The Global South: Its Position and Role in the International Arena

Today, the Global South is growing into an increasingly active presence on the international stage, establishing itself as a pivotal force in reshaping the world order. President Xi Jinping has pointed out, “The collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world.”

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The term “Global South” evolved from “the South,” which refers to developing countries. It now denotes a collective of emerging markets and developing countries, encompassing most of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Oceania, which are primarily located in the Southern Hemisphere and the southern part of the Northern Hemisphere. These countries share the same historical experiences, common development goals, and aligned stances on international affairs.

The rise of the Global South has been decades in the making. The disintegration of the Western colonial system after World War II led to the establishment of a large number of newly independent sovereign nations across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and other formerly colonized regions. United by a common pursuit of national liberation, anti-colonialism, and anti-hegemonism, over time these countries have gradually coalesced into a significant international force.

Held in Indonesia in 1955, the Bandung Conference marked the formal emergence of newly independent Afro-Asian nations as a collective force in world politics, demonstrating their wisdom, conviction, and initiatives in shaping a just and equitable international order. The founding of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1961 reflected the strong aspiration of the Global South for greater democracy in international relations, accelerating their drive to defend national sovereignty, oppose hegemonism, and revitalize national economies. In 1964, the Group of 77 was established, which put forward a comprehensive set of proposals concerning international economic relations, trade, and development with the aim of facilitating South-South cooperation and forging a new international economic order. In the 1970s, China’s proposal of the theory of the differentiation of the three worlds further solidified the identity of developing countries, encouraging them to maintain independence and form a united front in international affairs.

Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the continued advancement toward a world order centered on multipolarization and economic globalization, a great number of emerging markets and developing countries have embarked on a fast track of development through tenacious efforts and extensive cooperation. Statistics show that these countries have contributed as much as 80% of global economic growth over the past two decades, while their share of global GDP has risen from 24% to more than 40% in the past 40 years. The collective rise of the Global South is fundamentally reshaping the international political and economic landscape.

In recent years, the Global South has become more proactive in safeguarding its rights and interests and driving the reform of global governance. At the Munich Security Conference, the Global South called for upholding multilateralism and taking stronger collective action. At the South Summit, the Global South demanded changes to the unjust international order and an end to the “position of absolute disadvantage” into which it has been relegated by the West for centuries. At the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the NAM, those in attendance highlighted the need for full respect for international law and principles of international consensus.

The Global South has demonstrated greater confidence and markedly enhanced its international status and influence, thereby injecting powerful momentum into the promotion of a more multipolar world, deeper economic globalization, and more democratic international relations.

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Thanks to common historical experiences and a shared struggle for development, Global South countries provide mutual support in advancing together on the international stage. They are also aligned in their views of and demands for the current international order and global governance. In a turbulent and volatile international environment, these countries are further defined by their collective commitment to resisting hegemonism, seeking development, and pursuing justice.

Independence and self-reliance form the political bedrock of the Global South

Having endured a traumatic past of invasion, colonization, and plunder, Global South countries are deeply aware of how precious peace is and thus cherish their hard-won independence. Therefore, they are highly vigilant against power politics and hegemonism, which have become the most destructive threats to global stability and international peace. They continue to champion strategic autonomy and firmly reject all forms of hegemonism and power politics, Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, and interference in other countries’ internal affairs. Prioritizing the rights to subsistence and development, Global South countries refuse to take sides, playing a vital role in safeguarding world peace and stability.

Development and revitalization are the historic mission of the Global South

Development embodies the aspirations of people worldwide for a better life and is the top priority of Global South countries. While most of these countries are confronted with arduous development tasks, their possession of abundant natural resources, huge market potential, and other advantages promises great prospects for the future. However, as the setting of international agendas and rules has long been monopolized by some Western countries, Global South countries are placed at a disadvantage in the international distribution of economic benefits, and their economic and social progress is easily influenced and disrupted by external factors. Consequently, developing countries face particularly severe development challenges amid the current sluggish global economic recovery.

A panel discussion, titled “Promoting Modernization of the Global South: New Pathways, New Visions,” takes place at a sub-forum during the Second High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, Beijing, July 12, 2024. Held from July 11 to 13, the conference brought together representatives from over 160 countries, international organizations, and other institutions, and featured five concurrent sub-forums on themes such as advancing modernization in the Global South. PHOTO BY CNS REPORTER TIAN YUHAO

At this critical juncture, Global South countries believe collective efforts are necessary to promote more inclusive, resilient, and beneficial global development and accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Furthermore, they champion a mutually beneficial approach to cooperation, reject selfish, beggar-thy-neighbor policies and the narrow-minded practice of monopolizing development advantages, and thus guarantee every country the equal right to development and promote collective development and prosperity.

Equity and justice are the common pursuit of the Global South

Amidst the current climate of accelerating changes unseen in a century and the growing deficit in global governance, Global South countries have stood firm for justice. They dare to defy and reject the unjust and inequitable arrangements in the international order and speak up for the weak and vulnerable. They oppose any and all attempts to pass off unilateralist practices as multilateralism and demand genuine multilateralism in order to promote equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal rules for all.

To this end, Global South countries are taking concrete actions across multiple fronts.

