Global South: An Important Driving Forcefor the Evolution of the International Order

Since the beginning of the 21stcentury， the international orderhas witnessed a notable shift marked by an increasingly active involvement of the Global South in global affairs. This engagement has effectively curtailed hegemonism， Cold War mentalities， and camp poli- tics. The Global South is committed to fostering a more just， reasonable， equal， and representative international order， aspiring to earn a more peace- ful， stable， and conducive external environment for sustainable develop- ment. In pursuit of these goals， Global South countries have forged a robust community of solidarity and mutual assistance. This united front holds the power to influence global politics and economies， actively contributing to the establishment of an equitable， prosperous， and sustainable world.

EMERGING FORCES IN GLOBALPOLITICS

The Global South emerged within the era of global politics as a new identity and worldview that champi- ons global thinking and coordinated action. It believes challenges can be effectively addressed only through collaborative global efforts. The rise of the Global South has significantly contributed to the overall globaliza- tion and a more inclusive and equita- ble international order.

Viewed through the lens of inter- national politics and economics， the Global South， a product of non-alignment and the Third World， maintains a legacy grounded in anti-colonialism， anti-imperialism， and anti-hegemony. In 1991， the UN General Assembly passed the Challenge to the South： Re- port of the South Commission urging Global South countries to take con- certed actions worldwide. The concept of the Global South gains traction as people recognize the global presence of Emerging Market and Developing Countries （EMDCs） whose agenda is an important part of modern global politics. In the meantime， Global South countries， emerging as a collective force， go beyond borders to address development issues， voice global con- cerns，and undertake tangible actions.

In recent years， the Global South has witnessed a rapid increase in in- fluence， emerging as a new political actor. This growth can be attributed to internal factors （enhanced capabili- ties， and political awakening） and ex- ternal factors （a new phase of globali- zation， and escalating international competition）.

Internally， EMDCs have increas- ingly become pivotal drivers of global economy and essential contributors， and even leaders， in global govern- ance. In 2023， the African Union gained entry into the G20， while the BRICS Summit 2023 agreed to admit Argentina， Egypt， Ethiopia， Iran， Saudi Arabia， and the United Arab Emirates. The African Peace Mission actively promoted the peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian crisis. The Global South advocated for attention to thehumanitarian crisis in the Palestinian- Israeli conflict. These latest develop- ments showcase growth of global influence of the Global South. Addi- tionally， emerging multilateral devel- opment financing institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank are giving more priority to the developmental needs of Global South countries.

Externally， as the international power structure becomes increasingly diversified， the West and the United States are seeking to secure support from the Global South to reinforce its dominant or advantageous position in the international order. To secure their dominance， they strategically posi- tionedEMDCs， including China， at the lower rungs of the global industrial and value chains. This was achieved through the dismantling of neo-liberal globalization and adjustments to the globalization model amid a trend of tribalization. The United States and the West are enhancing their influence in the Global South by establishing ideological connections， promoting “near-shoring” and “friendly shoring” and launching global infrastructure initiatives. Although the Global South countries welcome resources from the United States and the West， they still choose an open world economic system， the international order and multilateral cooperation represented by the United Nations over economic protectionism and pan-security repre- sented by the West.

GLOBAL SOUTH VIEW ONINTERNATIONAL ORDER

The Global South possesses not only the economic foundation for sus- tainable development but also the po- litical inclination to advance towards a just and equitable international order. This grants a unique advantage and role to the Global South in resolving international conflicts， promoting global development， addressing cli- mate change， and advocating dialogue among civilizations.

I. Pursuing Peaceful Transforma- tion

The end of the Cold War did not usher in lasting global peace. Neo- interventionism and NATO’s eastward expansion have heightened geopo- litical tension and turmoil， causing a sharp decline in political mutual trust and security cooperation intentions among major powers. Despite the per- sistent threat of terrorism， the United States， aiming to preserve itshegem- onic position， listed major power com- petition as the foremost threat in its national security strategy in the post- Cold War era. The U.S. seeks to main- tain a long-term competitive advan- tage over China and contain Russia.

