Faced with a renewed US trade war, economic headwinds and growing geopolitical pressures, China is actively seeking closer ties with the Global South, a strategy the country’s top diplomat has described as “seeking strength through unity”.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi mentioned the Global South 22 times during a carefully choreographed press conference in Beijing on Friday, on the sidelines of the annual political event known as the “two sessions”, while holding up China as a leader of developing and underdeveloped economies outside the West.
In contrast, the loosely defined, catch-all concept for the developing world appeared only half the number of times during his annual press briefing last year.
Observers said Wang’s remarks highlighted the growing importance of the Global South for Beijing as it moves to the global centre stage amid growing scrutiny and pushback.
His comments also shed light, they said, on how China planned to seize on the chaos and uncertainty following US President Donald Trump’s tumultuous first few weeks back in the White House and how it would present itself as a bastion of stability.
“The world today is marked by sweeping winds and surging clouds … The hallmark of our era is the prominent, growing strength of the Global South,” Wang said.
He also described the group as “a key force for maintaining world peace, driving world development, and improving global governance”.
