China has urged Kenya and other developing countries to work more closely to push for changes in the international governance system and give the Global South a stronger voice in decisions affecting the world.
Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said stronger cooperation among developing countries was needed as the international system faces growing challenges ranging from conflicts and economic inequality to climate change and new technologies.
In a September 24, 2026 update, Guo said the United Nations should remain at the centre of international cooperation, with countries relying on dialogue and consultation to deal with global challenges.
“Global governance is the shared cause critical to the well-being of humanity,” Guo wrote, saying the UN had provided the main platform for countries to take part in international affairs since its establishment more than eight decades ago.
Her remarks come amid continued calls for changes to international institutions, including the UN Security Council, with debates focusing on how to improve representation and give under-represented regions a greater voice.
African countries have also been pushing for greater representation on the Council. In September 2025, the L.69 group and the African Union's Committee of Ten called for Africa to have stronger representation in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of an expanded Security Council.
Against this background, Guo highlighted China's Global Governance Initiative, introduced by President Xi Jinping on September 1, 2025, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Plus meeting.
The initiative is based on five principles: sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centred approach and real action.
China says the initiative seeks to reform existing global institutions rather than create a separate international system.
According to Chinese Foreign Ministry figures, the initiative has received support from nearly 160 countries and international organisations, while more than 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of Global Governance.
Guo said changes taking place around the world made closer cooperation among developing countries necessary to strengthen their collective voice in international affairs.
“As the world's largest developing country, China is a natural member of the Global South family, just like Kenya,” Guo said.
She said China was ready to deepen cooperation with Kenya and other developing countries on global governance.
The ambassador proposed stronger communication and coordination between the countries, greater support for governance capacity, more platforms for South-South dialogue and improved representation of developing countries in international affairs.
Guo's call comes as Kenya and China continue to expand their economic relations.
Kenya's imports from China reached $4.31 billion in 2024, while Kenyan exports to China stood at $196.56 million, according to the State Department for Trade.
In March 2026, China granted approximately 98.2 per cent zero-duty market access to Kenyan products under an Early Harvest Agreement aimed at increasing Kenya's exports and narrowing the trade imbalance.
China also remained Kenya's leading source of imports in June 2026, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, when Kenya recorded total imports of Sh300.2 billion.
Guo said cooperation between developing countries should not be limited to trade and economic relations but should also extend to global governance, particularly in areas where they are seeking greater representation.
She further called on countries to operate within common international rules and maintain the UN's central position in multilateral cooperation.
“Unity is strength,” Guo said, stressing the need for cooperation to turn the Global Governance Initiative into practical action.
The call comes as governments continue discussions on how international institutions can respond to changes in the global political and economic system.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also called for reforms to global institutions to improve representation and support for developing countries while retaining the UN's central role in international cooperation.
For Kenya, the proposal places its growing relationship with China within a wider discussion on the role of developing countries in shaping international decisions, with Beijing seeking closer South-South cooperation as part of its approach to global governance.