“全球南方”是国际秩序演变的重要推动力量
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The Global South Is an Important Driving Force in the Evolution of the International Order

“全球南方”是国际秩序演变的重要推动力量

Niu Haibin, a foreign policy scholar at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, explains the rising international influence of the Global South and assesses implications for China. Niu recommends Beijing amp up efforts to frame itself as a member of the Global South and publicly push for expansion of BRICS and other initiatives, which can enhance China’s ties with individual members of the Global South and build perceptions of China as a leader of among them.


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The global character of the international order since 2000 has become increasingly clear. It is typified by the more proactive participation of the Global South in global affairs, which has formed a strong constraint on hegemony, Cold War thinking, and bloc politics. The countries of the Global South seek a more just, rational, equitable, and representative international order so as to achieve an external environment that is more peaceful and stable, and more conducive to their own sustainable development. To this end, the countries of the Global South are gradually coalescing into a united international political and economic force that is actively engaged in global governance to build an equitable, prosperous, and sustainable world.

21世纪以来,国际秩序的全球性特征日益鲜明,其典型表现就是“全球南方”以更加积极主动的姿态参与到全球事务之中,对霸权主义、冷战思维和阵营政治形成了强有力的制约。“全球南方”国家追求更加公正、合理、平等和更具代表性的国际秩序,以便为自身实现可持续发展谋求更加和平、稳定和有利的外部环境。为此,“全球南方”国家逐步凝聚成团结互助的国际政治和经济力量,在积极参与全球治理中共同建设平等、繁荣、可持续的世界。

An emerging force in global politics

全球政治中的新兴力量

The emergence of the Global South comes as the world enters an era of global politics. “Criticism is an important feature and pillar of global studies, and opposing ‘Western-centrism’ and questioning ethnocentrism are also the basic consensus of global studies research at home and abroad.” Unlike in the traditional East-West, North-South perspective of political economy, today’s Global South is more like the construction of a new transnational identity and world view, pursuing the logic of global thinking and global action, and emphasizing that challenges can only be solved through efforts on a global scale. The rise of the Global South has enhanced the global, pluralistic, and egalitarian nature of the international order’s transformation.

“全球南方”的兴起缘于世界进入全球政治时代。“批判性是全球学的重要特征和支柱,反对‘西方中心主义’、质疑种族中心主义,也是国内外全球学研究的基本共识。”不同于传统政治经济学的东西南北视角,当今“全球南方”更像是一种新的跨国身份和世界观建构,奉行全球思考与全球行动的逻辑,强调只有通过全球范围内的努力才能解决面临的挑战。“全球南方”的崛起增强了国际秩序转型中的全球性、多元性和平等性。

From an international political economy perspective, as the successor to the Non-Aligned Movement and the “Third World,” the Global South has continued the tradition of anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, and anti-hegemonic movements, and has gradually evolved into an international force to be reckoned with in today’s global politics. In The Challenge to the South: Report of the South Commission, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1991 in a landmark event, the South Commission emphasized the need for the countries of the South to work together at the global level. The term Global South has thus gradually replaced the more hierarchical “Third World” designation in international relations. On one hand, the rise of the Global South concept is a testament to the growing recognition that the distribution of developing and emerging market countries is global in nature, and that their development agendas are an important part of today’s global politics. On the other hand, it also shows that the countries of the South are forming into an emerging global force that is no longer limited to finding solutions to development problems at the national and regional levels, but is more inclined to express its concerns and take action at the global level.

从国际政治经济学的视角来看,作为不结盟运动和“第三世界”的后续产物,“全球南方”延续了反殖反帝反霸运动的传统,逐渐演变为当今全球政治中一支不容忽视的国际力量。以1991年联合国大会通过《南方的挑战:南方委员会的报告》为标志性事件,南方委员会强调南方国家需要在全球层面共同努力,“全球南方”由此在国际关系中逐渐取代了更具等级色彩的“第三世界”称谓。“全球南方”概念的兴起,一方面说明人们日益认识到发展中国家及新兴市场国家的分布是全球性的,其发展议程是当今全球政治的重要组成部分;另一方面也显示出南方国家正在形成一股新兴的全球性力量,不再局限于在国家和地区层面寻找发展问题的解决之道,而是更倾向于在全球层面表达关切并付诸行动。

The influence of the Global South as an emerging force in global politics has been growing rapidly in recent years due to both internal factors such as its own strength and political awakening, and external factors such as the new round of globalization and the continuing evolution of international competition.