Politically, they support greater representation of African nations in the UN Security Council and call for adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as well as compliance with international law. Economically, they strive for the reform of the World Trade Organization, the fostering of a more diversified international monetary system, and an eventual break from economic dependency through steady, concrete steps. In terms of global governance, they give priority to transcending institutional differences and strengthening collective action in the reform of the global governance system. By building new platforms such as the BRICS Digital Economy Partnership Framework, they have provided developing countries with alternative mechanisms in the areas of security, trade, finance, and industry, thereby endeavoring to lower the global governance deficit.

A roundtable discussion, titled “Promoting Equitable Governance Through Financial Cooperation,” takes place at the 2025 Global South Financiers Forum, Beijing, March 20, 2025. Running from March 19 to 21, the event was held under the theme “Illuminating Global South.” It brought together government officials, financial institution leaders, experts, and scholars from over 30 countries and regions for exchanges and discussions. PHOTO BY XINHUA REPORTER LI HE

III

At present, the Global South is gaining stronger momentum than ever and playing a greater role in the cause of human progress. President Xi has pointed out that pursuing modernization amid the current global changes unseen in a century and promoting a more just and equitable international order are sacred historic missions of the Global South. As a steadfast member of the Global South, China is also a core force in driving its development and revitalization.

Promoting the Global South as a staunch force for peace

Peace is a crucial premise for the development and prosperity of the Global South and a shared aspiration of people worldwide. Yet today’s global security landscape is a volatile and fragile one, with geopolitical conflicts emerging one after another. The peace deficit has become a major impediment to global development. The Global Security Initiative, proposed by President Xi, transcends outdated, confrontational ways of thinking, such as adherence to bloc politics and spheres of influence. It advocates for a new vision of shared, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. By emphasizing the principle of indivisible security, it calls on all countries to respect one another’s legitimate security concerns and to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security structure. This initiative thus charts the right course forward for addressing the root causes of international conflicts and achieving lasting global peace and security. 

It is imperative that all Global South countries work together to promote the Global Security Initiative. They must resolutely oppose hegemonic and high-handed acts, while advocating for respecting and guaranteeing every nation’s security, so as to achieve universal collective security. In terms of settling differences and disputes between countries, Global South countries should collectively urge the involved parties to enhance strategic communication, boost mutual trust on security, resolve their conflicts, manage differences, and eliminate the root causes of the issues at hand.

Promoting the Global South to become a driving force for open development

In our time, open cooperation is an imperative for human progress. Nowadays, economic globalization faces strong headwinds and the global development deficit continues to grow. Strengthening international cooperation and overcoming development challenges, therefore, have become common aspirations and urgent expectations of the international community, particularly for the vast number of Global South countries. President Xi has proposed the Global Development Initiative, aiming to build a political consensus on accelerating development, create a public platform for development cooperation, promote exchanges and mutual learning of development experiences, and enhance international synergy for coordinated development. It seeks to propel global development into a new stage characterized by balance, coordination, and inclusivity, thereby addressing the urgent needs of the Global South while also providing new opportunities for South-South cooperation. 

The Global South must earnestly address the core issue of development and work together to advance the implementation of the Global Development Initiative. They should resolutely support all countries in exploring development paths that suit their own national conditions and build on their own strengths, while increasing coordination on macro-economic policies to tackle development challenges together. At the same time, the Global South should unequivocally oppose unilateralism and protectionism, continue to advance trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, jointly foster an open world economy, and steer economic globalization toward a more open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial direction for all.

Promoting the Global South to become a constructive force in global governance 

As the Global South decisively strides onto the world stage, the international balance of power continues to undergo profound changes. Global governance should reflect the shifts in the political and economic landscape of the world. However, the current global governance system lags significantly behind these new realities, making the imperative to reform and improve global governance increasingly urgent. China remains committed to guiding the reform of the global governance system along the principles of equity and justice and firmly supports expanding the representation and voice of Global South countries in international affairs. 

Global South countries should jointly champion true multilateralism and uphold a vision of global governance characterized by shared growth through discussion and collaboration. They should build consensus and promote concerted action on reforming the global governance system through full consultation, thereby making the rules of global governance more democratic. Together, they should also uphold the central role of the United Nations and work to secure concrete advancements in increasing Global South representation and their voice in the UN by capitalizing on key opportunities, such as UN Security Council reform, so that the UN will be more balanced in reflecting the interests and aspirations of the majority of nations.

Promoting the Global South to become a catalyst for mutual learning among civilizations 

The diversity of civilizations is a defining feature of human society. However, certain countries still cling to the notion of cultural superiority, deliberately fomenting estrangement and clashes between civilizations. They condescend to other civilizations, dictate how the Global South should develop, and even incite confrontation. The Global Civilizations Initiative, proposed by President Xi, calls for respect for the diversity of world civilizations, promotes the shared values of humanity, and emphasizes the inheritance and innovation of civilizations while engaging in stronger international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, thus offering important guidance for advancing dialogue on an equal footing and common development among different civilizations. 

It is imperative that all Global South countries jointly act on the Global Civilizations Initiative. To this end, they should first actively tap the potential of their respective traditional cultural resources and promote creative transformation and innovative development. They should showcase their unique national cultures, be more confident in their cultures, defend their right to independent development, and firmly support one another in exploring modernization paths suited to their own national conditions. At the same time, they should strengthen mutual learning and exchanges and build systematic networks for people-to-people exchanges, so as to foster mutual appreciation among peoples of different cultures and foster stronger bonds. This will help cement the public and cultural foundation for the long-term development of relations among Global South countries and make world civilizations advance together.

(Originally appeared in Qiushi Journal, Chinese edition, No. 16, 2025)