Global governance reform needs equal, open dialogue between West, Global South: expert

　　BEIJING, March 21 (Xinhua) -- An open and equal dialogue between the West and the Global South is required for deep and meaningful reform of the global governance system, Alexander Lomanov, an expert on international relations, told a forum on democracy held in Beijing on Wednesday.

　　It is necessary to seek an updated model of global governance that fits the interests of all people, as getting rid of the practice of imposing political will and value standards by developed countries has become an undisputable trend in global development, noted Lomanov, head of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

　　Addressing a sub-forum of the third "International Forum on Democracy: The Shared Human Values," the Russian expert said multipolarity is at the heart of the democratization of global governance, calling on countries of the Global South to take the initiative in reforming global governance.

　　Lomanov also referred to China's Belt and Road Initiative as having played an important role as a democratic platform for communications between the countries of the Global South.

　　Echoing Lomanov's opinion, Chen Bo, president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the representation and voice of developing countries in international affairs should be reflected more fully, which is the essence of the democratization of global governance.

　　The forum was hosted by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council Information Office, and co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Media Group and China International Communications Group. ■