近年来,“全球南方”作为全球政治新兴力量的影响力快速上升,其中既有自身实力提升和政治觉醒的内因,也有新一轮全球化和国际竞争持续演进的外因。

From an internal perspective, emerging economies and developing countries have gradually become an important engine of international economic growth and important participants, and even leaders, in global governance. Emerging global economic governance mechanisms such as the Group of Twenty (G20), the BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have attracted many members of the Global South. The admission of the African Union to the G20 in 2023, the agreement at the BRICS summit in South Africa to invite six countries to join the mechanism, the unprecedented African peace mission to promote a peaceful solution to the crisis in Ukraine, and the widespread calls from Global South countries for attention to be paid to the humanitarian crisis in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are all reflections of the Global South’s increased international influence. Emerging multilateral development finance institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank have given the development requirements of Global South countries greater priority, demonstrating that the Global South has more endogenous drive and resources than in the past for participating in global affairs and achieving its own development. The collective rise of emerging economies represented by the BRICS countries has changed the backward appearance of the Global South, and the modernization process of the vast and populous Global South, with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as its main component, is profoundly shaping the future of human civilization.

从内因来看,新兴经济体和发展中国家逐渐成为国际经济增长的重要引擎和全球治理的重要参与方乃至引领方。二十国集团(G20)、金砖国家合作机制、上海合作组织等新兴的全球经济治理机制吸纳了众多来自“全球南方”的成员。2023年非盟获准加入二十国集团,金砖国家南非峰会同意邀请6国加入该机制,非洲和平代表团史无前例地走出非洲以推动和平解决乌克兰危机,“全球南方”国家广泛呼吁关注巴以冲突中的人道主义危机,这些都是“全球南方”国际影响力提升的表现。亚洲基础设施投资银行、新开发银行等新兴多边发展融资机构给予“全球南方”国家发展需求以更多的优先考量,显示出“全球南方”较以往有更多内生动力和资源参与全球事务、实现自身发展。以金砖国家为代表的新兴经济体的群体性崛起改变了“全球南方”的落后面貌,人口众多、幅员辽阔的“全球南方”以联合国2030年可持续发展议程为主要内容的现代化进程正在深刻塑造人类文明的未来形态。

From an external perspective, amid the great change of growing diversification in the international pattern of power, the United States and the West, in order to maintain their hegemonic position, have tried to draw in the countries of the Global South to support their dominant or superior position in the international order. The United States and the West have begun to deconstruct neoliberal globalization and adjust the mode of globalization. Their basic logic is to lock China and other emerging market countries and developing countries at the low end of global production and value chains through the tribalization of globalization, while they themselves remain at the top. The United States and the West have been strengthening their influence in the Global South by building ideological ties, promoting the “nearshoring” and “friend-shoring” of supply chains, and launching global infrastructure initiatives, thus creating a situation in which international forces compete for the Global South. However, while the Global South welcomes the increased resources allocated by the United States and the West to international development, it does not subscribe to their accompanying logic of economic protectionism and pan-securitization. It continues to support the openness of the world economic system and the preservation of the international order and multilateral cooperation represented by the United Nations.

从外因来看,在国际权力格局日趋多元化的大变局之中,美西方为维持霸权地位试图拉拢“全球南方”国家支持其在国际秩序中的主导或优势地位。美西方开始解构新自由主义全球化、调整全球化模式,其基本逻辑是通过全球化的部落化转型,把中国等新兴市场国家和发展中国家锁定在全球产业链和价值链的底端,而其自身则稳居顶端。美西方通过构建意识形态纽带、推进供应链“近岸化”和“友岸化”以及发起全球基础设施倡议等措施强化其在“全球南方”的影响力,从而营造了国际力量在争夺“全球南方”的情景。然而,尽管“全球南方”欢迎美西方拿出更多的资源用于国际发展,但他们并不认同与之相伴的经济保护主义和泛安全化逻辑,而是继续支持世界经济体系的开放性和维护以联合国为代表的国际秩序与多边合作。

The Global South’s view of the international order

“全球南方”的国际秩序观

The Global South has the economic attribute of pursuing sustainable development, but it also has the political attribute of pushing the evolution of the international order in a more just and rational direction, so it is a political concept that is highly relevant to the evolution of the international order. These dual attributes enable the Global South to give full play to unique strengths and roles to play in resolving international conflicts, promoting international development, addressing climate change, and advancing the dialogue of civilizations, thus becoming a constructive force in the evolution of the international order.

