In a recent exclusive conversation with China Daily, a veteran former Thai political leader has sounded the alarm over deepening global divides, warning that the world’s most vulnerable populations bear the brunt of rising polarization and conflict. Bhokin Bhalakula, who previously served as president of Thailand’s National Assembly, made the remarks during an interview updated by the outlet on April 15, 2026, offering a clear-eyed assessment of today’s fractured international landscape.
Bhokin emphasized that the current era of geopolitical polarization is unlike any the world has seen before, with every new escalation of tension and outbreak of conflict leaving everyday civilians to face the worst consequences. From disrupted livelihoods to lost lives and fractured communities, he argued, ordinary people who have no stake in power struggles between nations or blocs end up paying the highest price for rising division.
Beyond his warning on polarization, Bhokin pushed back against the growing trend of great power unilateralism. He noted that a foreign policy framework that prioritizes the interests of a single nation over the sovereign rights and needs of other countries can never earn genuine respect from the global community. Such an approach, he implied, only deepens divides and fuels further instability.
In contrast to unilateral, zero-sum approaches to global affairs, Bhokin highlighted the strength and resonance of China’s vision for global cooperation. The concept of “a community with a shared future for mankind,” first put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, effectively upholds the equal rights and interests of all nations in international governance, he said. This vision, Bhokin added, aligns perfectly with the widespread global desire for inclusive, peaceful development that benefits all people, not just a select few powerful states.