The more than year-long war in Ukraine has prompted a rapid shift in the international landscape. One of the key changes is the rise of the Global South and its increasingly important role in the international system. China’s 'Global Times’ insists.
. Developing countries are positioned to maneuver in the game of great powers, and their political influence has risen rapidly. In the wake of the global South Ukraine crisis has maintained its diplomatic independence and strategic autonomy and has taken a middle path to accelerate its rise as a rising power in global politics.
After the outbreak of war, many countries of the Global South did not or did not give in to US pressure to join the camp of condemning and sanctioning Russia. This implies that the Global South is breaking away from the control of the great powers, reasserting its international status and role, and seeking strategic self-reliance and autonomy. The Global South’s opinion and actions on the Ukraine crisis include the following points.
First, they have taken a neutral position on the Ukraine issue. Global South countries generally believe that the war in Ukraine is a conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but in reality it is a strategic conflict between Russia and the US and the West on the other. As the main power of the Global South, the BRICS nations have made their judgment independently based on their history, maintaining a neutral and balanced position between the merits of the issue and the US and Russia on both sides of the conflict. .
Second, they play the role of a mediator. Countries of the Global South generally believe that the Ukraine issue cannot be resolved on the battlefield and support its resolution through political and diplomatic means. Developing countries have for some time been key players in the diplomatic arena in dealing with the Ukraine crisis. Countries including China, African countries, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Turkey are trying to promote peace talks. Diplomatic efforts in the Global South have demonstrated the strength of peacekeeping forces.
Third, they strongly defend their own interests. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has left developing countries innocent victims, and the unilateral economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the US and the West have caused serious economic damage. As a result, many developing countries face risks to their energy and food security and face a sharp deterioration in the development environment. The Ukraine crisis has intensified the conflict of interests between the Global South and the US and the West, and they cannot join the sanctions against Russia because it would be against their own interests. Therefore, they are seeking a solution to the Ukraine crisis that is different from that of the US and the West.
The rise of the Global South reflects a trend towards a shift in the balance of power in today’s world from West to East. Developing countries are no longer marginalized from the international community, dependent on the great powers and at the mercy of others, they have emerged as a significant force on the international stage. The economic size, diplomatic dynamism and international discourse of these countries have seen drastic changes and their positions and views are no longer relevant. Their growing economic power and political influence gave them strategic confidence and prompted them to show more strategic autonomy.
The rise of the Global South is the most important transformative trend in the international system since the Ukraine crisis, promoting the construction of a just and fair international order, concludes 'Global Times’.