The Rise of the Global South

As the balance of the world shifts, a term has entered common use in discussions of global affairs: the 'Global South'. It signals one of the most important trends of our era — the growing weight and assertiveness of nations that were often on the margins of 20th-century power politics. Understanding this shift is key to understanding where the world is heading.

What 'Global South' means

The 'Global South' is a broad term for the developing and emerging economies of Africa, Latin America, and much of Asia — many of them former colonies. It is not a precise geographic category but a shorthand for countries that share certain historical experiences and interests, and that have often felt underrepresented in a global order shaped largely by wealthy Western nations.

The term is imperfect and contested, but it captures a real and growing sense of shared identity and collective bargaining power among these nations.

Why they are rising

Several forces are driving the rise of the Global South. Rapid economic growth and young, expanding populations are shifting the world's economic centre of gravity. Rising powers such as India, along with regional heavyweights across continents, are demanding a greater say. And the growing competition among major powers gives smaller nations more room to bargain for what they want.

Increasingly, Global South nations decline to simply line up behind any single power bloc, preferring to pursue their own interests and keep their options open.

A more multipolar world

The result is a more multipolar world, in which power and influence are distributed more widely than during the era of clear superpower dominance. Global South nations are forming new partnerships, pushing for reform of international institutions, and asserting their priorities on issues from trade and development to climate change.

This does not mean a single unified bloc — the Global South is diverse and often divided — but its collective influence on the global agenda is unmistakably growing.

Reshaping the global agenda

The priorities of the Global South are increasingly hard to ignore. Development, debt, access to technology, climate justice and fairer representation in global bodies are rising up the international agenda, driven by these nations' demands. Major powers now actively court them, competing for their partnership and support.

For anyone following world affairs, the choices of Global South nations — on everything from trade to diplomacy — are becoming ever more consequential.

A trend that will define the century

The rise of the Global South is reshaping the structure of global politics, moving the world away from dominance by a small group of wealthy nations toward a broader distribution of influence. It is a defining trend of the 21st century.

Understanding it — its diversity, its demands and its growing weight — is essential to grasping the emerging shape of the world, and Taiwan, like others, must navigate this more plural landscape.

A more balanced view of the world

The rise of the Global South is also changing how the world is reported and understood. Perspectives once marginalised are gaining voice, and international debates increasingly reflect a wider range of interests and experiences. This shift encourages a more balanced, multi-sided view of global events.

For a publication that reports the world from a location outside the traditional centres of power, this broadening of perspective is a welcome and important development.