China on mission mode to woo Global South following India’s G20 Presidency
China appears to woo the `Global South’ following the success of India’s G20 Summit where New Delhi gave leadership to the ‘Global South’. The Indian government is today at the forefront of providing leadership to the Global South and New Delhi’s leadership has been acknowledged globally.
China has become hyper-active about the Global South and related developments.
At the United Nations, China recently told assembled world leaders that it considers itself part of the Global South.
China also claimed it identified with the goals and challenges of less-developed nations and offered them an alternative to what it has long called “Western hegemony.”
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng’s statement in UN cannot be seen in isolation because of China’s deep economic and strategic interest in the countries of the Global South. There are several reasons why China may be claiming to be part of the Global South.
First, it allows China to identify with other developing countries and promote its own interests. Second, it allows China to distance itself from the developed countries, which China often criticizes for their economic and political policies.
Third, it allows China to seek support from developing countries on international issues.
According to The Independent, China benefits from association with the Global South, which allows it to style statements as if it speaks for many nations. Whether China and its $18 trillion GDP should actually be considered part of the Global South is a frequently debated matter.
An editorial in state-run, Global Times, claimed that the idea of a «Global South» without China is even a pseudo-proposition.
