utility infrastructure is located underground, in order to keep to a minimum the distances residents must cover for shopping and other basic needs, while at the same time making an aesthetic way of life possible through the integration of landscape gardening, which China has brought to perfection—with a planned 70-percent share of green space. At the close of the forum, a document titled “Global Governance: Xiong’an Vision” was released, summarizing the spirit of the conference. It called for a joint defense of the UN Charter and of multipolarity, expanded South-South cooperation, and the establishment of a more just global financial system. We are of the view that the current international financial architecture lacks sufficient representation, and cannot fully reflect the reality of the world economy. The future international monetary system should develop toward a dynamic balance. Countries should strengthen dialogue, and Global South countries in particular need to take proactive moves, to promote the transition of the international monetary system.

Register here for the Zoom link providing simultaneous translation--French, German, Spanish, Italian, English--plus access to the Q&A session: schillerinstitute.nationbuil… The world is organized by universal principles, and our responsibility is to activate those principles to bring about a greater good in the world. Join the International Peace Coalition this Friday with Estevão Damacena (Brazil), Schiller Institute youth movement; a report from youth leader Martin Kaptein, Classical Pianist, Music Educator; as well as reports from France and Assisi meetings. More will be announced soon. Please feel free to share this invitation with others.

eir.news/2026/10/news/putin-… The third Russia-Africa Summit opened in Moscow today with delegations from 48 of Africa’s 54 states, 22 of them led by a head of state or government, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, up from 17 at St. Petersburg in 2023 tass.com/politics/2208085. President Vladimir Putin addressed the plenary of the Economic and Humanitarian Forum en.kremlin.ru/events/preside… together with the summit’s co-chairman, Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the current chairman of the African Union, who told the hall: “The potential for a Russian-African partnership is great. Our task is to translate it into concrete results.” “We are witnessing the emergence of a genuine multipolar world order as an objective and irreversible trend,” Putin said. “In the past, the future of whole continents was determined by a very small group of select states, but this epoch is past us.” Resistance comes from “countries accustomed to thinking in colonial terms and becoming fabulously—yes, fabulously—rich at the expense of others,” which “resort to any, even the ugliest and most cynical means, including tariff wars, illegitimate sanctions, economic dictate, blackmail and interference in the internal affairs of others.” Western countries, he said, “are making aggressive attempts to drive Africans back into financial bondage, imposing on them the financial resources they so desperately need on extortionate terms, which force them to pay back many times over.” He then quoted Thomas Sankara, “that great son of the Burkinabé people,” from his 1987 address to the Organization of African Unity: “Debt is neo-colonialism, in which colonisers have transformed themselves into ‘technical assistants’ ... debt is a skilfully managed reconquest of Africa, intended to subjugate its growth and development through foreign rules.” Putin: “That was said not so long ago—not yesterday, but in 1987. Unfortunately, little has changed since.” Africa’s infrastructure “was built in colonial times to serve the export of raw materials to the metropoles. Even today, by expert estimates, value added in the continent’s manufacturing industry is less than 2%. Of the total annual trade turnover of African states—$1.5 trillion—only 15% consists of transactions within the continent itself.” What Africa needs is “long-term investment in energy, industry, transport and logistics” to “finally throw off the shackles of the colonial legacy,” and reform of the IMF and World Bank to “redirect them towards the needs and requirements of developing economies.” Food was the concrete heart of the speech. More than 40 African countries import Russian grain and fertilizer, and Russia shipped 13 million tonnes of agricultural products to Africa in the first nine months of 2026. “At the same time, Africa has agricultural potential of its own and is capable of feeding itself. I believe this is one of the continent’s most important tasks.” Russia offers “seeds, fertilisers, agricultural machinery, and transport, storage and processing of food products” in support of the African Union’s agricultural program, “so as to achieve food sovereignty.” Russian-African trade reached $27 billion in 2025, up from $18 billion in 2022; Putin called for passing $50 billion, and for settlement systems to “shield settlements from politically biased interference by unfriendly countries,” since some African states “have no financial systems of their own and are instead tethered to European ones.” Relations, he said, “are hindered neither by the unprecedented restrictions imposed on our country nor by the intense pressure exerted by the West on our partners across the continent.” In the evening Putin met the heads of ten African regional organizations en.kremlin.ru/events/preside…, joined for the first time by the Eurasian Economic Union and the CIS, to discuss “aligning the integration processes underway on both the African and the Eurasian continents.” Ndayishimiye, for the AU: “Our compass is Agenda 2063.... We would like to achieve a level of cooperation that goes beyond commodity exports.” Africa’s most important capital, he said, is its youth, who “need engineering education, cooperation in science and education.” And: “We adhere to the principle of African solutions to African problems.... Thank you for respecting our priorities.” Putin also met Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi; talks with Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed and Congo’s Denis Sassou Nguesso followed. The summit is to adopt a final declaration, a 2027-2029 action plan and a declaration on civilian artificial intelligence on Thursday.