China Highlights Global Solidarity on UN South-South Cooperation Day
- Exploring China's increasing engagement with developing nations, its motivations, and the implications for global geopolitics.
- South-South cooperation refers to the exchange of knowledge, skills, and resources between developing countries.It's a collaborative effort to achieve advancement goals, distinct from traditional North-South aid models.
- September 12th is the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation.
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China and the Global South: A Deepening Partnership
Table of Contents
Exploring China’s increasing engagement with developing nations, its motivations, and the implications for global geopolitics.
What is South-South Cooperation?
South-South cooperation refers to the exchange of knowledge, skills, and resources between developing countries.It’s a collaborative effort to achieve advancement goals, distinct from traditional North-South aid models. This cooperation is increasingly vital in a changing global landscape.
September 12th is the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation. This year, 2025, marks the 47th anniversary of the adoption of the “Buenos Aires Plan of Action” for the global South. Though, today’s practices differ significantly from the 1978 blueprint in terms of values and governance logic.
China’s Role and Key Initiatives
China actively promotes cooperation with the Global South, seeking to increase mutual political trust by coordinating positions on regional and global issues. This aims to strengthen the collective power of developing nations and amplify their voices in international forums.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a importent speech at the “BRICS Summit” Dialog on October 24, 2024, outlining three key proposals to support the Global South:
- Supporting peace and achieving common security.
- stimulating development and achieving global prosperity.
- Promoting a “high-level community of shared future between China and the developing global South”.
Alongside these proposals, President Xi announced a series of measures to promote development, sparking international discussion.
New cooperation themes introduced by China include:
- State governance
- Industrialization and agricultural modernization
- Peace and security
- High-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative
The trilateral Cooperation Mechanism
The Trilateral south-South cooperation mechanism, facilitated by the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, aims to foster lasting peace, prosperity, and cultural exchange among the People’s Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. The Customs Cooperation Council was officially inaugurated in Seoul, South Korea, in September 2011, following agreements ratified by all three governments.
This mechanism represents a unique form of regional cooperation, demonstrating a commitment to shared development goals.
Evolving Dynamics of South-South Cooperation
Today’s South-South cooperation practices are evolving. Triangular cooperation introduces a third element: donor countries and multilateral organizations which provide technical, financial, and in-kind support to foster these exchanges. This expands the scope and impact of South-South initiatives.
| Cooperation Type | Key Actors | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional South-South | Developing Countries | Peer-to-peer learning, resource sharing, limited external funding. |
| Triangular cooperation | Developing Countries, Donor Countries, Multilateral Organizations | Combines South-South knowledge exchange with external financial and technical support. |