MKS sports director of the Department of Political Sciences at Tsinghua University. Photo: GT" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2024/2024-12-14/a13bf476-1658-4bb7-802f-67a4e76bc5e1.png" />

Yang Xuedong, director of the Department of Political Sciences at Tsinghua University. Photo: GT

China can play a bridging role between the Global South and the Global North, Yang Xuedong, director of the Department of Political Sciences at Tsinghua University, said at the Global Times Annual Conference 2025, themed "Moving forward in Partnership: Resonance of Values between China and the World," held in Beijing on Saturday. 

Speaking during a session on "The Resurgence of the Awakening of the Global South: Mutual Learning and Resonance," Yang noted that the concept of the Global South has evolved from an intellectual and political imagination into a social cognition.

According to the expert, a defining characteristic of the Global South is its high degree of diversity in political, economic, and cultural aspects, but this diversity creates vulnerabilities, posing challenges to collective action. 

Furthermore, the modernization of the Global South is globally interconnected. This interdependence, once being weaponized, risks mutual harm and challenges the future development of Global South countries. 

Yang noted that China should leverage the development achievements and experiences accumulated over the past four decades to find its own suitable role. He believes that China can be an advocate for a new agenda within the global system, to find out which agendas in the development of the Global South countries need to be given more attention by the international community. 

Additionally, Yang pointed out that China's integration into the global system fosters strong connections, making China be able to connect the Global South with the Global North. This is precisely determined by China's position in the global landscape.