China recently released a white paper titled "Building a More Just and Equitable Global Governance System: China's Concepts, Proposals, and Actions," laying out its stated vision for global governance, principles like sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, and a people-centred approach. Beijing also plans to host its inaugural Global Governance Forum later this year in Xiong'an, a new megacity near Beijing seen as a signature project of President Xi Jinping.
According to Mankikar's analysis, however, there's a significant gap between what the white paper claims and how China has actually conducted itself as a rising global power.
Sovereign Equality, in Theory and Practice
The white paper frames sovereign equality as foundational to state relations, cautioning that major powers shouldn't use their strength for "hegemonic, high-handed and abusive acts." Mankikar argues China's own record tells a different story, pointing to the 2020 border standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where he says Beijing unilaterally moved to alter the status quo, unsettling a framework built through years of bilateral agreements. He also cites China's practice of assigning Chinese names to locations in Arunachal Pradesh, which the Indian government has characterised as an attempt to construct territorial claims through narrative rather than fact.
The piece also highlights a July meeting between India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and China's Wang Yi in Manila, where, according to the author, China's official readout misrepresented India's position on Taiwan and Tibet, a characterisation India's Ministry of External Affairs firmly denied, while reiterating its own position on Chinese-occupied territory in Ladakh and the Shaksgam Valley.
A Pattern the Author Sees Beyond India Too
Mankikar extends the argument to China's approach with Taiwan and the US, noting that ahead of a May meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi, Beijing reportedly proposed "mutual respect" and "win-win cooperation" as a basis for the relationship, while simultaneously marking its political system, Taiwan, and human rights as non-negotiable "red lines." The author reads this as China seeking parity with Washington while declining to extend the same standard to smaller neighbours.
CPEC and the Belt and Road Initiative
The piece also scrutinises the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project that runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Mankikar argues this directly contradicts the sovereignty principles China's white paper claims to champion, and points to local resentment in Balochistan, displacement linked to projects like Gwadar port, and concerns among local populations about demographic change from large-scale Chinese worker resettlement.
Counterterrorism Claims Under Scrutiny
A significant portion of the analysis focuses on counterterrorism. While China's white paper positions Beijing as a leader in counterterrorism cooperation through platforms like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Mankikar argues this doesn't hold up against China's response to the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. According to the piece, when India presented intelligence linking the attack to Pakistan, China's Wang Yi instead reaffirmed Pakistan as an "all-weather" strategic partner, and some Chinese scholars reportedly framed the violence as tied to the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute, language the author notes mirrors standard Pakistani positioning.
The piece also references statements from India's Deputy Chief of Army Staff, General Rahul R. Singh, alleging that China provided Pakistan with real-time intelligence support during Operation Sindoor, and cites a May 2026 CCTV broadcast in which a Chinese aviation engineer reportedly acknowledged providing on-site technical support to the Pakistan Air Force during that period. The author also notes China has previously blocked UN sanctions listings for individuals linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
On "Bloc Politics"
Finally, the piece takes issue with China's white paper criticising what it calls "bloc politics," arguing instead that regional partnerships like the Quad, which raised concerns in 2025 about Chinese military activity in the East and South China Seas, have formed largely in response to Beijing's own conduct rather than external provocation.
The Author's Conclusion
Mankikar's overall argument is that China's stated commitment to international law and equitable governance diverges sharply from its practice: it seeks parity and respect from major powers like the US while, in his reading, declining to extend the same treatment to smaller neighbours; its counterterrorism rhetoric, he argues, has not matched its conduct toward Pakistan; and its criticism of minilateral coalitions overlooks its own role in prompting them.
FAQs
Q1. What is this article based on?
It summarises an opinion and analysis piece by Kalpit A Mankikar, published on ORF's "Expert Speak Raisina Debates" platform, examining the gap between China's stated global governance principles and its practical conduct.
Q2. What is China's white paper referenced in the piece?
"Building a More Just and Equitable Global Governance System: China's Concepts, Proposals, and Actions," which outlines Beijing's stated principles for reforming global governance.
Q3. What examples does the author cite regarding India-China relations?
The 2020 LAC standoff, disputes over place-naming in Arunachal Pradesh, and a disputed July 2025 diplomatic readout involving Taiwan and Tibet.
Q4. Is this a factual news report or an opinion piece?
It is an opinion and analysis piece. The claims, interpretations, and conclusions belong to the author and reflect one perspective on a contested geopolitical topic.