Global South Leaders Push for Unified Voice in International Governance

Li Xuesong, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, highlighted China’s upcoming role in hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen and its 2027 BRICS presidency as key opportunities to advocate for inclusive globalization. He urged nations to reject the weaponization of trade, arguing that the Global South must be better integrated into the international division of labor to share the dividends of economic growth.

Former Kyrgyz prime minister Djoomart Otorbaev challenged the current architecture of global institutions, pointing specifically to the International Monetary Fund. He questioned why Global South nations remain marginalized in shareholder structures and voting rights, suggesting that President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative aims to reform rather than replace existing systems. Meanwhile, China Daily deputy editor-in-chief Xing Zhigang stressed that think tanks must move beyond existing discourse to produce original policy analysis that helps set international agendas.

Zou Jiayi, president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, observed a growing trend of developing economies acting as active donors and shareholders. Based on recent travels to over 30 member economies, she noted that while protectionism rises in other parts of the world, developing nations remain committed to open trade and infrastructure development. These emerging economies, she argued, are the primary forces capable of rebalancing the global economy.