Advancing a multipolar world order

The Munich Security Conference 2025's main theme — "multipolarization" — clearly projected the demise of the United States' unipolarity.

Even the pre-summit report of the conference organizers reaffirmed this paradigm shift, demonstrating how world power politics was diffusing into a greater number of players. The report consolidated different perspectives on global issues, promoting multipolarization, which should be deemed a healthy, productive and positive trend for the international community.

The international community has already suffered due to a single global sovereign, namely the US, leading the world toward chaos and uncertainty, and causing divide, destruction and collateral damage in the process.

On the other hand, China's foreign, economic and social policies stand for collectivism, constructivism, prosperity, dignity and a transparent trading system that benefits all. With China's rise, the US-led post-Cold War unipolarity has been dashed to the ground.

It is good that the US seems to be realizing the folly of some of its foreign policies and is trying to chart a different course.

Thus, the administration of President Donald Trump is seeking an exit strategy from the conflict in Ukraine amid high costs and diminishing strategic gains, as the involvement has badly hurt the US economy.

The Munich Security Conference, held from Feb 14 to 16, revealed the weaknesses of the West when it came to supporting a new socio-economic domain, geopolitical landscape and geostrategic cushion to shape global affairs.

The US response to multipolarity has leaned toward traditional power balancing. However, other global stakeholders have long advocated a different kind of global order rooted in multilateralism, peaceful coexistence and economic interdependence.

For instance, BRICS has integrated large chunks of Asia and Africa into a dynamic economic powerhouse promoting real economic globalization, negating the notions of protectionism and "America First".

China's Belt and Road Initiative, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and regional frameworks led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have become iconic platforms for sustained economic cooperation, joint safety and security efforts, energy and food security and peaceful conflict resolution, implementing and replicating the "Shanghai Spirit" for resolving conflicts through dialogue, diplomacy and development.

China's advocacy for multipolarity is also deeply rooted in its centuries-old governance principles.

The Chinese wisdom reflects principles of the Non-Aligned Movement, which emerged from the Bandung Conference in 1955, advocating for sovereignty and self-determination beyond Cold War bipolarity.

The theme of this year's Munich Security Conference honored the ancient Chinese wisdom of collectiveness, respect and service to humanity.

It appears that the Western security architecture has lost its relevance and credibility. Russian President Vladimir Putin's past warnings and predictions about the misuse of unipolarity, NATO's eastern expansion, and Western unilateral interventions in different parts of the world resonated amid the demise of international law and decline of principles of civilized international diplomacy.

The security conference has become a giant step toward the Western recognition of "multipolarization" in the world, which is timely.

Unfortunately, the responses of some Western politicians and policymakers have been colored by personal prejudices, greedy preferences and irrational preferential policies, and they are reluctant to accept the bitter ground realities that call for flexibility and adaptability.

The European leadership appears confused, still trying to deny the imminent change with traditional great power competition.

Western countries should acknowledge the new reality of multipolarity which seems to be real, effective, emerging and paramount, and immediately discontinue their wrong strategies of containment and competition and jointly work for win-win situations and mutually beneficial propositions.

Policymakers of the US should realize that Washington's global dominance is over, with new actors in the world discarding a single sovereign power and initiating a new world order based on the Chinese principles of respecting sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful coexistence, multiculturalism, cooperation, transparency and constructive engagement.

The keynote speech of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the security conference rightly showcased the strategic importance of multipolarization. Wang rightly named China the main proponent of multipolarity, negating rivalry with the US and Europe and emphasizing the need for cooperation.

The Chinese concept of multipolarity stands for equality and inclusiveness, economic globalization and international cooperation, appealing to all countries and communities to jointly work for an open, better, peaceful and prosperous world.

The author is director of the Center for South Asia & International Studies, a nongovernmental organization based in Islamabad, Pakistan.