ISTANBUL, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- As the world shifts toward multipolarity, China's global initiatives are emerging as practical frameworks for building a more just and equitable international order, scholars and experts said Saturday at a forum in Istanbul.
Jointly organized by Turkish foreign news platform Harici Media and Berlin-based think tank European Transcontinental Initiative, the inaugural East-West Forum gathered over 20 speakers from 15 countries to discuss the importance of diplomacy and dialogue in addressing regional conflicts.
Tunc Akkoc, head of Harici Media and co-founder of the forum, told Xinhua that with regional crises and wars on the rise, diplomacy is needed now more than ever.
"Experts and officials from different regions and perspectives should understand each other better," Akkoc said.
Noting the difficulties within the current international system, he said the China-proposed concepts, such as the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, are "very valuable" as frameworks for resolving ongoing conflicts.
As the international order undergoes transformation, the success of China's modernization provides an "inspiration" for the Global South, demonstrating that development paths are not exclusively Western, according to Zhang Weiwei, director of the China Institute at Fudan University in Shanghai.
China's major global initiatives on development, security, civilization and governance serve as key pillars in building a community with a shared future for humanity, Zhang said in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the forum.
He added that the international community should promote United Nations reform while setting up new institutions "based on the needs of humanity."
Anatol Lieven, a senior fellow at the Quincy Institute in Washington, said that China's global engagement focuses on mutual cooperation rather than zero-sum geopolitical games, highlighting Beijing's constructive role in addressing global challenges.
"The great majority of countries around the world do not want to choose; actually, they want to have good relations with everybody," Lieven said, noting that developing nations are seeking multipolar partnerships.
He stressed that to sustain global cooperation, maintaining stability among major powers remains crucial. The priority, Lieven added, should be to "keep relations on a stable basis and avoid an increase in tension and conflict." ■