Old friends in a changing world

For India, a leadership role in a revitalised Commonwealth, based on shared economic interests, would provide the perfect pretext for building relationships with partners new and old.

- LORD MARLAND

LONDON: To say that the election of Donald Trump has thrown the international order into uncertainty would be a titanic understatement.

But with all eyes on Europe, it's easy to lose sight of changing headwinds in the rest of the world. As economies in Asia and Africa continue to grow at an eye-watering pace, the Global South will play an important role in shaping our 21st-century foreign policy. These rising stars present an enormous opportunity—but for too long, my country, Britain has been asleep at the wheel.

In favour of relationships elsewhere, we have often neglected our historical ties to Commonwealth partners in Asia and Africa.

While we have pursued a policy of alignment with Europe, other countries have taken a more long-term view. Over the past few decades, it is China which has been most adept at building relations with the Global South, entrenching itself as economic hegemon in the countries which will define the 21st century. Through its Belt and Road Initiative, the Chinese government has spent more than $1 trillion on projects in countries around the world, mostly in the Global South. Often, these BRI deals involve Chinese ownership of infrastructure, or access to critical minerals—a fact which has caused significant trouble for countries such as Sri Lanka and Zambia.

But the tectonic plates are once again shifting. China's leadership in Asia and Africa is under threat, as fast-rising India positions itself as the champion of the Global South. During its 2023 G20 presidency, India actively positioned itself as the Voice of the Global South, and has since launched an annual summit of the same name.