China says will defend UN system after 'Board of Peace' invite; What is Trump's 'Board of Peace'?

by AFP Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Jan 21, 2026

China said on Wednesday it would defend the international system with the United Nations "at its core", a day after announcing it had been invited to join US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace".

Beijing confirmed on Tuesday that it had received a US invitation to join the board, which is aimed at resolving conflicts, according to its charter seen by AFP.

China has yet to confirm whether it will accept the invitation, but foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference on Wednesday that Beijing would support a UN-based international world order regardless of "changes".

"No matter how the international situation changes, China firmly upholds the international system with the United Nations at its core... international relations based on the objectives and principles of the UN Charter," Guo said.

China, the world's second-largest economy and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, traditionally defends the UN system while calling for reforms.

What is Trump's 'Board of Peace'?
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Jan 21, 2026 - US President Donald Trump's government has asked countries to pay up to $1 billion for a permanent spot on his "Board of Peace" aimed at resolving conflicts, according to its charter seen by AFP.

The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but the charter does not appear to limit its role to the Palestinian territory.

- What will it do? -

The Board of Peace will be chaired by Trump, according to its founding charter.

It is "an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict", reads the preamble of the charter sent to countries invited to participate.

It will "undertake such peace-building functions in accordance with international law", it adds.

- Who will run it? -

Trump will be chairman but also "separately serve" as representative of the United States.

"The chairman shall have exclusive authority to create, modify or dissolve subsidiary entities as necessary or appropriate to fulfil the Board of Peace's mission," the document states.

He will pick members of an executive board to be "leaders of global stature" to "serve two-year terms, subject to removal by the chairman".

The charter says the chairman can be replaced only in case of "voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity".

A US official confirmed that Trump can keep the chairmanship, even after leaving the White House, "until he resigns it", although a future US president can appoint a different US representative.

- Who can be a member? -

Member states must be invited by the US president and will be represented by their head of state or government.

Each member "shall serve a term of no more than three years", the charter says.

But "the three-year membership term shall not apply to member states that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the charter's entry into force", it adds.

The US official said that membership itself "does not carry any mandatory funding obligation beyond whatever a state or partner chooses to contribute voluntarily".

The board will convene annual meetings with decisions by a majority vote, with the chairman breaking any tie.

- Who's on the executive board? -

The executive board will be chaired by Trump and include seven members:

- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

- Steve Witkoff, Trump's special negotiator

- Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law

- Tony Blair, former UK prime minister

- Marc Rowan, billionaire US financier

- Ajay Banga, World Bank president

- Robert Gabriel, loyal Trump aide on the National Security Council

- Which countries are invited? -

Dozens of countries and leaders have said they have received an invitation, including close US allies but also adversaries.

China has been invited but a foreign ministry spokesman said Wednesday Beijing would defend the international system with the United Nations "at its core".

Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been invited, despite Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

A number of governments immediately said they would join.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a nationalist who is Trump's most ardent supporter in the European Union, is in, as is another close ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Azerbaijan's autocratic President Ilham Aliyev.

The United Arab Emirates, a close US partner, also said it would join. And Canada said it would take part but explicitly ruled out paying the $1-billion fee for permanent membership.

- Who won't be involved? -

Longtime US ally France has indicated it will not join. The response sparked an immediate threat from Trump to slap sky-high tariffs on French wine.

Zelensky said it would be "very hard" to be a member of a council alongside Russia, and diplomats were "working on it".

Britain echoed the sentiment, saying it was "concerned" that Putin had been invited.

"Putin is the aggressor in an illegal war against Ukraine, and he has shown time and time again he is not serious about peace," said a Downing Street spokesperson.

The charter says the board enters into force "upon expression of consent to be bound by three States".