“全球南方”不仅具有追求可持续发展的经济属性,还具有推动国际秩序向公正合理方向演进的政治属性,它是一个与国际秩序演变高度相关的政治概念。这种双重属性推动“全球南方”在化解国际冲突、促进国际发展、应对气候变化和推进文明对话等领域发挥出独特优势和作用,从而成为国际秩序演变中的一支建设性力量。

  1. Pursuing peaceful transformation

一、追求和平转型

The most important function of the international order is to provide countries a system of rules for peaceful coexistence and the ability to resolve conflicts peacefully. The end of the Cold War did not bring lasting peace to the world. Neo-interventionism and NATO’s eastward expansion have exacerbated tensions and turmoil in the global geopolitical situation. Among major powers, political mutual trust and willingness to cooperate on security have declined sharply. In a context in which the threat of terrorism has not completely receded, in order to maintain U.S. hegemony, the U.S. security strategy has, for the first time in the post-Cold War era, listed major power rivalry as the greatest threat facing the United States. On a global scale, it seeks to maintain a long-term competitive advantage over China and contain Russia. These adjustments in U.S. national security strategy have worsened the external strategic environment for the Global South, and some Global South countries face pressure from the United States to choose sides.

国际秩序的最重要功能是为各国提供和平共处的规则体系与和平化解冲突的能力。冷战的结束并未给世界带来持久和平,新干涉主义与北约东扩加剧了全球地缘政治形势的紧张与动荡,大国间的政治互信与安全合作意愿急剧下降。在恐怖主义威胁并未彻底消退的背景下,美国为维护自身霸权地位,国家安全战略首次在后冷战时代将大国竞争列为美国面临的最大威胁,在全球范围内谋求维持对华长期竞争优势并遏制俄罗斯。美国国家安全战略的上述调整恶化了“全球南方”所处的外部战略环境,一些“全球南方”国家面临着美国要求其选边站队的压力。

Unlike concepts such as “democratic peace theory,” hegemonic stability theory, and absolute security advocated by the United States and the West, countries of the Global South emphasize the maintenance of international security based on the UN Charter, highlighting the importance of settling international disputes peacefully. Multilateral mechanisms dedicated to global and regional security governance, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS cooperation mechanism, are making helpful efforts. The SCO focuses on resolving regional security threats. At the same time, it includes as members countries with territorial disputes, such as India and Pakistan, thus demonstrating strong inclusiveness and cooperation ability. Shortly after the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, both countries were invited to become new members of the BRICS cooperation mechanism. The actual practice of the SCO and the BRICS cooperation mechanism shows that the countries of the Global South are increasingly united on the basis of their common Global South identity and common aspirations for shaping a new international order. To a certain extent, they have transcended the constraints of national differences and localized conflicts.

不同于美西方倡导的“民主和平论”、霸权稳定论以及绝对安全等理念,“全球南方”国家强调维护以《联合国宪章》为根本遵循的国际安全,突出和平解决国际争端的重要性。以上海合作组织、金砖国家合作机制等为代表的致力于全球和地区安全治理的多边机制正在作出有益尝试。上海合作组织聚焦解决地区安全威胁,同时吸纳了印度、巴基斯坦等存在领土争端的国家作为成员,展示了很强的包容性与合作能力。在沙特和伊朗和解后不久,两国均获邀成为金砖国家合作机制的新成员。上海合作组织、金砖国家合作机制的实践表明,“全球南方”国家越来越基于“全球南方”的共同身份、共同塑造新国际秩序的诉求而团结起来,在一定程度上超越了国家的差异性和局部矛盾的束缚。

Confronted with the new round of international security crises represented by the Ukrainian crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, most Global South countries have not followed the United States and the West’s dance, but rather have determined their own positions on the basis of their perceptions of the rights and wrongs of the crises, their humanitarian concerns, and their own national interests, and they have actively played a mediating role in promoting peace and negotiations. The vast majority of Global South countries reject the provision of military assistance or the imposition of unilateral sanctions on belligerent nations, and do not subscribe to pan-securitization practices that unjustifiably define specific countries or enterprises as security threats. This new position on international security affairs has been summed up as “active non-alignment.” “Active non-alignment” here refers to a foreign policy approach in which the vast majority of Global South countries rationally focus on their own interests and refuse to take sides in conflicts between major powers. Some of the more economically powerful countries of the Global South are more willing to demonstrate international influence in the international security field, and manage their relations with the countries concerned independently and autonomously according to their own interests. The emergence of active non-alignment reflects the general disillusionment of the Global South with the so-called “liberal international order,” and calls for preserving the “rules-based order” seem only to serve the interests of major powers and not the global public interest. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsened, Bolivia severed ties with Israel, Colombia and Chile recalled their ambassadors to Israel, and Time magazine wrote an article bemoaning the fact that the United States was violating the “rules-based international order” in Gaza and thereby losing the Global South. Under these security circumstances, the countries of the Global South have called for reforming the institutional arrangements of the post-war international security order, and in particular for the UN Security Council to be more representative and for limits to be placed on the powers of the permanent members.

