Chinas Pivot to the Global South Can Only Do So Much

Beijing has begun to consider a sharp pivot in its export strategy to the Global South. Such a move could help, but it cannot answer all China’s economic needs.Cranes and cargo ships at a terminal of the Yantian port in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, on Oct. 30, 2025. Tingshu Wang/Reuters12/4/2025|Updated: 12/4/2025CommentaryAs Beijing has come to accept the loss of export prospects in Europe and the United States, it has begun to consider a pivot in its export strategy toward the so-called Global South. Speaking recently at the Hongqiao International Economic Forum in Shanghai, former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Yucheng made the case for such a change.Milton Ezrati is a contributing editor at The National Interest, an affiliate of the Center for the Study of Human Capital at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), and chief economist for Vested, a New York-based communications firm. Before joining Vested, he served as chief market strategist and economist for Lord, Abbett & Co. He also writes frequently for City Journal and blogs regularly for Forbes. His latest book is “Thirty Tomorrows: The Next Three Decades of Globalization, Demographics, and How We Will Live.”Author’s Selected Articles