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Why China's favorability is rising across the Global South_我的网站

一 |     The energy issue appeared to be the real reason behind Biden's visit to the Saudi kingdom, which he promised to turn into a "pariah state" on the campaign trail in 2019-2020. Since the beginning of 2021, prices for oil have soared more than two-fold in the US, prompting the Biden administration to seek ways to convince the Saudis and their OPEC allies to step up crude production in order to bring energy costs down.,"The oil policy in Saudi Arabia pretty much is set," said Dr. Ahmed Al Ibrahim, a Riyadh-based political analyst. "They are monitoring the market and they are floating the market with supply chains consistently with the demand. They cannot overdo that because it does not help the market and the OPEC+ members. And also Saudi Arabia is burdened by contracts where they cannot really actually go by themselves and take the decision. They are part of an OPEC+ and these countries, they said they are very efficient and the energy prices are very good.",The political scientist highlighted that "there is no margin of complimenting the United States just because they needed more oil in the market for whatever reason." Moreover, according to the professor, the oil market is already saturated with oil and further extraction may only disrupt the balance. On June 30, officials from OPEC, Russia and other oil-producing countries confirmed their decision taken in May to increase output by 648,000 barrels per day in August.,"I think most of the OPEC+ countries, they've reached almost the maximum output," explained Al Ibrahim, adding that he does not see a way to considerably step up oil extraction in the foreseeable future.,Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) stated on July 16 that the only thing Riyadh can do is boost crude production from 10 million barrels per day to 13 million per day by 2027, adding that there is no additional capacity beyond that. MBS also highlighted that unified efforts are required to keep the global economy afloat, and that unrealistic policies regarding energy sources could instigate further inflation.,Bilateral Ties, Defense & Energy: Key Takeaways From Biden's Saudi Arabia Visit16 July, 14:40 GMT,Middle Eastern Players’ Security Concerns,Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are seeking the US’ concrete commitment to improve mutual ties. During the July 16 Jeddah Summit for Security and Development, which brought together the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) alongside Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, Biden vowed that the US would remain fully engaged in the Middle East. The US president particularly said that the US would not "leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran.","We will have to take from President Biden's word that America is not turning its back on the region, that America will defend its interests in the region," said Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, professor of political science at Emirates University and author of several books, including The Gulf Moment. "However, the future will reveal to what extent that is true.",Riyadh previously voiced concerns over the Biden administration putting US-Saudi arms deals on pause, as well as the White House's talks over the resumption of the Iran nuclear deal. In addition to that, it turned out in June 2021 that the Pentagon had pulled approximately eight Patriot anti-missile batteries from Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system was also withdrawn from Saudi Arabia at that time, according to the Wall Street Journal.,The professor drew attention to the fact that Washington has recently shifted its focus to Europe and to the Indo-Pacific from the Middle East. According to Abdulla, the Biden administration appears to be preoccupied with Ukraine and its rivalry with China, which is currently emerging as an economic superpower. "So whether America will pay attention to the Middle East in light of all of this preoccupation, that is something we will just have to watch for the days and months and years to come," he noted.,Dr. Ahmed Al Ibrahim echoes the Emirati professor's concerns: while the US and especially its military and intelligence community remain an important ally for Saudi Arabia, Riyadh cannot rely on the rapidly changing mood of the Democratic establishment, citing Biden's recent U-turn.,"Now, Biden is saying all that stuff," Al Ibrahim said. "Let's see if this administration will keep their part of the bargain or in three years another president comes and he decides to basically wipe up everything Biden said or actually recognize the region even more. Saudi Arabia is injured by the 18 months that this administration has ruptured the relationship with [Riyadh]. And we need to be shown some real solid commitment from the US in order for Saudi Arabia to recover from the mistrust and misunderstanding by this administration that did to us in the past 18 months.",Given that, neither Saudi Arabia nor Egypt, Israel or Iraq are going "to put all their eggs in one basket," Al Ibrahim pointed out, in an apparent reference to the potential diversification of diplomatic ties.,Earlier this week, Purnima Anand, the president of the BRICS International Forum, told Russian newspaper Izvestia that Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia are preparing to formally apply for membership in BRICS, an acronym for five emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.,Global Power Shifting Away From West, While BRICS Expanding & Increasing Legitimacy14 July, 16:45 GMT,Washington's Politicization of Khashoggi Case,It appears that US President Joe Biden could not help but raise the issue of the killing of Jamal Khashoggi once again during his trip, even though the Saudi kingdom conducted an extensive investigation into the crime and prosecuted eight culprits. Khashoggi's son Salah later announced that the Saudi judiciary had been fair to his family and that "justice has been achieved".,According to the Gulf observers, Biden's latest remark that he considers the crown prince responsible for the tragedy was primarily aimed at his electoral base ahead of the November midterm elections.,"President Biden, even when he is here in the region, has his mind in Washington and is speaking to an audience in America," said Abdulla. "And probably he wants to capitalize on his appearance in Washington, in Riyadh and in Jeddah. And he knows it is a large segment in his own party, the ones to the left listen to him very carefully, evaluating him.",The crown prince's answer was not long in coming: MBS told the US president that Saudi Arabia has dealt with the issue and that the country's justices had a final say.,Riyadh is well aware that the Khashoggi issue is highly politicized by Washington and is resolutely withstanding the White House's allegations, noted Al Ibrahim. In response to the Biden administration's accusations MBS cited the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse committed by the US military and CIA personnel in Iraq in the early 2000s, stressing that rogue incidents took place under the US watch too. Riyadh also drew attention to the fact that in the same year that Khashoggi was murdered, over 248 journalists were killed across the world and nobody is talking about them, Al Ibrahim concluded.,"Did Biden get everything he wanted from this [Jeddah] meeting?" asks Abdulla. "I think if he goes away with the view that he is from now on dealing with a new Gulf that deserves respect and new Gulf leaders who are now not necessarily the same as the old leaders. They have a new agenda. They have a new view. They have their own new vision.",The only question is whether Washington has understood this and will reconcile itself with this new reality, the professor noted.。    

    A local train driver receivs a notebook from his Chinese predecessor at the Adama station in Adama City, Ethiopia, Sept. 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)The global perception landscape is changing. For decades, the United States occupied a dominant position in international public opinion. The latest Pew Research Center survey, however, points to a notable turning point: for the first time in more than two decades, China is viewed more favorably than the United States across a larger number of countries.
