Global South is key force for reforming intl order; 2024 expected to be fruitful year for cooperation: Wang

Illustration: GT

The Global South is no longer the "silent majority," but a key force for reforming the international order and a source of profound hope as the world undergoes changes unseen in the last century, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday.

A stronger BRICS means a growing force for peace and an increasing international support for justice. It should not be seen as a challenge, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, when holding a press conference Thursday on the sidelines of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress. He made these remarks in response to some Western media outlets and scholars who claimed that the rise of the Global South is challenging the international order led by the West.

In a broader sense, the expansion of BRICS is the embodiment of the collective rise of the Global South and the acceleration of the process of world multipolarization. As a collection of emerging market countries and developing countries, the Global South has increased its share in the world economy to more than 40 percent, and is profoundly rewriting the map of the world economy, Wang said.

Independence is the distinct quality of the Global South and seeking strength through unity is its tradition, Wang continued.

China was, is and will be a steadfast member of the Global South. We go through thick and thin and head toward a shared future together with countries of the Global South, and we are always a crucial force for the development and prosperity of the Global South, the foreign minister stated.

According to Wang, this year will be a fruitful year for Global South cooperation, and a new starting point for unity among Asian, African and Latin American countries given that the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum will mark the 20th anniversary, and the China-CELAC Forum has been established for 10 years. In particular, the new summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be held in China this autumn.

We also support Russia in hosting the BRICS summit, Brazil and Peru in hosting the G20 summit and the APEC Leaders' Meeting respectively, Wang said.

China looks forward to continuing to promote unity and cooperation among developing countries to augment the strength of the South and to jointly create a shining "South moment" in global governance, he said.