Erik Solheim, Chair of the Europe-Asia Center and former UN Under-Secretary-General, has delivered a powerful endorsement of Chinese modernization, crediting the Communist Party of China (CPC) with achieving “the most astonishing development in human history” and positioning the nation as a pacesetter for the 21st-century green transition.

Erik Solheim gives a keynote speech at the 2026 Think Tank Forum on National Governance in Developing Countries on June 26 in Beijing.

Speaking to China Today on the sidelines of the 2026 Think Tank Forum on National Governance in Developing Countries on June 26, Solheim reflected on his four-decade-long connection with China, which began with his first visit in 1984. “The transformation is unbelievable,” he said. “There were no private cars, no skyscrapers, and only one or two metro lines in Beijing. Today, Chinese cities are among the most modern in the world. No other part of the planet has seen a similar development.”

Solheim highlighted three core lessons for the Global South offered by China’s success: dedicated leadership, a strong state, and a market-based open economy. “China has brought more people out of poverty faster than any other nation,” he said. “The CPC can take enormous pride in building a prosperous, green China.”

Central to Solheim’s assessment is China’s environmental turnaround. He cited Beijing’s battle against pollution as a global case study demonstrating this. “Ten or more years ago, Beijing’s skies were grey and the rivers looked like soy sauce. Today, the sky is blue and the water is clean,” he said. “The lesson is that ‘green is gold.’ President Xi Jinping’s vision that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets proves that ecology and economy are not a trade-off, but are drivers of prosperity.”

Solheim was particularly emphatic about China’s crucial role in the global green transition. “China is the lead nation in nature conservation, embarking on the largest national park plan in the world,” he said, referencing Qinghai’s national parks, which are “as big as England or Uganda.” He added that China’s leadership in solar panels, electric vehicles, and batteries has created millions of jobs and lowered costs for the entire world while powering the global green transition.

Solheim identified specific Chinese innovations as transferable models, such as the establishment of Special Economic Zones like the one in Shenzhen. “The Special Economic Zone model can be replicated in regions across Latin America, Africa, and even Europe.”

Erik Solheim speaks with China Today on the sidelines of the 2026 Think Tank Forum on National Governance in Developing Countries on June 26 in Beijing.

On global governance, Solheim praised China’s four global initiatives in development, security, civilization, and governance, telling China Today they represent “exactly what the world needs today.” He argued that the era of a single hegemony is ending, and a new order based on dialogue is essential. “We need to come together to set global rules so that we do not end up with the law of the strongest,” he stated. “China’s Global Governance Initiative, with a focus on sovereignty and non-interference, is supported by nearly all nations because it respects the UN system.”

Speaking about the current international landscape marred by regional wars, Solheim stressed, “War is fundamentally irrational,” and went on to note that, “You cannot achieve civilian goals with military means. The United States lost in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, despite having the biggest army. By staying out of wars, China has focused on development and become the indispensable nation for global green transformation.”

Talking about the importance of international exchanges and dialogue like the Think Tank Forum, Solheim said, “Only through global cooperation, can we achieve what we all want: a more peaceful, a greener and more prosperous world. Progress happens when innovators connect, not when they isolate.”