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Shanghai aims to contribute more actively to Global South cooperation as the city advances its role in China's modernization drive, Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining said at the Third Global South Think Tanks Dialogue on Thursday.
"We are willing to exchange experiences, share the fruits of modernization and walk the path of modernization together," Chen said, noting that Shanghai has long served as "an important window for the world to observe China."
The two-day event has brought together more than 350 representatives from 120-plus countries to discuss the theme "Seeking Strength Through Unity: Responsibility and Action of the Global South."
Addressing the forum, Mutale Nalumango, vice president of the Republic of Zambia, said Global South countries must strengthen cooperation on health, energy and governance.
She said the COVID-19 pandemic "exposed the vulnerability of most countries in the Global South" and underscored the need for greater local production of essential medical supplies.
Aleh Makarau, director of the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research, said China's 15th Five-Year Plan provides useful reference points for developing countries.
He noted that China offers "a very good platform for cooperation" based on principles such as non-interference and mutual respect.
He added that China can support Global South partners "in health and medicine, in education, in new technologies, in artificial intelligence and in agricultural technologies."
Makarau, who has attended all three Global South Think Tanks Dialogues, said Shanghai's rapid development offers "important examples of modernization" and that local universities and think tanks provide strong opportunities for collaboration.
The Global South Think Tanks Alliance was launched in November 2024 in Nanjing, neighboring Jiangsu Province. Led by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, the platform was jointly initiated with several major Chinese institutions, including China Media Group, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Fudan University and Renmin University of China.
More than 200 think tanks and universities from China and abroad have joined the alliance since its establishment. It aims to deepen exchanges through joint research and policy dialogue.
The initiative responds to a proposal made by President Xi Jinping during the "BRICS Plus" Dialogue in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024. He called for deeper exchanges on governance and people-to-people cooperation among developing countries.
Bhokin Bhalakula, president of the Thai-Chinese Cultural & Economy Association, said the Global South dialogue comes at a moment when Global South countries are taking on a more active role in shaping international affairs.
"The Global South is no longer a passive observer of global dynamics," he observed, noting that developing nations are emerging "as a collective force that can offer new ideas, new partnerships, and new models of cooperation."
"The future of global development must be more than a redistribution of economic power – it must reflect a redistribution of dignity, of innovation, of voice," Bhalakula said. "Think tanks are not only interpreting reality; they are shaping it."
According to Sergio Goldbaum, professor at the School of Public Policy and Government at Brazil's Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), China has been a stabilizing factor for Brazil amid recent trade tensions.
He said Brazil faced sudden US tariff increases on several exports earlier this year.
"China has maintained a good trade relationship with Brazil for the past decade," he pointed out, adding that the partnership "gave Brazil support and resilience."
Goldbaum said Global South countries share an interest in strengthening multilateral institutions, noting that China's global governance initiatives emphasize multilateralism and collective decision-making, which aligns with the interests of developing nations.
Participants also discussed modernization strategies, energy transition, governance reform and the role of think tanks in strengthening cross-regional cooperation.