China deepens ties with Global South to counter U.S.-led order

BEIJING — The six-nation tour recently completed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had the objective of building relations with Global South countries by advancing Beijing’s great power diplomacy.

On the first leg of his travels after departing Jan. 13, Wang visited Africa with stays in Egypt, Tunisia, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire. The Latin American portion kicked off with a two-day visit in Brazil, followed by a stop in Jamaica.

The tour represents the first overseas sojourn in 2024 for China’s top diplomat.

Upon landing in Brazil’s capital of Brasilia last Thursday, Wang met with Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.

“The two biggest developing countries and representatives of emerging market economies in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, should strengthen unity and cooperation to jointly respond to global challenges,” Wang said during the meeting, according to China’s foreign ministry. On Friday, Wang and Vieira co-chaired a comprehensive strategic dialogue.

As one of the leaders of the Global South, Brazil is this year’s chair of the Group of 20 major economies. Brazil and China along with Russia, India and South Africa are known the BRICS group of emerging nations.

During the BRICS summit held last August in South Africa, the members decided to invite six new countries into the bloc, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. When Wang visited Egypt on Jan. 14, he congratulated Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for joining the group.

Wang also met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, where they discussed the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The diplomats released a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire as well as the implementation of a two-state solution.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Cairo on Jan. 14.   © Reuters

China has brandished the infrastructure Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in its bid to expand cooperation with the Global South. When Tunisian President Kais Saied met with Wang on Monday last week, he said his country will continue to actively participate in the BRI. Wang and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness also discussed the initiative.

Another objective of Wang’s tour was applying diplomatic pressure on Taiwan, which elected Lai Ching-te as president earlier this month. The Chinese government has shown hostility toward Lai based on its view that he seeks Taiwan’s independence, an idea that clashes with Beijing’s vision of unifying with the island.

All six countries on Wang’s tour expressed their support for the “One China” principle, which states that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. In a Chinese media interview on Friday, Wang said all 53 African nations that share diplomatic relations with Beijing support the cause of China’s peaceful reunification with Taiwan.

These efforts are based on the “major-country diplomacy” advocated by Chinese President Xi Jinping under which China offers developing and emerging nations opportunities for economic and social development, and expands its network of friendly nations through shared growth.

Beijing’s intent is to create an international order that is not dependent on the U.S., with which bilateral tensions have intensified.

December’s central foreign affairs work conference, which was held in Beijing with Xi in attendance, declared its opposition to unilateralism and protectionism and called for a multipolar world that goes beyond the U.S.-led order.

Building on the conference’s outcomes, Wang said at a Beijing symposium that China will build a global community and a shared future with the Global South.

“We will always adhere to self-confidence, self-reliance, openness and inclusiveness to fulfill the responsibilities of a major country,” he said.

China’s great power diplomacy, which is underpinned by its economic and military strength, has brought friction with other countries. In the South China Sea, Beijing has declared territorial rights over the Spratly islands, which it calls Nansha, placing it at odds with the Philippines.

A Chinese Coast Guard vessel was involved in a recent collision with a Philippine ship at Ayungin Shoal, which followed an incident where China deployed water cannons against Philippine vessels in the same area.

Argentine President Javier Milei, who took office in December, decided not to join BRICS out of a reluctance to strengthen relations with China. Also in December, Italy notified China about its intentions to withdraw from Belt and Road, in response to voices within Italy that cast doubt on economic benefits to be derived from the initiative.