The Global South has a leading role to play in bringing about a new paradigm for Mankind. That was one of the central messages in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s keynote address to the June 28 “Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence,” held in Beijing, which was also emphasized in a follow-up luncheon presentation by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also covered by Global Times.
“It is necessary for Global South to stand at the forefront of the historical trend, Wang Yi said at the Friday luncheon. The eight measures announced by President Xi to support cooperation in the Global South demonstrate China’s firm determination to stand in solidarity with all Global South countries through thick and thin, and to promote the development and revitalization of the Global South, said Wang.”
The GT article then quoted from various international guests at the event, prominently featuring former Guyanese President Donald Ramotar:
“Donald Ramotar, former president of Guyana, who attended the Friday events, said that China is already working with the Global South in a very profound way and that it is offering an alternative to the kind of relations that used to exist within the Western imperialist world, whose only aim was to exploit the developing world to keep them poor and dependent. China’s building of infrastructure through various initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative is also a contribution to strengthening the sovereignty and independence of the Global South, said Ramotar.”
An article on the Chinese government State Council website reported that about 600 people attended the event, “including former foreign political figures, representatives of international and regional organizations, envoys from more than 100 countries, experts and scholars, and media and business representatives, attended the conference. A luncheon and four sub-forums were held on the same day.”
Dilma Rousseff, president of the BRICS New Development Bank and former Brazilian President, was also present. “Rousseff said that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity provide a robust foundation for fostering mutual respect and development among nations, and contribute to addressing the common challenges faced by humanity,” the State Council wrote. Rousseff emphasized the concrete steps announced by President Xi, including that “a Global South research center will be established, and 1,000 scholarships under the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Scholarship of Excellence and 100,000 training opportunities to Global South countries will be provided in the coming five years. These measures are expected to provide innovative solutions for global development and governance, and highlight the crucial role of developing nations in shaping a fairer and more equitable international system, Rousseff said.”
