China asserts leadership in the Global South and economic growth

China is increasingly positioning itself as a central leader of the ‘Global South’ through strategic diplomatic engagements. Following a period of skepticism regarding the term, President Xi Jinping has utilized platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS to assert China’s role as a natural representative of developing nations.

Complementing this diplomatic push, the Mingde Strategic Dialogue 2026 in Beijing brought together international scholars to discuss the opportunities presented by China’s economic resilience. During the forum, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jennifer Shipley noted that global growth statistics would be ‘quite discouraging without the impetus of China,’ highlighting the country’s role as a stable anchor for mutual prosperity and its growing middle class as a driver for international trade.