Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has voiced strong support for Chinese President Xi Jinping's Global Governance Initiative (GGI), describing it as a significant step toward building a more peaceful, secure, just and equitable world.
Pezeshkian made the statement in an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG) on Tuesday in north China's Tianjin Municipality, where he took part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 from Sunday to Monday, before proceeding to Beijing to attend commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on Wednesday.
When talking about the development of bilateral relations between Iran and China, Pezeshkian highlighted the millennia-old relationship between the two ancient civilizations and the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership during Xi's state visit to Iran in 2016.
"The relationship between Iran and China, as two ancient civilizations, can be traced back thousands of years. The initiatives put forward by the esteemed Chinese president on global security and global development are of extraordinary significance. What we need to do is to turn these initiatives into reality. The realization of the GGI requires interactions among governments and respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hope these initiatives could be implemented in practice, while strengthening relations, sharing experiences, and helping each other to collectively build a peaceful, secure, stable, just and fair world," he said.
Xi proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative respectively in 2021, 2022 and 2023. When chairing the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus" Meeting on Monday, Xi proposed the GGI, the fourth landmark global initiative over the past several years.
When asked about his understanding of the GGI toward the world today, the Iranian president pointed out the principle of upholding international rule of law and eliminating the application of "double standards" in global affairs.
"Double standards persist in today's world. One of the most important aspects of President Xi's Global Governance Initiative is adherence to international rule of law. Double standards shouldn't be adopted in international affairs. Whether between the rich and the poor, the Global North and South, or large and small states, all should be treated equally," said Pezeshkian.
Iranian president hails China's Global Governance Initiative as key to just world