面对以乌克兰危机、巴以冲突为代表的新一轮国际安全危机,大多数“全球南方”国家没有跟随美西方起舞,而是从对危机本身是非曲直的认知、人道主义关切以及本国国家利益出发确定本国立场,积极发挥劝和促谈的斡旋作用。绝大多数“全球南方”国家拒绝向交战国提供武器援助或施加单方面制裁,也不赞同那种毫无根据地将特定国家或企业定义为安全威胁的泛安全化行径,这种对待国际安全事务的新立场被概括为“积极不结盟”。这里的“积极不结盟”指的是一种外交政策方针,绝大多数“全球南方”国家拒绝在大国之间的冲突中选边站队,理性关注自己的利益;一些经济实力较强的“全球南方”国家更愿意在国际安全领域展示国际影响力,他们根据自身利益独立自主地处理与相关国家的关系。“积极不结盟”的兴起反映了“全球南方”对所谓“自由国际秩序”的普遍失望,维护“基于规则的秩序”的呼吁似乎只符合大国利益,而不是全球公共利益。随着加沙人道主义危机不断恶化,玻利维亚与以色列断绝了关系,哥伦比亚和智利召回了各自驻以大使,《时代》杂志撰文哀叹美国正因在加沙违反“基于规则的国际秩序”而失去“全球南方”。在上述安全形势下,“全球南方”国家呼吁对战后国际安全秩序的制度安排进行改革,特别是联合国安理会应该更具代表性并对常任理事国的权力作出限制。

  1. Pursuing development rights

二、追求发展权益

Many countries of the Global South have long been constrained by their own resources and development capacity, and in international development cooperation they have long been subject to the financing conditions of donor countries and international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. This has made it difficult for them to independently and autonomously formulate more rational development policies in line with their own national conditions. They urgently need more equal, autonomous, and win-win opportunities for international development cooperation. Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and other countries of the Global South have long been subjected to financial and trade sanctions by the United States and other Western countries, and have almost lost the external conditions for obtaining development resources through the global financial and trade system. The “decoupling and chain-breaking” and “small yard, and high fence” strategies pushed by the United States in the field of science and technology have also seriously interfered with and restricted Global South countries’ access to and use of emerging S&T. At a time when the United States and the West increasingly view economic globalization in a negative light, the countries of the Global South continue to be a force that actively supports economic globalization.

长期以来,众多“全球南方”国家受自身资源和发展能力的约束,在国际发展合作中长期受制于援助国和国际货币基金组织、世界银行等国际组织的融资条件,难以独立自主地根据本国国情制定更为合理的发展政策,他们迫切需要获得更为平等、自主与共赢的国际发展合作机会。古巴、委内瑞拉、伊朗等“全球南方”国家长期遭受美西方国家的金融和贸易制裁,几乎丧失了通过全球金融贸易体系获取发展资源的外部条件。美国在科技领域推动的“脱钩断链”“小院高墙”策略也对“全球南方”国家获得和使用新兴科技构成严重干扰与限制。在美西方日益从负面角度看待经济全球化之际,“全球南方”国家仍然是经济全球化的积极支持力量。

In view of the above circumstances, the Havana Declaration adopted at the G77+China summit in September 2023 voiced serious concerns, noting that the major challenges posed to developing countries by the current inequitable international economic order have reached their highest level. It called for a comprehensive reform of the international financial architecture, adoption of a more inclusive and coordinated approach to global financial governance, and for placing greater emphasis on cooperation among countries, as well as enhancing the representation of developing countries in global decision-making. It also rejected the imposition of laws and regulations with extraterritorial impact and all other forms of coercive economic measures, including unilateral sanctions against developing countries, and reiterated the urgent need to eliminate such measures immediately. The Global South’s call for reform of the international financial architecture was also echoed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who called on the IMF and World Bank to carry out thorough reforms, including increasing the representation of developing countries on the executive boards of both institutions, advancing quota reform, and improving the use of funds.

