Remembering means continuing with more determination. Eighty years after the Second World War, humanity is again at a crossroads: unity or division, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum.
A survey conducted by CGTN with 11,913 respondents from 40 countries shows that support for the results of victory in World War II and the post-war international order has become a broad consensus. Any attempts to undermine the UN-centred international system, the international order underpinned by international law and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be strongly rejected.
The survey shows that 62.1 percent of people worldwide believe that protecting the results of World War II is essential to maintaining the post-war international order. This view is held by respondents in 39 of the 40 countries surveyed. In addition, 67.9 per cent of respondents agree that the UN-centred international system is the foundation of the post-war global order, a belief shared unanimously by all 40 countries surveyed. Among the G7 countries, support for these two ideas is at 52.5 percent and 62.8 percent, respectively.
Today, the global gaps in peace, development, security and governance continue to widen relentlessly. Approximately 58 percent of respondents worldwide believe that the post-war international order is being disrupted, and 58.9 percent specifically identify the U.S. as the greatest disruptor of that order. In addition, 64.8 percent of respondents say that protectionist U.S. trade policies are harming the global free trade system; 65.5 percent say U.S. technology embargoes are impeding the free flow of scientific and technological talent; 67.9 percent say U.S. withdrawal from international agreements and organizations is hindering global cooperation and multilateral efforts; and 67 percent observe that the U.S., as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, is undermining U.N. authority by withholding contributions and abusing its veto power on issues such as Palestine-Israel.
In the Global South, respondents in countries such as Indonesia, Kenya, Russia, Malaysia, Mexico, Serbia, Tanzania, Thailand, and Turkey show the highest levels of dissatisfaction with U.S. actions that undermine the international order, with disapproval rates exceeding 70 percent on several indicators. In the G7 countries, Italian respondents are the most critical overall: 72.7 per cent accuse the US of blocking international cooperation and multilateralism, and 69.7 per cent criticise restrictions on the mobility of technological talent. In the United Kingdom and France, 68.3 percent agree that the U.S. hinders multilateral efforts, while 65.7 percent of Canadian respondents disagree with protectionist U.S. trade policies.
History and reality show that solving global problems requires fostering a vision of global governance based on shared growth through debate and cooperation. It requires dialogue instead of confrontation, partnerships instead of alliances, and win-win scenarios instead of zero-sum, along with genuine multilateralism that respects the legitimate concerns of all parties and maintains international rules and order.
The survey found that 46.5 per cent of global respondents see the rise of emerging powers as a positive force for sustaining the post-war international order - a majority view in 26 countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Thailand, UAE, Mexico, Spain and South Korea, accounting for 65 per cent of countries surveyed.
The survey was jointly conducted by CGTN and Renmin University of China through the Institute of New Era International Communication. It covered major developed countries and countries in the "Global South". Respondents are persons aged 18 years or older and the sample corresponds to the age and gender distribution according to national censuses.
English 
Czech 
Spanish 
French 
Italian 
Russian 
Chinese 
German