The Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping has drawn widespread and strong endorsement from world leaders, who described it as both timely and essential for building a more just and equitable international order.

The Chinese president presented the initiative on Monday at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" Meeting in Tianjin. The initiative, focusing on the direction, principles and path for reforming the global governance system and institutions, was proposed as the United Nations marks its 80th founding anniversary this year.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Global Governance Initiative "is anchored in multilateralism and underscores the importance of safeguarding the international system with the UN at its core and the international order underpinned by international law".

"We need principled leadership to strengthen multilateralism, uphold the rule of law, and deliver for people — as reflected in the Pact for the Future," Guterres said at the SCO Plus Meeting.

The Pact for the Future, adopted by world leaders at the UN's Summit of the Future in September last year, is a landmark declaration pledging concrete actions toward a safer, more peaceful, sustainable and inclusive world.

According to a statement released by the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the meeting on Monday that Russia supports the initiative and "is eager to engage in a substantive discussion of the proposals presented by our Chinese friends".

"We have given careful consideration to the proposals put forward by President Xi Jinping for establishing a more effective and functional system of global governance. Such efforts are particularly relevant at a time when certain countries continue to pursue dictatorial practices in international affairs," Putin said.

According to the Concept Paper on the GGI released by China's Foreign Ministry, the initiative does not seek to overturn the existing international order or create another framework, but rather to make existing institutions more effective, adaptable and capable of responding to global challenges and serving the interests of all countries, particularly developing ones.

Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli also highlighted during the SCO Plus Meeting the need to make the global governance system more effective and efficient by placing the UN at its core.

"In this context, the Global Governance Initiative proposed by China would help strengthen the multilateral system by making it more just, inclusive and equitable for a community with a shared future for humanity," he said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wrote in a social media post that Malaysia fully supports the initiative, which he said is based on "justice, compassion, humanity and cooperation, with multilateralism at its core".

"Malaysia steadfastly supports the Global Governance Initiative and urges that it be strengthened with greater determination to eliminate any form of imperialism, colonialism and oppression," he said in the post.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who is also first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, wrote in a social media post that his country supports the GGI, as "it will contribute to the reform of the global governance system, in order to ensure the construction of a community with a shared future".