Multilateralism for the twenty-first century

Can multilateralism carry on the weight of international relations and hegemonic competition in the coming decades? To explore this question, the first part of the paper traces the genealogy of multilateralism over the past century. Using select case studies, the paper interrogates the mechanisms for cooperation, adherence, and legitimacy of the multilateral framework. The second part of the paper then compares these mechanisms to China's use of multilateralism. The paper draws insights from Qin Yaqing's relational theory in order to conceptualize how Beijing seeks to legitimize an alternative mode of multilateralism. Using select case studies, the paper concludes with observations on whether China's approach is positioned to restructure the nature of multilateral interactions and how this impacts our collective ability to address global challenges such as climate change.