鉴于上述情况,2023年9月“77国集团和中国”峰会通过的《哈瓦那宣言》对此表达了严重关切,指出当前不公平的国际经济秩序给发展中国家带来的重大挑战已达到最严重的程度,呼吁对国际金融架构进行全面改革,采取更具包容性和协调性的全球金融治理方式,更加重视国家间合作,包括提高发展中国家在全球决策中的代表性;反对实施具有域外影响的法律法规和一切其他形式的胁迫性经济措施,包括对发展中国家的单边制裁,并重申迫切需要立即消除这些措施。“全球南方”关于改革国际金融架构的呼吁也得到了联合国秘书长古特雷斯的响应,他呼吁国际货币基金组织和世界银行进行彻底改革,包括增加发展中国家在这两家机构执行董事会的代表权重、推进份额改革和改善资金用途等。

Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the volatile international economic and security situation, and their own lack of S&T and innovation capacity, the countries of the Global South are lagging badly behind in their progress towards achieving sustainable development goals. They urgently need an international order that will enable developing countries to participate in creating the development opportunities brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and to make full use of them. A common aspiration of the Global South has been to achieve the development and modernization of their countries through new-type industrialization. The countries of the global South are no longer content to serve as suppliers of raw materials and markets for merchandise sales in the fourth industrial revolution, but wish to participate deeply in it through the use of science, technology, and innovation. The Havana Declaration recommends creating institutions that will help strengthen the ability of developing countries to acquire and develop science, technology, and innovation, opposes unfair practices such as technological monopolies that impede the technological development of developing countries, and calls on the international community to create an open, equitable, inclusive, and non-discriminatory environment for S&T development. It recognizes that the transfer of technology to developing countries is essential for scaling up and accelerating implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and jointly commits to win-win cooperation for global development and S&T development. In addition, the Global South is highly concerned about the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and its governance norms. It hopes to improve its own AI technology and AI application level and participate in the formulation of relevant global governance norms.

受新冠疫情、国际经济与安全形势动荡影响,加上自身科技与创新能力不足,“全球南方”国家实现可持续发展目标的进度已经严重滞后,他们迫切需要国际秩序能够使发展中国家参与创造和充分利用第四次工业革命带来的发展机遇。通过新型工业化实现本国发展与现代化是“全球南方”的共同诉求。广大“全球南方”国家不再满足于充当第四次工业革命的原料供应地和商品销售市场,而是希望通过借助科学、技术和创新深度参与其中。《哈瓦那宣言》建议创设有助于增强发展中国家获取和发展科学、技术和创新能力的机构,反对技术垄断等阻碍发展中国家技术发展的不公平做法,呼吁国际社会为科技发展营造开放、公平、包容、非歧视的环境,认识到向发展中国家转让技术对于扩大和加速实施联合国2030年可持续发展议程至关重要,共同致力于全球发展和科技发展合作共赢。此外,“全球南方”对方兴未艾的人工智能及其治理规范高度关注,希望提升自身的人工智能技术及其运用水平并参与到有关全球治理规范的制定之中。

  1. Pursuing environmental justice

三、追求环境正义

The Global South countries are emerging in an era that embraces climate and environmental justice. This makes it difficult for them to simply repeat the earlier modernization paths of developed capitalist countries. Guided by the constraints of the “dual carbon” [carbon peaking and carbon neutrality] goals and the value of pursuing green development, the countries of the Global South, which lack financial resources and technology, are calling for a transformation of the international order to meet the requirements of developing countries with regard to climate change issues. Despite the international community’s consensus on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, developed countries have failed to finally fulfill their commitment to provide U.S.$100 billion per year in climate financing to developing countries, to develop a clear and credible road map for doubling climate adaptation funds, and to change the business models of multilateral development banks and international financial institutions. In 2022, against the backdrop of extreme climate disasters in several countries of the Global South, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) reached a groundbreaking agreement to launch a “loss and damage” fund to assist less developed countries suffering from climate impacts.

