China ranks 4th among G20 in global governance: new index report

In the wake of the G20 Hangzhou summit, a global governance index report has shown that China ranks fourth among G20 countries for its role in global governance.

According to the 2016 G20 index report, which analyzed 19 G20 member states’ participation in and contributions to global governance, China was No. 4, following the U.S., France and the U.K. The U.S. snagged the top spot with 737 points. In the second tier, Japan, Russia, Germany, Canada, Italy, India, South Korea and Australia all scored between 400 and 500 points.

Other countries such as Brazil, Turkey, South Africa and Saudi Arabia ranked in the third tier, scoring between 300 and 400 points, which is still higher than the global average of 286 points. This demonstrates the major role that G20 plays in global governance, the report stated.

“It is remarkable that China ranks fourth under the new index. However, a country’s impact on international society and global contributions is also reflected in soft power. Therefore, I believe China should play a bigger role in global contributions, such as donating public goods to the UN or WHO. This will also help to improve our global image,” said Cai Tuo, director of the Globalization and Global Issues Institute at China University of Political Science and Law.

The remarks were made at a seminar on Sept. 12 held by the Political Science Institute of East China at the University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL), the Center for China & Globalization (CCG) and China International Publishing Group. The report, compiled by ECUPL, was also released at the seminar.

The States’ Participation Index of Global Governance (SPIGG) analyzes four primary indicators: mechanism, performance, decision-making and responsibilities. These factors constitute a solid basis for determining a nation’s role in the world. On the four primary indicators, G20 members almost without exception boasted better results than the world average, especially in mechanism, decision-making and responsibility, the report showed.

The report also indicated that rising powers among the G20 – represented by China, India and Brazil – are becoming major contributors to global governance, as China shines in economic performance and India in responsibility, with its massive number of peacekeepers dispatched to the UN.

“We can see that G20 members play a leading role in international political and economic organizations, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. They also play a very important part in decision-making, and even in the formation of decision-making mechanisms. Therefore, the integrated and joint efforts of G20 mean a bigger consensus in global governance,” said Yan Xingjian, an assistant professor at ECUPL.

Cai called to promote globalization in the face of rising nationalism and populism. Echoing Cai, Xie Peihong, deputy director of the Center for China & Globalization (CCG), noted that China should take the lead in efforts that benefit the nation and the world as a whole.

“It will be a backwards world if there is more protectionism to inhibit the flow of commodities and talents,” he said.

“Most of the indexes we use nowadays are established and promoted by Western countries. Some indexes are good in quality, but some carry strong ideological leanings,” said ECUPL Professor Gao Qiqi.

Gao pointed out that the most recent index took into consideration ideas of realism, liberalism and constructivism in international studies while selecting its primary indicators. Different from Western-led indices, which stress subjective assessment, SPIGG uses only objective data to guarantee its scientific accuracy.