The Global South: Battleground or Bridge in US-China Rivalry?

The Global South is back in vogue as an important geopolitical player. Increasingly, there is greater discourse within Washington and Beijing about courting countries from the developing world. But how do these two powers compete across the Global South? Is it inevitable that they will be engaged in a zero-sum game or are there areas and sectors where cooperation is possible?

In this episode of The Great Power Show, Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Dr. Dawn Murphy, Associate Professor, National Security Strategy, at the National War College in Washington DC. Dr Murphy discusses China’s changing approach to the Global South, with a particular focus on the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. This is also the theme of her excellent book: China’s Rise in the Global South: The Middle East, Africa, and Beijing’s Alternative World Order.

The conversation begins with a focus on key concepts before discussing Dr. Murphy’s rather helpful framework for thinking through China-US competition. In doing so, she eschews the language of China either being status quoist or revisionist. Rather, she examines Chinese actions as either norm-convergent or norm-divergent and whether they are competitive or cooperative when looked at from an American interests perspective. This lends for some interesting and counterintuitive conclusions.

About: The Great Power Show is a bi-weekly podcast featuring candid conversations and thought-provoking interviews with leading scholars, thinkers and practitioners on the geopolitical and geo-economic changes shaping our world.