Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged countries to defend the central role of the United Nations in global affairs, calling on Brazil to help protect international norms during a phone call on Friday, Chinese state media reported.
Xi spoke with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva amid growing debate over a new global initiative announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump recently unveiled plans for a Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Trump initially framed the body as a mechanism to support Gaza’s reconstruction. However, the charter does not restrict its mandate to the Palestinian territory. That omission has raised concerns among diplomats that Washington seeks to create a structure that could rival or bypass the United Nations.
China and Brazil have both received invitations to join the Board of Peace. Neither government has confirmed participation.
China's Xi urges 'central role' of UN in call with Brazil's Lula https://t.co/gtDtSBoY2v pic.twitter.com/lbc619QHug
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) January 23, 2026According to a readout published by China Central Television, Xi told Lula that the current international environment remains volatile. He described China and Brazil as stabilising forces with a shared responsibility to uphold global peace.
Xi said both countries should stand on what he called “the right side of history” and jointly defend the United Nations’ leading role, along with principles of fairness and justice in international relations.
European leaders have also voiced unease over Trump’s proposal. Some officials fear the initiative could weaken existing multilateral institutions or erode established norms.
While speaking in Davos, Trump said the Board of Peace would enjoy broad authority once operational. He added that the body would work alongside the United Nations, though critics remain unconvinced.
Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated this week that China remains committed to an international system anchored by the United Nations, regardless of shifts in global politics.
#FMsays China will firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core no matter how the international situation may evolve, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, after US President Trump's plan to establish the Board of Peace raises concerns that the… pic.twitter.com/m9PL4CRHbD
— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) January 21, 2026Brazil has also expressed caution. Officials in Brasília warned that the Board of Peace could undermine existing UN mechanisms. Lula’s special adviser, Celso Amorim, said no single country should attempt to reshape the United Nations on its own.
China and Brazil have positioned themselves as defenders of multilateralism in recent years. During Trump’s global tariff measures last year, both governments promoted cooperation and rules-based trade.
Xi told Lula in August that emerging economies could demonstrate self-reliance by strengthening cooperation outside traditional power blocs.
China holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and remains active in UN forums. At the same time, rights groups such as Human Rights Watch have accused Beijing of weakening UN human rights mechanisms by cutting funding and limiting activist access to UN events.