The Global South treasures interna- tional security based on the UN Char- ter， underscoring the importance of the peaceful settlement of international disputes. Multilateral mechanisms dedicated to global and regional secu- rity governance， such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS， are making beneficial endeavors in this respect. The Shanghai Coopera- tion Organization， focusing on regional security threats， has included countries with territorial disputes， such as India and Pakistan， as members. Saudi Arabia and Iran were invited to join BRICS fol- lowing their reconciliation.

In the face of new international security crises， such as the Ukrainian crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict， most countries in the Global South have taken determined posi- tions based on their understanding of the crises， humanitarian concerns， and their own national interests. They actively engaged in promoting peace and dialogue. The majority of Global South reject deploying arms or impos- ing unilateral sanctions on belliger- ents. Moreover， they oppose the pan- security approach that labels specific countries or enterprises as security threats groundlessly. Most of them re- fuse to take sides in major power con- flicts， accommodating their legitimate interests rationally. Some economi- callyrobust countries in the Global South autonomously manage their relations with relevant countries based on their interests. Given the current security landscape， the Global South is advocating for a reform of the post- war international security order. It is also calling for a more representative UN Security Council and restrictions on the power of permanent members.

II. Pursuing Development Rights

Over a long time， many GlobalSouth countries with limited resources and development capabilities， have relied heavily on financing from donor countries and international or- ganizations such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Formulating independent develop- ment policies aligned with their own national conditions has proven chal- lenging for them but they need to se- cure more equitable， independent， and mutually beneficial development and cooperation opportunities urgently. Countries like Cuba， Venezuela， and Iran， situated in the Global South and subjected to longstanding financial and trade sanctions from the United States and the West， find themselves largely disconnected from develop- ment resources within the global financial and trade system. The U.S. strategies of “decoupling and break- ing the chain” and “small yard and high wall” in science and technology also impose significant restrictions on the access of emerging technologies by the Global South.

The Havana Declaration， adopted during the G77 and China Summit in September 2023， expressed profoundconcerns regarding the current unfair international economic order， high- lighting its most severe impact on developing countries. The declaration urged a comprehensive reform of the international financial architecture， aiming for more inclusive and coordi- nated governance. It emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation among countries， promoting repre- sentation of developing countries in global decision-making processes. Furthermore， it firmly opposed the implementation of laws andregula- tions with extraterritorial effects and all other forms of coercive economic measures， including unilateral sanc- tions against developing countries. The declaration reiterated the urgent need to eliminate these measures im- mediately.

Affected by the COVID-19 pan- demic， global economic and security challenges， and limited technological innovation capability， the Global South faces significant obstacles in attaining sustainable development goals. There is an urgent need for an international order that empowers them to har- ness the development opportunities presented by the fourth industrial revolution. Their collective goal of the Global South is to advance and modernize through new industrializa- tion and deeply engage in it through science， technology， and innovation. Furthermore， the Global South closely follows AI developments and relevant regulations， aiming to enhance their own AI technology and applications and actively participate in the develop- ment of global regulations.

III. Pursuing Environmental Jus- tice

The rise of the Global South hap- pened during an era emphasizing en- vironmental justice. Capital and tech- nology-constrained countries in the Global South anticipate a transformed international order that can addressthe specific needs of developing countries regarding climate change. Despite the international community reaching a consensus on common but differentiated responsibilities， devel- oped countries have fallen short in meeting their financing commitments and altering the business models of multilateral development banks and international financial institutions. In 2022， the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Frame- work Convention on Climate Change （COP27） made a breakthrough agree- ment to provide loss and damage funding for underdeveloped countries hit hard by climate disasters.

A new generation of politicians in the Global South generally regards green development as their philosophy of governance. Kenyan President Ruto， Colombian President Petro， and Brazil- ian President Lula all place special em- phasis on global green development cooperation. The Global South is also progressively enhancing its capacity， including scientific and technological capabilities to address climate change through South-South cooperation. A case in point is the China-Brazil Joint Laboratory for Space Weather built toconduct scientific studies， such as the near-Earth space environment of the two countries and develop weather early warning models.

