Global South shares common interests despite differences: Philippine expert

A shared history of colonization and the desire to define their own futures shape common aspirations among diverse Global South nations, said Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy, vice president for external affairs of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute.

Speaking at the Global South Think Tanks Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, she stated that members of Global South maintain similarities that unify them despite their differences.

"If you look at Global South, it's very diverse. We have a lot of things to learn from each other. We have a lot of exchanges. In that sense, diversity is very important. What I think the Global South countries should celebrate is, among this diversity, even despite this diversity, which is very multi-racial countries, you can see that there is such a thing as a unifying force among the Global South countries. Firstly, we have a shared history of colonization. Now Global South countries are asserting themselves to have this decolonization, and have to redefine themselves as independent states or countries that can define their own future. I think this is very common among Global South countries, in which each of us is trying to push at this moment, and this is something that we have to celebrate," Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy explained.

"Another point of convergence, despite the diversity of the Global South, I think is the common challenges that you have asked about earlier. For example, one of those would be poverty alleviation-- development challenges in different countries in the Global South, and what you call the non-traditional challenges including climate change, and how you define yourself as a country amidst the two political issues that many of the Global South want to be within the Non-Aligned Movement. So these are things that bind the Global South countries despite the diversity," she continued.

The Global South is a family of emerging markets and developing countries. In recent years, this concept has frequently appeared in conferences and official documents dominated Western countries, becoming a buzzword in international politics.

Global South shares common interests despite differences: Philippine expert

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected the cities of Anqing and Hefei in east China's Anhui Province on Thursday afternoon.

Xi visited the Liuchi Alley in Tongcheng City under Anqing and the Hefei Binhu Science City.

During the visits, he learnt about the local efforts to carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture, promote cultural-ethical progress, advance institutional innovation of science and technology, and accelerate the application of scientific and technological advances.

Being part of the Yangtze River Delta, Anhui Province boasts beautiful landscapes and a rich cultural heritage.

It covers an area of 140,100 square kilometers and has a population of 61.21 million.

In the first half of 2024, its GDP reached 2.3967 trillion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 5.3 percent.

To comprehensively deepen reforms and promote high-quality development in manufacturing, Anhui is focused on building a "4433" trillion-yuan industrial system. The goal is to cultivate four trillion-yuan industries, four industries exceeding 500 billion yuan, three exceeding 300 billion yuan, and three exceeding 100 billion yuan by 2027.

Anhui Province has further enhanced its capacity for technological innovation by integrating reforms in education, technology, and talent systems. The strategical emerging industries driven by innovation are continuously growing, with technological advancements turning into new momentum for high-quality development.

As a major grain-producing area, Anhui's grain output has reached 40 billion kilograms for seven consecutive years.

Anhui is systematically advancing ecological protection and restoration while accelerating the green transformation of its development model. Over the past 10 years, energy consumption per unit of GDP in the province has decreased by 30 percent.

With a long and rich history and profound cultural heritage, Anhui is actively promoting cultural prosperity and development. The aim is to stimulate cultural innovation and creativity and accelerate the establishment of a thriving and strong cultural province.

Brief look at Anhui Province as Xi goes on inspection tour