Opinion

A world adrift looks to China for institutional anchors. Enter Hong Kong

Name: Can China claim the leadership mantle after the US quits the WHO and Paris Agreement?
Uploaded: 2026-04-30T12:30:09.000Z
Duration: 6 min 23 s
Description: Can China claim the leadership mantle after the US quits the WHO and Paris Agreement?

Amid talk of cities like Beijing and Shanghai hosting UN functions as the US withdraws, Hong Kong must ensure it is part of the conversation

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Bryan LukandLeonard Luk

Published: 8:30pm, 30 Apr 2026

The international order is under mounting strain. In recent years, unilateralism, protectionism and the selective application of international law have eroded confidence in the rules-based frameworks that once underpinned global cooperation. The return of Donald Trump to the centre of American politics, along with the policy instincts the US president represents, has only reinforced concerns that the United States may continue to privilege narrow domestic calculations over international responsibility.

This is not merely a matter of style or rhetoric. From tariff escalations and extraterritorial sanctions to military interventions in open disregard of multilateral norms, Washington has repeatedly undermined the global order and, at times, international law, deepening the instability of an already fragile global order.

The effects are cumulative. Over the past year, the US has further retreated from international commitments and organisations. The January 7 presidential memorandum, titled “Withdrawing the United States from International Organisations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States”, ordered US withdrawal from 66 organisations and UN agencies. It also said Trump’s “review” was “ongoing”.

In other words, the world should expect the US to withdraw further. Washington is eager to reduce its commitment to multilateral institutions, increasingly sceptical of global governance and is taking a more transactional approach to alliance management. This has revived a difficult question: where can long-term institutional stability be found?

It is in this context that China’s importance as an anchor of the global order deserves greater recognition. As noted by Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs, president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, there is a need to diversify the geography of global governance. His suggestion that major UN operations be established in Beijing or Shanghai reflects a growing recognition that China’s stability, institutional capacity and technological strengths can serve the international community.

Amid geopolitical turbulence, Beijing has projected continuity, strategic patience and support for international cooperation. While other major powers have flirted with disruption, China has steadily expanded its engagement with global institutions, supported South-South cooperation and advocated for a greater role for the United Nations and other multilateral mechanisms in addressing shared challenges.

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Can China claim the leadership mantle after the US quits the WHO and Paris Agreement?

A world adrift looks to China for institutional anchors. Enter Hong Kong

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Amid talk of cities like Beijing and Shanghai hosting UN functions as the US withdraws, Hong Kong must ensure it is part of the conversation

Amid talk of cities like Beijing and Shanghai hosting UN functions as the US withdraws, Hong Kong must ensure it is part of the conversation