Working Together to Build a Modern Global South

Liu Jianchao

The world today is confronted with accelerated changes unseen in a century.An important feature of the changes is that the collective rise of developing countries is gaining momentum.The rise of developing countries as a whole is based on and reinforced by their collective modernization.Thus an indepth discussion on the modernization of the Global South is urgently needed.It responds not only to the call of developing countries for peace, development and progress,but also to the aspiration of people of all countries for modernization and human advancement.

FIRST, THE GLOBAL SOUTH IS WHERE THE HOPE LIES AMID THE ONCE-IN-A-CENTURY CHANGES.

The term “Global South” has first and foremost a “South” dimension.However, “South” is not a geographical term but a byword for emerging markets and developing countries.It is an identity and represents a community of countries with similar historical experience, political pursuits and development goals.The term also has a global dimension.It symbolizes a prominent worldwide trend of the collective rise of developing countries and reflects their strong wish for solidarity and self-reliance.Countries of the Global South once suffered from aggression, suppression and plunder.It was through years of struggle and hard work and along with the evolving changes of the century that the Global South has gradually become an important force driving the reforms of the international order and calling for political independence, national rejuvenation, and international justice.

The Global South is a leading champion for a new type of globalization.In today’s world, unilateralism, protectionism, and populism are rearing their ugly heads.Attempts to build small yards with high fences, to decouple and cut chains and to stoke bloc confrontation are rampant.Globalization has suffered major setbacks and we have to make critical choices to avoid being pushed back like sailing upstream.At this crucial moment,countries of the Global South have chosen to confront difficulties head on.They have embraced globalization in an unprecedented manner.They launched mechanisms to improve globalization by enriching its content and extending its outreach, and endeavored to make the rules of globalization more reasonable and conditions more favorable.In particular, countries of the Global South, upholding the principle of “planning together, building together, and benefiting together”,have pressed ahead the Belt and Road cooperation to a new stage of highquality development, thus injecting new impetus into global growth,creating new opportunities for global development, and building a new platform for international cooperation.Thanks to these efforts, a new type of globalization that involves more diversified players and is more open, inclusive, and beneficial for all is taking shape.Globalization has indeed been tinted with the Global South hues.

The Global South is the source of strength for world multi-polarity.Since the end of the Cold War, the trend of world multi-polarity has evolved amid twists and turns.Along with the unfolding of profound changes in the global economic and political landscape and the collective rise of developing countries, the Global South has been presented with an important opportunity to play a greater role.According to statistics, the land area of all Global South countries accounts for more than 70% of the world’s total.Their combined population and contribution to global economic growth over the past 20 years account for 80%of the world’s total.It is fair to say that the Global South has already become the most dynamic force in the process of multi-polarity in terms of its size, vitality, growth potential and contribution.The collective rise of the Global South is reshaping the global political landscape.

The Global South is a key force to promote greater democracy in international relations.Over the years, the voice of the Global South has been muted on the world stage and the reasonable concerns of developing countries have never been addressed.A few traditional powers have dominated the right to set inter-national agenda and rules.They only put their own interests first.Their hegemonic, domineering and bullying practices have disturbed the normal international order and undermined international justice and fairness.Under the new circumstances, more and more Global South countries have realized the ideological and institutional yoke of imperialism and colonialism.They are more determined than ever to adopt strategic autonomy, practice true multilateralism and promote greater democracy in international relations.By doing so, countries of the Global South have gained a greater say on the international stage and added stronger impetus to the reform of the global governance system.

SECOND, WORKING TOGETHER TO ADVANCE MODERNIZATION IS WHAT THE GLOBAL SOUTH MUST DO TO ACHIEVE GREATER COLLECTIVE STRENGTH THROUGH UNITY.

To realize modernization is a shared pursuit of all countries of the Global South.To build a better world,the Global South must work together to pursue, advance and realize modernization.They must aim at building a strong and modern Global South so as to propel the progress of human civilization and the building of a human community with a shared future.

