Xi advocates bigger say of Global South for fairer world order

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus" Meeting in Tianjin, north China, Sept. 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- As the Global South rises, it deserves a bigger say in global affairs.

Last year's SCO Tianjin summit witnessed Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Global Governance Initiative, a major proposition of China to advance a more just and equitable global governance system.

At the heart of this vision is the conviction that every country has a place and an equal role to play in global governance.

Xi has long argued that international affairs should not be dictated by those with more muscles. "World affairs should be discussed by all, and international norms should be set by all," he said in Bishkek last week. "The domination of international affairs by a few is an injustice left over from history, and global governance dictated by one, a few or a bloc of countries is not true multilateralism."

"As an important part of a multipolar world and a key driving force behind it, the Global South countries ought to have greater representation and voice in international affairs," Xi said.

Over the years, the SCO and BRICS have grown into vital venues for Global South countries to articulate their interests, coordinate their positions and strengthen their collective influence.

Their growing role can be seen in political coordination. The two groupings have issued statements on international and regional hotspot issues. In March this year, for example, SCO member states issued a statement expressing grave concern over developments in the Middle East and the strikes on Iran.

Xi has also pushed for improving global economic and financial governance. In 2014, Xi and other BRICS leaders formally signed an agreement establishing the New Development Bank, creating a new channel for financing infrastructure and sustainable development in emerging markets and developing countries.

At the SCO Bishkek summit, the members reaffirmed the importance of establishing the SCO Development Bank.

Robotic arms work in an energy storage production workshop at the Sigenergy Nantong Smart Energy Center in Nantong, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

Now the push for a greater say is extending into emerging areas that will shape the future. In July this year, Xi announced the creation of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, and called for joint efforts to build a just and equitable system of global AI governance.

"We must carry out extensive international cooperation and help Global South countries with capacity building to bridge the AI and digital divides, promote sustainable development, and prevent creating new historical injustice in AI," Xi said.

Beyond the SCO and BRICS, China has also promoted cooperation and greater representation for the Global South through frameworks such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the China-ASEAN summit.

Xi has said on many occasions that China has always been a member of the Global South and will always belong to the developing world.

"No matter how the international landscape evolves, we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South," he once said.