According to the German Press Agency, former German Chancellor Schroeder of the Social Democratic Party unexpectedly attended the Global Governance Forum held in China on Friday (October 23) shortly after visiting Russia. In Xiongan, which is regarded as a model city for socialism, Schroeder walked side by side with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, walked into the opening ceremony hall with distinguished guests, and sat in the first row. Schröder's wife, Soyeon Schröder-Kim, sat one row behind him. The former prime minister did not speak at the opening ceremony.
Schröder's recent visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin drew criticism from his party. According to the Kremlin, Schroeder congratulated Putin on his 74th birthday in Moscow on October 7.
According to reports from the German Press Agency and other media, German Chancellor Mertz was "extremely indignant" and Social Democratic Party Chairman Lars Klingbeil called the visit "completely unacceptable." Schroeder also spoke to employees of the Russian branch of the German supermarket chain Globus that day, after he had just served as a member of the company's supervisory board.
There are once again calls within the Social Democratic Party to initiate expulsion procedures. The Upper Palatinate district headquarters of the Social Democratic Party unanimously asked the party leadership to initiate a new expulsion procedure. However, as of October 14, the Hanover District Party Headquarters responsible for this matter stated that it had not received a valid application. A previous expulsion procedure failed in 2023.
Schroeder served as German Chancellor from 1998 to 2005. The 82-year-old former prime minister has a close personal relationship with Putin and has been criticized over the years for his close relationship with Putin and his work for Russian energy companies. After Russia launched a war of aggression against Ukraine, Schroeder also met with Putin many times.
In contrast, the outside world knows little about Schröder's visit to China. Who else he will meet is unclear. Xi Jinping did not go to Xiongan, but sent a congratulatory message to the guests through Wang Yi.
The Global Governance Forum is organized based on the global governance initiative proposed by Xi Jinping a year ago. On September 1, 2025, Xi Jinping proposed this initiative at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization+" conference held in Tianjin. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the theme of this forum is "Rebuilding Confidence and Cooperation: A Century of Changes and Reform and Improving Global Governance." Wang Yi will also meet with representatives of foreign guests attending the forum.
China and Russia have long advocated promoting reforms and establishing a multilateral world order. The goals of this initiative are relatively vague, including strengthening multilateralism and establishing a fair global power structure.
China hopes to participate in shaping the world order. Beijing sees the current order as being unfairly dominated by the United States. Wang Yi said that many people believe that this initiative is an improvement to the current international system. He once again mentioned the profound changes unseen in a century, as well as the rise of bullying and unilateralism. Although Wang Yi did not mention it by name, Beijing has pointed similar claims at Washington in the past.
According to Reuters, Wang Yi also called for strengthening the governance of the deep sea, polar regions and outer space at the opening ceremony of the forum. He said that artificial intelligence should always be under human control and used to benefit mankind; he also called for increasing the representation of the Global South in international affairs.
China's State Council Information Office published a white paper on June 17, "Building a More Just and Reasonable Global Governance System: China's Concepts, Initiatives and Actions." The white paper states that "some countries" have long obstructed the reform process of the United Nations and its affiliated agencies in order to maintain hegemony and protect their own interests. The white paper also writes that developing countries remain underrepresented.
China has thus established itself as the spokesperson for the Global South. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Beijing called in the white paper to expand the representation of developing countries on the Security Council. China has also demanded adjustments to the International Monetary Fund's quotas, which determine countries' borrowing amounts, voting rights and capital contribution ratios.