“全球南方”国家崛起于一个崇尚气候环境正义的时代,这使得他们难以简单重复发达资本主义国家早期的现代化道路。在双碳目标的约束和追求绿色发展的价值指引下,缺乏资金与技术的“全球南方”国家呼吁国际秩序转型能够满足发展中国家在气候变化问题上的需求。尽管国际社会达成了共同但有区别的责任的原则共识,但发达国家未能最终履行每年为发展中国家提供1000亿美元气候融资的承诺,未能为将气候适应资金增加一倍制定清晰、可信的路线图,未能改变多边开发银行和国际金融机构的商业模式。2022年,在多个“全球南方”国家遭遇极端气候灾难的背景下,《联合国气候变化框架公约》第二十七次缔约方大会(COP27)达成一项突破性协议,推出了“损失与损害”基金,用以援助那些遭受气候影响的欠发达国家。

The Global South’s new generation of politicians have generally taken green development as their governing philosophy, signaling that the countries of the Global South are becoming increasingly important stakeholders in global climate politics. For example, President William Ruto of Kenya, President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, and President Lula da Silva of Brazil all place special emphasis on supporting global green development cooperation, and the Global South is providing global leadership on climate issues. Given the critical role of S&T in helping developing countries address climate change, the Global South has called for international cooperation to break down the technical barriers to developing countries in addressing the challenges of climate change, emphasizing the roles of S&T and innovation. The Global South is also gradually enhancing its own capacity building and S&T support to address climate change through South-South cooperation. The China-Brazil Joint Laboratory for Space Weather, for example, is dedicated to researching scientific issues of the near-Earth environment of the two countries and developing early warning weather models.

“全球南方”的新一代政治家普遍将绿色发展作为执政理念,这预示着“全球南方”国家正在成为全球气候政治中越来越重要的利益攸关方。例如,肯尼亚总统鲁托、哥伦比亚总统彼得罗以及巴西总统卢拉都特别强调支持全球绿色发展合作,“全球南方”在气候议题上正在发挥全球性的领导力。鉴于科学技术在帮助发展中国家应对气候变化中的关键作用,“全球南方”呼吁通过国际合作突破发展中国家在应对气候变化挑战方面的技术障碍,重视科学、技术和创新的作用。“全球南方”也在逐步通过南南合作的途径增强自身应对气候变化的能力建设和科技支撑,比如中国—巴西空间天气联合实验室致力于研究两国近地空间环境等科学问题及开发天气预警模型。

  1. Pursuing openness and inclusiveness

四、追求开放包容

The Global South is an informal term for a group of countries, and a high degree of tolerance for differences is a characteristic feature. In contrast to the populist political currents of the West in recent years, with their exclusivity and superiority, the Global South includes a large number of countries with different ideologies, social systems, religions, and customs, as well as different levels of economic development, and its view of the international order also shows respect and support for the world’s diversity. To a large extent, this respect for the world’s diversity stems from the confidence of the Global South countries in their own development achievements. The political awakening of the Global South is also reflected in its confidence and self-awareness regarding its own development models. Having witnessed the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States in 2008 and the riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021, the countries of the Global South have strengthened their political consciousness when it comes to seeking development paths that are aligned with their own national conditions. They have also gained a deeper understanding of the diversity of the international order, in which the diversification of development models is a core feature.

“全球南方”作为一个非正式的国家群体称谓,其典型特点是对差异性的高度包容。与近年来西方政坛具有排外性和优越性的民粹主义政治思潮不同,“全球南方”包含了意识形态、社会制度、宗教风俗、经济发展水平各异的众多国家,国际秩序观也表现出对世界多样性的尊重与支持。这种对世界多样性的尊重很大程度上源自“全球南方”国家对自身发展成就的信心。“全球南方”的政治觉醒还体现为对自身发展模式的自信与自觉。在目睹2008年美国次贷危机和2021年美国国会大厦骚乱事件之后,“全球南方”国家更加坚定了寻求符合本国国情发展道路的政治自觉,也对以发展模式多元化为主要内核的国际秩序多样性有了更深刻的认识。

The countries of the Global South have gradually broken away from the neoliberal development model based on the Washington Consensus and have become more aware of the need to learn from each other’s development experience and knowledge in the course of their international exchanges. For example, on the eve of her visit to China, Honduran President Xiomara Castro said that the reconstruction of Honduras needs new political, scientific, technological, commercial, and cultural perspectives, revealing her political will to obtain new ideas for development from China. Uruguay, Brazil, and China have gained international reputations for their respective renewable energy generation and inclusive social development programs, boosting the Global South’s international voice in the field of sustainable development. Unlike developed countries, which cling to a superior and closed mindset, countries of the Global South often view the development models and achievements of others with a mindset of learning and borrowing. Although the Global South group of countries is extremely diverse in terms of levels of development, political systems, cultures, and religions, it has three common attributes—the pursuit of political independence and autonomy, the pursuit of economic development and revitalization, and the pursuit of moral fairness and justice—and it places special emphasis on a sense of unity and self-strengthening.