What explains China's growing appeal?
For many developing countries, China offers a practical development partnership centered on infrastructure, investment, industrialization, technology transfer and trade. Rather than prescribing a single pathway to modernization, it has generally emphasized allowing countries to pursue development in line with their national priorities.
One reason China's influence has grown is that its development model is highly visible. From Ethiopia's railways to Pakistan's power plants, Chinese-financed projects address everyday development challenges by improving transport, energy security and connectivity. Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China has mobilized nearly 1 trillion U.S. dollars in infrastructure investment, producing projects that citizens can see, use and associate with economic progress.
The distinction lies not only in the scale of investment but also in the evolving priorities of development cooperation. While many Western partners have increasingly emphasized economic security, strategic de-risking, private-sector mobilization and governance reform, China has combined large-scale investment in physical infrastructure with technology transfer, industrial cooperation and human capital development.
At the same time, China has actively promoted trade by expanding market access, including granting zero-tariff treatment to many least-developed countries, deepening currency-swap arrangements, and encouraging the use of local currencies in cross-border trade. Together, these measures seek to strengthen economic connectivity, reduce transaction costs and exchange-rate risks, and create new opportunities for developing countries to integrate into regional and global value chains.
    A container truck, transporting the first batch of imports under China's expanded zero-tariff treatment to 53 African nations, enters Shenzhenwan Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, May 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)
This integrated approach has produced tangible improvements in productivity, connectivity and local capacity, reinforcing perceptions of China as a long-term development partner.
Equally important is the philosophy underpinning China's engagement. Beijing consistently emphasizes sovereignty, mutual respect and non-interference, maintaining that every country should determine its own political and development path. For many governments across the Global South, this approach is a partnership based on equality rather than political conditionality, allowing them greater policy space to pursue domestic development priorities.
Diplomatic style has also influenced perceptions. Through mechanisms such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and regular engagement with Pacific Island countries, China has committed itself to equality and shared development. For many governments in the Global South, that sense of respect and recognition is not merely symbolic -- it contributes to long-term political trust.
Perhaps the most important nuance is this: the Global South is not becoming anti-American; it is becoming strategically pragmatic. Its foreign policy decisions are increasingly guided by national interests, economic opportunity, and development priorities rather than Cold War-style geopolitical alignment.
The Global South's primary ambition is neither ideological nor geopolitical -- it is developmental. Governments want to create jobs, eliminate poverty, modernize infrastructure, strengthen industrial capacity and improve the quality of life for their citizens. China's transformation over the past four decades, from lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty to becoming a global leader in infrastructure, manufacturing and technology, has demonstrated what sustained long-term planning can achieve. Consequently, many developing countries are looking to China not as a model to replicate wholesale, but as a development partner from which they can learn, cooperate and pursue shared prosperity while preserving their own policy autonomy.
This contrast is also reflected in broader policy priorities. At a time when many Western governments are increasingly emphasizing tariffs, export controls, technology restrictions, sanctions and economic security, China has continued to promote infrastructure investment, trade, industrial cooperation, technology partnerships, open-source AI initiatives and greater access to its domestic market. Whether one agrees with either approach or not, many developing countries evaluate partnerships primarily through the lens of economic development and tangible outcomes. That difference in emphasis is helping reshape global perceptions.
    A staff member arranges exhibits at the booth of Nigeria during the 9th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 25, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)
The world is changing, and the transition toward a more multipolar international order is becoming increasingly evident. The Global South is no longer a passive participant in world affairs. Its countries are exercising greater strategic autonomy, making decisions according to their own national interests, development priorities and the aspirations of their people. In China, developing countries have found a true friend and good partner.
Editor's note: Maya Majueran serves as the director of the Belt and Road Initiative Sri Lanka, an independent and pioneering organization with strong expertise in Belt and Road Initiative advice and support.
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