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Global South

Global South
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Global South. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
African Union Commission chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf welcomes Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on January 8. Photo: Handout from African Union via EPA
Diplomacy

Opinion | Why so many states reject bloc rivalry to choose partnership with China

It’s a calculated choice to keep growth, infrastructure momentum and policy space alive in a world that punishes the economically exposed.

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European Union

Opinion | In the tech race, Europe can choose a path that sidesteps US-China rivalry

Brics

Could the Iran crisis push Global South blocs to deepen security ties?

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China trade

China pledges green-energy push with Global South, signals wider market opening

Sixth entry in Communist Party mouthpiece’s editorial series calls domestic market ‘world’s rarest resource’, vows supply-chain support to aid industrialisation.

Solar panels are seen in May at the China-Africa Green Technology Park in Mauritania. Solar panels and microgrid projects built by Chinese firms in Africa have electrified local communities, according to a People’s Daily commentary. Photo: Xinhua
US-Venezuela conflict

The US, Venezuela and why China is even less keen on talk of a G2

Beijing may seize on growing distrust of Washington and pitch itself to Global South as the more stable power, observers say.

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Donald Trump

US’ Asian allies reluctant to slam Trump’s ‘cowboy tactics’ against Venezuela

These countries fear the consequences of criticising the US, particularly given Trump’s willingness to use the tariff threat in trade talks.

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Climate change

Opinion | How China quietly became the world’s climate policy leader

For better or worse, the future of climate action will be shaped as much by Beijing’s relentless pragmatism as by Western ideals.

Wind turbines are seen in Suichuan county, Jiangxi province, on July 17, 2025. Photo: AFP
Diplomacy

Letters | China’s Latin America policy paper speaks language of multipolarity

Readers discuss why Beijing’s outreach to the region should not be seen as a challenge to Washington, the HK$2 subsidised transport fare for the elderly, and Hong Kong’s New Year countdown.

China’s soft power

From Labubu to blockbuster films, was 2025 the year of China’s soft power?

Chinese lifestyle brands and other cultural exports proved to be a hit around the world this year, here are some of our most notable stories.

European Union

Opinion | As Doha Forum made clear, Europe is losing its seat at the table

Consumed by Ukraine, the EU has effectively retreated from global engagement. An urgent foreign policy recalibration is needed.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani speaks on the first day of the 23rd edition of the annual Doha Forum in Qatar on December 6. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Beyond bipolar: why China-US rivalry defies the Cold War model

Chinese scholar Wang Jisi warns that current world order with ‘two superpowers and many strong powers’ faces growing risk of conflict.

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“I do think the United States has an attitude towards China, but it also has strategies towards China,” says Peking University scholar Wang Jisi, seen here at a talk in Beijing in January. Photo: Handout
China technology

Opinion | Why the Global South is embracing Chinese AI

The US champions AI as an autonomous agent, a content creator. China exports a vision of AI as a digital nervous system for the real economy.

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Africa

Opinion | How China can help Africa build human capital

To truly harness their potential, countries across the continent seeking to industrialise must develop education and infrastructure in tandem.

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Banking & finance

Opinion | How yuan internationalisation is helping to close the climate finance gap

Through fast-growing markets for yuan-denominated bonds, China is showing it can support sustainability projects across the Global South.

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Engineers walk past solar panels at Benban Solar Park, one of the world’s largest solar power plants, in Aswan, Egypt, on October 19, 2022. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Opinion | Battery revolution set to spark Global South’s century of prosperity

The rise of the sodium-ion battery promises to supercharge a green energy transition that will help level the global playing field.

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Workers inspect solar panels, an increasingly popular sustainable energy option for homes and businesses to generate electricity, in Mosul, Iraq, on July 9. Photo: Reuters
Open Questions series

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel on Taiwan, the Ukraine war, China-US ties

Zhou Bo ponders Japanese PM Takaichi’s recent remarks, lessons from the Ukraine conflict and why China won’t be world’s policeman.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Why next year’s G20 could be make or break for global development

As the US prepares to chair the G20, it faces a strategic choice: engage or revert to a narrower agenda.

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Climate change

Opinion | China’s quiet climate leadership offers hope for Global South and world

The Global North is failing to deliver on its climate pledges while Beijing patiently lays the groundwork for a greener future.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Diplomacy

China view wins out at global summits as US stays home

Cop30 and the G20 both saw China-backed multilateralism win the day, as US boycotts further eroded Washington’s global leadership.

China-India relations

India, China align on climate at Cop30 as ties thaw

Analysts say pairing China’s cleantech prowess with India’s energy needs has the potential to redefine Asia’s decarbonisation trajectory.

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China economy

Opinion | The rise of a Beijing-led ‘Global South Consensus’

As the Global South seeks a better development model and China looks for alternatives to mature markets, a match made out of mutual need is emerging.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Plus meeting in Tianjin, China, on September 1. Photo: EPA/Iranian Presidency handout
Belt and Road Initiative

China has lent more to US than any other country since 2000, report finds

China’s lending has been ‘vastly’ larger – and far more skewed towards developed countries – than previously assumed, AidData study finds.

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A Chinese flag flies from a ship at the Port of Oakland in California. China has lent far more to the United States in recent years than previously understood, a new AidData study has found. Photo: AP
Banking & finance

Opinion | Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai: the rise of the ‘family office triangle’

The Asian century will not be written by governments alone but by family offices that can turn opportunity into enduring prosperity.

China's military weapons

China displays latest UAV and fighter jets at the Middle East’s largest air show

Full-scale model of Wing Loong-X UAV makes first defence exhibition appearance outside the mainland as Beijing promotes aviation products.

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Climate change

Opinion | A global green industrialisation initiative can have a ‘win-win-win’ outcome

China’s green manufacturing capacity could be aligned with the West’s technological and capital strengths and the Global South’s development needs.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Climate change

Editorial | As the US sits out Cop30, China and others must pick up the slack

Technology and investment partnerships, especially among developing nations, could reinvigorate efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Indigenous leaders gather in the Cop30 Village during the UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, Brazil on November 12. Photo: Reuters
Ukraine war

Opinion | Only a multipolar coalition can secure Ukraine peace

To move forward, negotiations must be conducted on the basis of security guarantees that reflect today’s geopolitical realities.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | China is supporting multilateralism one institution at a time

With a new organisation to promote mediation, among other global bodies, China is signalling its enthusiasm to get more involved in world governance.

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