LSE Global South Dialogue Series: Whose Global South? China’s Narratives, Coalitions, and Geoeconomic Strategy

This talk examines how Beijing frames the Global South as a community of developing countries, a coalition for global governance, and a geoeconomic arena.

The talk explores how China frames the Global South as a community of developing countries, a coalition for reforming global governance, and a geoeconomic arena shaped by trade, technology, and great-power competition. It argues that these narratives seek to legitimize China’s leadership while creating space for strategic influence. The speakers discuss how Global South countries selectively adopt, reinterpret, or resist these framings.