As the US funds Israel’s war in Gaza, it is quickly losing credibility in the Middle East, where public opinion is tilting towards Beijing and Moscow.
One highly visible example of China’s pursuit of increased engagement with countries in the Global South is its rising economic and diplomatic activity in Egypt, where official visits and investment by Chinese firms in a variety of sectors are building on long-standing relations.
Journalists reporting on the war in Gaza struggle to stay alive as they face restrictions from Israel. The Western media marginalises Palestinian suffering in a manner similar to coverage of the Iraq war.
Viewing themselves as victims of colonialism and apartheid, black South Africans support Palestinians’ struggle against Israel and Zionism. Palestinians’ suffering weighs on the conscience of many Africans and is turning their cause from a pan-Arab concern to a pan-African one.
Rising temperatures and falling agricultural productivity are not just harming food security but exacerbating human displacement and the potential for conflict. Africa needs wealthy nations to join China in funding its climate change fight and supporting its push for green mobility.
Egypt and Ethiopia’s inclusion in the bloc now gives the continent three seats at the table, from which to leverage the development of the whole region. A more united Global South will also be more forceful in pushing back against US pressure to fall in line with American foreign policy priorities.