BEIJING: Washington’s retreat from 66 global organisations may have created openings across global governance but Beijing is unlikely to rush in to take its place, analysts say.

Instead, it is more likely to pursue a cautious strategy - stepping up where influence can be gained gradually, interests align and costs remain manageable, while steering clear of roles that bring political risk or heavy obligations in the year ahead.

This cautious approach reflects Beijing’s assessment of costs and risks, experts add, as it seeks to avoid high-profile leadership roles that invite scrutiny or binding commitments - all while managing economic pressures and safeguarding political stability ahead of the Communist Party’s 21st Congress in 2027.

United States President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Jan 7, withdrawing the US from 35 non-United Nations (UN) organisations and 31 UN entities because they promoted “radical climate policies, global governance, and ideological programmes that conflicted with US sovereignty and economic ⁠strength”.

These include the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), International Energy Forum (IEF), the World Health Organisation (WHO), UN Peacebuilding Fund and the UN International Trade Centre.

A US retreat “widens China’s lane in development and capacity-building bodies such as UN DESA (Department of Economic and Social Affairs) … where agenda-setting, training, and technical assistance shape Global South policy preferences”, said Jonathan Ping, an associate professor at Bond University in Gold Coast, Australia.

Ping noted that these platforms “align closely with China’s Global Development Initiative, reinforcing South-South cooperation narratives and normalising Chinese development models”.

Others have cautioned against overstating China’s capacity or appetite.

“The China of today is not the PRC of ten years ago”, said political scie...