China in the Global South: The Influence of Shared History on Foreign Policy

Written by Alba Azzarello (BSc International Relations)

China has emerged in the last half century as a power to be reckoned with. It is often described as ‘a revisionist power’ or  ‘an undermining force to the liberal international order’. China and the Global South’s shared past has influenced Chinese foreign policy in three prominent ways; it has been a recurring theme in narratives to push certain policies, it has brought China to embody the role of the ‘alternative’ to the West, and it has pushed China to promote ‘South-South Solidarity’.

Shaping the future by framing it in the past

Historical narratives of China’s shared past and resonating historical experience with the Global South have been used to frame and push certain policy initiatives, the most obvious of these being the Belt and Road Initiative. While talk of the Belt and Road Initiative existed long before, it was first implemented in 2013. The historical connotations of the ‘One Belt One Road’ policy are prominent - most evidently as it is often referred to in governmental statements and addresses as ‘The New Silk Road’. It elicits a historical memory of an elaborate trading route that connected China, Central Asia and the Middle East - a concept centuries old. Using the term ‘New Silk Road’ harks back to a cooperation between China and other countries in the Global South, increasing Global South states’ willingness to participate . In doing so it also elicits memories of the power and glory of the Han Dynasty - a powerful tool in administering the project domestically. By using a historical reference that is familiar with all bodies and actors involved in implementing the BRI, the CCP allows for a general vision to be implemented - that of  ‘the New Silk Road’ .

China the White Knight

Historical narratives and China’s shared past with the Global South also influences the role that China embodies in relation to the Global South - that of the ‘alternative’ and the ‘defender’. China positions itself as a historical ally. By feeding off of the disillusionment of the Global South with the failures of the West, China is able to profit off of these due to its positionality. Not only does it offer an alternative to Western aid, but it also offers an alternative for economic success. China has a success story that sets itself apart from Western states, rising to its status through a decentralized government, state-centered development - all under the umbrella of an authoritarian single party regime. This alternative is appealing to Global South countries as they see ‘one of their own’, with a similar history, a shared past, and similar values, achieving economic strength despite Western States ‘kicking out the ladder’. China further builds on this position through appeals to shared histories in providing themselves as an alternative to Western developmental aid. Many Global South countries experienced the conditional loans of the West through IMF bailouts,  World Bank development programs, in addition to bilateral (conditional) aid, to name a few. Many of these nations experienced economic distress partly due to the conditionality of Western loans, and turned to China. China is able to use shared historical experiences, those of Global South countries being exploited by the West, to make these nations more inclined to work with Beijing. It benefits from its identity and history as a Global South country to do so.

Ushering in the ‘collective rise’

History between China and the Global South influences foreign policy in its role in China’s push for ‘South-South Solidarity’. China is able to push an idea of a ‘collective rise of developing countries’ through the historical links that it has with Global South countries and its own identity as a Global South country. Because of its meteoric rise and undeniable regional importance, China was granted a seat on the United Nations Security Council. China has been able to leverage this position in framing itself as a ‘voice for the South’ in Western dominated institutions. It is through these mechanisms that China pushes an agenda of South-South solidarity, a system of reliance under which the West is no longer the main actor in the development of nations. This can be seen through institutions like the BRICS and G77. In establishing these and pushing this agenda of solidarity, China creates its own institutions for development that it can dominate, under the guise of South South Solidarity. Through bilateral and multilateral development, only made feasible through historical considerations of China and the Global South’s shared past, China emerges as a major player on the geopolitical stage, and a voice for the South in promoting a development for these nations that is no longer-Western centric. Through their shared historical experiences and identities, China can push an agenda that benefits them, as well as the Global South.

Conclusion

In conclusion, China’s current foreign policy can not be viewed as independent from China's historical past with the Global South. Shared history shapes Chinese foreign policy today in three main ways - through its constitutive role in creating narratives, through its influence in determining China’s role as a Western ‘alternative’, and through its influence as a decisive factor in pushing for South South Solidarity. China is able to grapple with the intricacies of Global South relations, not despite but because of its shared past with these nations.