“全球南方”国家逐渐摆脱了以“华盛顿共识”为主要内容的新自由主义发展模式的窠臼,更加注重在国际交往中对发展经验与知识的互学互鉴。比如,洪都拉斯总统卡斯特罗在访华前夕表示,洪都拉斯重建需要新的政治、科学、技术、商业和文化视野,表露出她打算从中国获取发展新思路的政治意愿。乌拉圭、巴西和中国分别在可再生能源发电、包容性社会发展项目获得了国际声誉,提升了“全球南方”国家在可持续发展领域的国际话语权。不同于发达国家抱持的优越和封闭心态,“全球南方”国家通常以学习和借鉴的心态看待他国的发展模式与发展成就。“全球南方”虽然是一个在发展程度、政治体系和文化宗教等各个方面极具多样性的国家群体,但其整体拥有政治上追求独立自主、经济上追求发展振兴和道义上追求公平正义三个共同属性,并且特别强调联合自强的团结意识。

The Global South is a global identity that is constantly under construction and evolving. Despite distinctive development paths, such as the Non-Aligned Movement, import substitution strategies, and neoliberal reforms, the countries of the global South have always attached importance to thinking about their development strategies at the level of the international order and global systems. Although the Global South’s exploration has a certain degree of criticality, it has always emphasized the importance of the two paths of South-South cooperation and North-South dialogue, reflecting its identification with and pursuit of the international order’s potential for openness and inclusiveness. For the vast number of countries of the Global South, the main flaw in today’s international order is that the concerns of developing countries have not received sufficient attention. The Global South’s identity construction is not for the purpose of “anti-Westernism.” Rather, it seeks a better coexistence with the West on the basis of safeguarding its own legitimate rights and interests.

“全球南方”是一种处于不断建构和演化之中的全球性身份。尽管经历了不结盟运动、进口替代战略、新自由主义改革等各具特色的发展道路探索,“全球南方”国家始终重视从国际秩序和全球体系的层次思考自身的发展战略。虽然“全球南方”的探索具有一定的批判性,但其始终强调南南合作与南北对话两个路径的重要性,反映出“全球南方”对国际秩序开放包容潜力的认同与追求。对于广大“全球南方”国家来说,当今国际秩序的主要缺陷是发展中国家的关切没有得到充分重视,“全球南方”的身份建构并不是为了“反西方”,而是在维护自身正当权益的基础上寻求与西方更好地共存。

Prospects for China’s relationship with the Global South

中国与“全球南方”关系的前景

In the face of recent U.S.-Western speculation about the concept of the Global South and attempts to exclude China from it, China has made it clear to the international community that it is a natural member of the Global South. In his speech at the closing ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum 2023, President Xi Jinping noted that, as a developing country and a member of the Global South, China has always shared a common fate with other developing countries, firmly safeguarded the common interests of developing countries, and pushed for increasing the representation and voice of emerging market countries and developing countries in global affairs. This has not only defined China’s identity as a country of the Global South, but has also shown China’s expectations for its role in the Global South.

面对近期美西方热炒“全球南方”概念并试图将中国排斥在“全球南方”之外的形势,中国向国际社会明确表达中国是“全球南方”的当然成员。习近平主席在2023年金砖国家工商论坛闭幕式致辞中指出,作为发展中国家、“全球南方”的一员,中国始终同其他发展中国家同呼吸、共命运,坚定维护发展中国家共同利益,推动增加新兴市场国家和发展中国家在全球事务中的代表性和发言权。这不仅指明了中国作为“全球南方”国家的身份,而且表明了中国对自身在“全球南方”中的角色期许。

China has done its utmost to work with other countries of the Global South to promote a more just and rational international order. In the 1950s, China supported the Spirit of Bandung, which became the basis for South-South cooperation and pioneered a new type of international relations. In 1991, at the preparatory meeting for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, China and the Group of 77 for the first time jointly issued a position paper using the “G77+China” formulation, which has become an important mechanism for Global South activities. The SCO, the BRICS cooperation mechanism, and the “Belt and Road” initiative, all of which were launched with China’s participation, have further enriched the institutional channels through which the Global South participates in shaping the international order. It is precisely with China’s strong advocacy and support that the BRICS Cooperation Mechanism, after having admitted South Africa in 2011, has begun the process of expanding its membership again, and that the African Union has been able to join the G20. These developments not only reflect the consensus of the Global South on adhering to multilateralism and pushing for the reform and improvement of the global governance system, but also show the leading role China plays in the relevant processes.

