China and India must cooperate for growth of Global South
Who is better placed to lead the Global South India or China ? Many articles have been written on this topic and quite many attempting to discredit one or the other. China is mostly discredited with the “debt trap” rhetoric.
Though it is very clear that India is destined to emerge as a natural leader at par with China not only of the Global South but of the World as such. This rise will be merely claiming it’s true position as it existed till mid 18th Century.
With the World economy in turmoil, the race to lead world is bound to intensify with India and China as the primary candidates from the Global South and USA and European Union fro the Western World.
However, the shared challenges and opportunities faced by the countries of the Global South require unity and cooperation, not confrontation.
Positioning China and India – two emerging economies – against each other will only undermine the valuable cohesion and spirit of cooperation among Global South nations.
The Global South is not like the G7, which has a strict organizational structure. It is more of a loose coalition.
Therefore, overly emphasizing the competition for leadership will divide the Global South, weakening its ability to contend for a stronger voice on the global stage.
India as the world’s largest developing country, is a natural member of the Global South and plays a leading and exemplary role within the group.
However, in recent years, the Western notion of China and India vying for the leadership of the Global South has gained significant attention. In reality, India has never sought to compete for leadership within any group of countries, nor does it aspire to unipolar dominance.
India has long been concerned with the so-called dominance of the Global South by the West. It has hosted three Voice of Global South virtual summits as the world’s largest developing country.
In fact, to win the support of countries in the Global South, India is focusing on a broader perspective of cooperation. India may not yet have excess funds to pump into blanket infrastructure projects in other countries… And money is the primary influencing factor for many of the economically weak nations.
While India maintains relatively good relations with many countries in the Global South, it still faces gaps in investment, financing and infrastructure development.
Currently, China on the other hand through the Belt and Road Initiative, has been trying to achieve tangible results.
However for many countries in the Global South, this has become sort of a debt trap which have been widely recognized by both their governments and citizens.
To achieve better development for the Global South, what China and India need is to cooperate. India has always been eager to share its experiences and work with other countries to promote the common development of the Global South.
2024 has been a fruitful year for Global South cooperation, and as the new year approaches, the Global South will continue to rise.
The further development of the Global South depends on unity and cooperation between nations, rather than competition and confrontation.
To become anchors in this turbulent world, China and India must recognize the historical responsibilities they bear, viewing both bilateral and Global South interests from a long-term and strategic perspective.