IV. Pursuing Openness and Inclu- siveness

As an informal designation of a community ， the Global South is characterized by its high tolerance for differences. It comprises many countries with varying ideologies， social systems， religious customs， and levels of development. Its perspective on the international order reflects its commitment to respecting and sup- porting the diversity of the world. The US subprime mortgage crisis in 2008 and the riots at the US Capitol in 2021 reaffirmed the political determination of the Global South to pursue a devel- opment path aligned with their na- tional conditions. Additionally， these events deepened its understanding of the diversity within the international order featuring various development models.

The Global South countries have gradually moved away from the neoliberal development model repre- sented by the Washington Consensusto focus on mutual learning from development experience and exper- tisethrough international exchanges. For instance， right before her visit to China， Honduran President Xio- mara Castro wrote “therefounding of Honduras demands new political， scientific， technical， commercial and cultural horizons”，demonstrating her political will to draw inspiration from China’s development. Uruguay， Brazil， and China have gained international acclaim for theirrespective achieve- ments in renewable power generation and inclusive social initiatives， thereby bolstering the global influence of the Global South in sustainable develop- ment. The Global South countries view the development models and achievements of others as valuable examples.

The Global South is a constantly evolving global identity. Although the Global South countries have explored distinctive development paths， such as the Non-Aligned Movement， import substitution， and neo-liberal reforms， they consistently make development explorations within the context of the international order and the global sys- tem. The Global South has always reit- erated the importance of South-South cooperation and North-South Dia- logue， demonstrating its commitment to an open and inclusive international order.

CHINA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GLOBAL SOUTH： PROSPECTS

China has unequivocally asserted that it is an integral member of the Global South. In his closing speech at the 2023 BRICS Business Forum， President Xi Jinping affirmed that “as a developing country and a member of the Global South， China shares a common destiny with other develop- ing countries and actively pursues a shared future with them. China has steadfastly championed the commoninterests of developing countries and endeavored to enhance the represen- tation and voice of EMDCs in global affairs.”

China has actively collaborated with other Global South countries to promote a more just and rational international order. The Bandung Spirit， championed by China in the 1950s， laid the foundation for South- South cooperation. In 1991， China and the G77 jointly presented a position paper as the G77+China group for the first time at the Preparatory Meeting of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Since then， the G77+China has evolved into a crucial mechanism for the Global South. International mechanisms initi- ated by China such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization， the BRICS， and the Belt and Road Initiative， have provided additional channels for the Global South to actively shape the international order. The BRICS expan- sion and the African Union’s accession to the G20 signify the shared commit- ment of the Global South to uphold multilateralism and promote reformwithin the global governance system. China played a leading role in these processes.

In July 2023， China put forward four proposals on strengthening coop- eration among the Global South coun- tries： eliminate conflicts and jointly build peace; reinvigorate vitality and promote development; be open and inclusive for common progress; be united and discuss cooperation. China underscored its readiness to collabo- rate with a vast number of EMDCs to advance the implementation of Glob- al Development Initiatives， Global Security Initiative， and Global Civiliza- tion Initiative. The goal is to jointly build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind. These proposals strongly align with the Global South’s perspec- tive on the international order， indicat- ing a promising prospect for China tocollaborate with the Global South. To effectively promote the cooperation and development of the Global South countries， attention should be directed towards the following aspects：

Firstly， it is imperative to acknowl- edge the significance of the Global South. The Global South plays a con- structive role in supporting economic globalization， safeguarding interna- tional peace， and advancing the agen- da of sustainable development amid significant global changes. Despite be- ing underdeveloped， the Global South has achieved notable development milestones and possesses substantial potential. It is contributing significant- ly to the Community of Shared Future for Mankind.

Secondly， it is crucial to effectively enhance the unity of the Global South. With certain countries and actors at- tempting to sow divisions within the Global South， China should stand more closely together with develop- ing countries and strengthen the unity and resilience of the Global South through the ongoing improvement and implementation of BRICS and the G77+China.

Thirdly， there is a need to raise public recognition of the Global South. With the implementation of Belt and Road initiative and dis- semination of research results on the Global South regions， the public can develop a heightened awareness of the Global South. This increased awareness will help individuals recog- nize that the rise of the Global South contributes to the development of a more just and equitable international order. By then， garnering more public support for new international relations and South-South cooperation will be- come achievable.

Niu Haibin is Director of the Institute For Foreign Policy Studies， Shanghai Institutes For International Studies