中国尽己所能,与“全球南方”其他国家一道推动构建更加公正合理的国际秩序。20世纪50年代,中国支持的万隆精神成为南南合作的基础,也开创了新型国际关系的先河。1991年在联合国环境与发展大会筹备会上,中国同77国集团首次以“77国集团和中国”的方式共同提出立场文件,“77国集团和中国”已成为“全球南方”的重要活动机制。中国参与发起的上海合作组织、金砖国家合作机制、共建“一带一路”等国际机制安排进一步丰富了“全球南方”参与塑造国际秩序的机制性渠道。正是在中国的大力倡导和支持下,金砖国家合作机制在2011年吸纳南非加入之后再度开启扩员进程,非盟得以加入二十国集团,这些进展既反映出“全球南方”在坚持多边主义、推动改革完善全球治理体系方面的共识,也体现出中国在相关进程中发挥的引领作用。

In July 2023, China put forward a four-point proposal on strengthening cooperation among the countries of the Global South, that is, they should work together on eliminating conflict and building peace, restoring vitality and promoting development, being open and inclusive and seeking common progress, and achieving unity and cooperation. It also emphasized that China is willing to work with the numerous emerging market countries and developing countries to promote implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and jointly build a community of common destiny for mankind. This proposal by China is highly compatible with the Global South’s view of the international order, and demonstrates the bright prospects for China to work hand in hand with the Global South. In order to better promote cooperation and development among the Global South countries, efforts are still needed in three areas. The first is continuously raising awareness of the importance of the Global South. The Global South is a constructive force that amid great changes supports economic globalization, maintains international peace, and implements the sustainable development agenda. Despite its underdevelopment, the Global South’s development achievements and potential are also very evident, and it has an important role to play in promoting the building of a community of common destiny for mankind. The second is strengthening the unity of the global South. In response to deliberate attempts by some countries and forces to divide and polarize the Global South, China should further unite developing countries, promote the continuous improvement and implementation of such mechanisms as the BRICS cooperation mechanism and “G77+China,” and enhance the solidarity of the Global South. The third is strengthening people’s emotional identification with the Global South. Through the practice of joint “Belt and Road” construction and the extension of regional and country-specific research results, people’s awareness of the Global South will gradually increase, making them fully realize that the rise of the Global South is conducive to promoting the development of the international order in a more just and rational direction. This will then consolidate the public opinion foundation for building a new type of international relations and South-South cooperation.

2023年7月,中方就加强“全球南方”国家合作提出四点主张,即要消除冲突,共建和平;要重振活力,共促发展;要开放包容,共谋进步;要团结一致,共商合作,并强调中方愿同广大新兴市场国家和发展中国家一道,推动落实全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议、全球文明倡议,共同构建人类命运共同体。中方的上述主张与“全球南方”的国际秩序观高度契合,展示了中国与“全球南方”携手共进的美好前景。为了更好地推动“全球南方”国家合作与发展,尚需要从以下几个方面着力:一是不断提升对“全球南方”重要性的认知。“全球南方”是大变局中支持经济全球化、维护国际和平与践行可持续发展议程的建设性力量。“全球南方”虽然存在欠发达的一面,但其发展成就和潜力亦非常明显,并且在推动构建人类命运共同体中发挥着重要作用。二是切实强化“全球南方”的团结。针对一些国家和势力蓄意割裂和分化“全球南方”国家等现象,中国要进一步团结广大发展中国家,推动金砖国家合作机制、“77国集团和中国”等机制不断完善和落实,增进“全球南方”的联合自强。三是加强民众对“全球南方”的情感认同。通过共建“一带一路”实践与区域国别研究成果的推广,逐步提升民众对“全球南方”的认知水平,使之充分认识到“全球南方”崛起有利于推动国际秩序朝着更加公正合理的方向发展,进而夯实构建新型国际关系和南南合作的民意基础。

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Cite This Page

牛海彬 (Niu Haibin). "The Global South Is an Important Driving Force in the Evolution of the International Order [“全球南方”是国际秩序演变的重要推动力量]". CSIS Interpret: China, original work published in Contemporary World [当代世界], November 26, 2023

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