The Global South must unite in removing the spell that “the weak get weaker”.The modernization processes of countries are not synchronized.As countries of the Global South were once exploited, plundered and suppressed by imperialists and colonizers and they started to grow their economy relatively late with weak foundation, they are the late comers in the process of world modernization.In an international system that is neither fair nor reasonable, the North-South divide continues widening, which proves more true than ever the Matthew Effect that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.Countries of the Global South find it more complicated and difficult to achieve modernization.Each country acting on its own cannot make it.Working together is the right way forward.United under the banner of the Global South, we should strengthen strategic communication and policy alignment,remove barriers, and share resources,technology and experience to build a modern Global South market.We should leave no one behind and let all countries of the Global South catch up in the process of world modernization.

On November 2, 2023, the Global South Think Tanks Dialogue was held in Xiamen, and attracted over 300 participants, including scholars, politicians, business and opinion leaders from more than 50 emerging markets and developing countries such as Brazil, Russia,India, and South Africa.

The Global South must take actions to break the myth that modernization equals westernization.For a long time, people believe westernization is modernization.In fact,modernization is not a single answer question.Different historical conditions lead to different choices of paths to modernization.Western modernization started with capitalist expansion and came to its prime through colonialism, large scale exploitation of other countries and the use of power politics.It is an unjust path and by no means a viable choice for the Global South.To realize modernization, countries of the Global South must find a path that best suits their respective national conditions and the trend of the times.At the same time, they should share useful experience, rise up to challenges together, and support each other’s exploration of paths towards modernization so as to offer more options to the Global South and the wider world to achieve modernization.

The Global South must undertake the responsibility to champion the just cause.For the Global South,to realize modernization is not for the purpose of opposing, excluding, or replacing any other country, but for advancing the well-being of the entire humanity and driving forward modernization of the human society.On one hand, we should build the strong Global South synergy to defend our legitimate rights and interests by strengthening the important mechanisms such as the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the G77+China.On the other hand,we must stay away from the zero-sum game and Cold War mentality, but rather strengthen the North-South dialogue and cooperation with a broad mind.Meanwhile, we need to build an open world economy and an enabling environment for inclusive development that benefits all.Only by doing so, can we find the path to a new type of modernization that rises above the differences in cultures, social systems,and ideologies, and create a new ecosystem to achieve it featuring harmonious coexistence and joint governance for win-win result.

THIRD, CHINA STANDS READY TO CONTRIBUTE OUR STRENGTH TO ADVANCING MODERNIZATION FOR THE GLOBAL SOUTH.

General Secretary Xi Jinping, when attending the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, pointed out that China is a member of the Global South.China and most countries of the Global South share similar historical experience and journey of struggle.We all emerged from the fight against colonialism, hegemony and power politics.China has always supported the reasonable concerns of Global South countries, defended their legitimate rights and interests, shared with them development opportunities and outcomes, and helped them to achieve independent growth.China is rooted in the Global South and we care about the Global South.We have invariably stood in solidarity with other countries of the Global South through thick and thin, and have been an advocate for and an important player in the South-South cooperation.At the same time,China is an explorer and practitioner on the journey towards modernization.The past 100 years traversed by the CPC to seek national rejuvenation is also an exploration for a path to modernization.Thanks to the unremitting efforts of previous generations, we have found that path and attest that countries of the Global South also have the right and the ability to achieve modernization.

China will never forget where it comes from and will remain a member of the big family of developing countries and the Global South.No matter how the international situation may evolve, China will always be committed to the principles of amity,sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness to develop relations with its neighbors, the principles of sincerity,real results, affinity, and good faith to develop relations with African countries, and the principles of equality,mutual benefit and common development to develop relations with Latin American countries.We will stand shoulder to shoulder with developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and explore development paths to modernization that suit the national conditions of the Global South.Going forward, China wishes to work with other countries of the Global South to press ahead with high quality Belt and Road cooperation, implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative,and the Global Civilization Initiative to build a modern Global South and a community of the Global South with a shared future, so as to lay a solid foundation for the modernization of the world and the building of human community with a shared future.

We believe the modernization of the Global South will become an unstoppable trend in the near future.A stable, united, strong and prosperous Global South will no longer be a forlorn dream, and humanity will eventually enjoy progress, lasting peace and sustained development.

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, built under China-Indonesia cooperation, was officially opened for operation, September 30, 2023.