TEHRAN – Since Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), the mechanism has been broadly welcomed by countries across the world, including Iran.

The ceremony, attended by a large number of diplomats, ambassadors, and Iranian officials, reflected not only the depth of bilateral relations but also the willingness of both Tehran and Beijing to position the GGI as a shared vision for shaping a more cooperative and just world order.

Iran’s enthusiastic reception of the initiative has underscored this point. In an exclusive interview with China Media Group, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised the GGI as a significant step toward building a more peaceful, secure, just and equitable world. He described it as a model of today’s international vision.

Pezeshkian’s remarks, delivered on the sidelines of this year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, further demonstrated Iran’s alignment with China’s governance approach. His comments suggested that Tehran views the GGI not only as a Chinese initiative but as a framework with global potential—particularly relevant to developing countries navigating complex international dynamics.

Iran-China synergy

Guiding principles of the GGI

Chinese President Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with leaders at the 25th SCO Heads of State Meeting in Tianjin on September 1, 2025.

President Xi formally unveiled the Global Governance Initiative at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus Meeting in Tianjin on September 1. The initiative was presented as China’s response to the growing complexity of global challenges, offering a roadmap for countries to work together in pursuit of a more balanced and inclusive international order.

At its core, the GGI advances a vision of peaceful coexistence, shared prosperity, and win-win cooperation. Xi outlined five guiding principles to anchor this vision. The first emphasizes respect for sovereign equality, ensuring that all nations—regardless of size or power—are treated as equals. The second stresses the importance of upholding the international rule of law as the basis for fair and transparent global governance. The third calls for a renewed commitment to multilateralism, encouraging countries to resolve disputes and shape the future through dialogue and collective mechanisms.

Equally central to the initiative is a people-centered approach, placing human well-being and social development at the forefront of policy-making. Finally, Xi highlighted the necessity of taking concrete, practical actions so that commitments translate into tangible benefits for nations and their citizens.

Together, these principles present a framework for a more just, equitable, and sustainable global system, one capable of addressing today’s uncertainties while building a shared future for humanity.

Strategic partnership

During his Tehran Times interview, Ambassador Cong also addressed a question regarding the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, the landmark 25-year plan between Iran and China.

“Since the plan was initiated four years ago, it has made a lot of progress, benefiting the people of both countries. Currently, after the important meeting in Beijing between President Xi Jinping and President Pezeshkian, I think the most important task for us is to implement the important consensus reached by them. We should take more steps in this direction, including greater efforts in trade, investment, clean energy, and connectivity.”

He added that cooperation extends beyond trade and investment. “Surely, there are many more areas, such as people-to-people exchanges, subnational cooperation, and exchanges between scholars and think tanks. I believe that all these strong efforts will help push forward the implementation process of the Comprehensive Cooperation Plan, bringing us more tangible outcomes in the coming months and years.”

President Pezeshkian’s meeting with President Xi, held on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, further underscored the shared commitment to advancing the partnership—a commitment that has also been emphasized by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

The historic 25-year agreement signed in Tehran in March 2021 aims to strengthen Iran-China ties amid US sanctions, covering political, economic, security, and cultural cooperation. Its roots go back to President Xi’s 2016 visit to Iran, reflecting the steady growth of their relationship.

Expanding ties

Reflecting Iran’s growing efforts to strengthen engagement with China, the official media outlet of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution recently launched his official Chinese-language account on the social media platform X, publishing messages directly in Chinese.

Ambassador Cong welcomed this development during his interview, calling it “another fine example of how the Iranian side is stepping up efforts to push forward the relationship.”