At the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which begins on September 4, Beijing will again seek to deepen its engagement with countries in the Global South. Chinese leader Xi Jinping, to his credit, has shrewdly recognized the frustrations and aspirations of the developing world and has capitalized on these sentiments to bolster China’s global political and economic influence. The three-day event, which China’s Foreign Ministry has called “the largest diplomatic event China has held in years,” is just one in a series of programs, initiatives, and meetings Beijing has launched to strengthen its diplomatic, business, and trade ties with countries in the Global South.
But Xi’s approach to the developing world has changed significantly over the past two years, becoming increasingly consumed by Beijing’s geopolitical rivalry with the United States and its allies and partners. This shift will have profound implications for Beijing’s relations with the Global South, China’s role in the international order, and the future course of its global influence.
The goal of Xi’s strategy is to create a coalition of states within the Global South that will act as a counterweight to the U.S. global alliance system and as a base for advancing China’s political, economic, and ideological interests. Xi wants to replace the U.S.-led rules-based international order with an alternative China-led order based on its own political principles that can weaken U.S. influence and shape new global governance through international institutions and forums.
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