Thursday, January 22, 2026 - China is siding with the United Nations as the Board of Peace (BoP) initiated and chaired by President Donald Trump gains interest.
Beijing confirmed it had received the U.S. invitation to
join the board, but vowed its firm and continued UN membership, “no matter how
the international landscape may evolve.”
At a briefing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Guo Jiakun said “China always practices true multilateralism,” which is at the
core of the United Nations since its establishment.
China is committed to safeguarding the international order
based on international law, and the basic norms governing international
relations based on the principles of the UN Charter, Jiakun added.
The White House announced BoP’s creation last week. First
proposed in September at the UN General Assembly sidelines, it was designed to
support the Gaza administration, reconstruction, and economic recovery.
But there are concerns that the board may go beyond Gaza and
become a platform that would challenge the resolutions and actions of the UN
regarding international matters.
Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said the UN
has a “unique mandate” to maintain global peace and security, warning that the
BoP would have “a mandate wider” than the Gaza Peace Plan implementation.
The concerns can be linked to the cautious approach by some
countries whose leaders currently seem unwilling to participate. The draft charter
has been sent to about 60 countries.
It describes the board as an international organization that
seeks to “promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and
secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
The U.S. is expected to host a signing ceremony for the
Board of Peace on Thursday on the margins of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in
Davos, Switzerland.
Countries willing to join are Albania, Argentina, Bahrain,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Turkey, the UAE, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
France, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Slovenia, and Sweden have
declined, at least for now. The UK and Ukraine may decline due to Belarus and
Russia’s inclusion, while Brazil has expressed reluctance, citing UN
allegiance.
The BoP membership is limited to states invited by the
chairman. They will be represented by heads of state or senior government
officials, and must contribute to operations in line with their domestic laws.
Membership lasts three years, but states that pay $1 billion
in the first year get permanent seats. The White House said the fee “offers
permanent membership” to countries who deeply commit to peace,
security, and prosperity.
The founding board members appointed by President Trump are
Secretary Marco Rubio, Tony Blair, Steve Witkoff, Marc Rowan, Ajay Banga, Jared
Kushner, and Robert Gabriel.
Aryeh Lightstone and Josh Gruenbaum are senior advisors;
Nickolay Mladenov is the High Representative for Gaza, while Major General
Jasper Jeffers is Commander of the International Stabilization Force.
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