By Prof. Dr. He Hongmei
The global governance system is currently undergoing profound structural transformation. Amid the spread of multiple geopolitical security crises, slowing global economic growth, rising debt risks, and the restructuring of global supply chains, many developing countries have entered a period of deep reflection on development. Who defines the standards of modernization? Can developing countries break free from traditional path dependencies and explore development trajectories that are both internally driven and suited to their own national conditions?
Against this backdrop, Chinese modernization has attracted growing attention across the Global South as a new development narrative. Over the past several decades, China’s achievements in institutionalized poverty reduction, inclusive infrastructure development, and rapid industrial and technological advancement have provided a significant historical reference for international development. Since the launch of reform and opening-up, China has lifted approximately 800 million people out of poverty, accounting for roughly 75 percent of global poverty reduction during the same period. This experience demonstrates that modernization is not a one-size-fits-all process. Different countries can pursue development paths that reflect their unique historical circumstances, social structures, and national priorities.
China’s development experience has enriched the understanding of how modernization can be achieved and offers valuable insights for countries of the Global South seeking to strengthen their capacity for self-driven development and promote more inclusive, balanced, and sustainable growth.
- Global Development Models Are Facing New Challenges
The global economy and development landscape are undergoing profound transformation. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global economic growth is projected to remain at 3.3 percent in both 2025 and 2026, below the historical average of 3.7 percent recorded between 2000 and 2019. At the same time, rising debt burdens, growing protectionism, increasing geo-economic fragmentation, and the continued restructuring of global supply chains are creating overlapping risks that add further uncertainty to the global recovery.
Reports from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) paint a similar picture. Many developing countries are facing mounting pressures, including high financing costs, unequal access to technology, obstacles to industrial upgrading, and growing debt obligations. By 2024, the external debt of developing economies had surpassed US$11.7 trillion, while annual debt-servicing costs reached approximately US$920 billion. In some low-income countries, debt repayments now exceed public spending on education and healthcare.
Against this backdrop, discussions about development pathways are gaining renewed importance. Increasingly, countries are recognizing that there is no universal model of development. Sustainable progress requires approaches that reflect each nation’s unique historical experiences, social conditions, and development priorities. As governments search for more effective and resilient strategies, China’s long-term development experience and its modernization efforts have emerged as an important reference point in the broader conversation about development diversity and policy choice.
- Chinese Modernization: Enriching Pathways to Modernity and Expanding the Global Development Debate
As the world grapples with slowing economic growth, widening development gaps, and mounting debt pressures, discussions about the pathways to modernization have become increasingly important. More countries are recognizing that there is no single blueprint for achieving modernization. The key lies in identifying development strategies that reflect national realities and respond to local needs. Chinese modernization has attracted considerable international attention because it demonstrates how a large developing country can sustain long-term economic growth and industrial transformation while maintaining social stability and policy continuity.
Over the past several decades, China has steadily advanced comprehensive industrialization, nationwide infrastructure development, and a new wave of urbanization. These efforts have strengthened the foundations of the real economy and elevated the country’s industrial and infrastructure capabilities to among the world’s most advanced. By the end of 2025, China’s high-speed railway network had exceeded 50,000 kilometers in operation, accounting for more than 70 percent of the world’s total high-speed rail mileage. It is now the largest and most efficient high-speed rail network globally. At the same time, China has remained the world’s largest manufacturing nation for many consecutive years. According to data from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), China’s manufacturing value added accounted for nearly 30 percent of the global total in 2024, making it a key contributor to the stability of global industrial and supply chains.
More importantly, China’s development experience suggests that modernization requires both adherence to broad economic and social development principles and the flexibility to adapt them to national circumstances. For many developing countries, the significance of China’s experience does not lie in offering a model to be copied. Rather, it demonstrates that late-developing nations can achieve modernization through sustained effort, strategic planning, and policies tailored to their own conditions. In this sense, China’s experience has broadened the global conversation on modernization and provided a valuable practical reference for countries seeking diverse pathways to development.
III. Chinese Modernization Emphasizes Shared Development and Connectivity
In the international political and economic system, the right to development remains a central concern for countries across the Global South. According to the World Bank, approximately 8.6 percent of the world’s population—around 700 million people—were still living in extreme poverty in 2024, the vast majority of them in developing countries. At the same time, inadequate infrastructure continues to be one of the most significant barriers to sustainable development. Estimates by the G20 Global Infrastructure Hub suggest that cumulative global infrastructure investment needs will reach US$93.9 trillion by 2040, leaving a financing gap of approximately US$14.9 trillion. The shortfall is particularly acute in developing economies, where demand for transportation, energy, and digital infrastructure far exceeds existing capacity.
Against this backdrop, China has increasingly emphasized South-South cooperation and cross-border connectivity based on the principles of consultation, joint participation, and shared benefits. According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, by 2025 China had signed Belt and Road cooperation agreements with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations. These partnerships span a wide range of sectors, including transportation, energy, ports, and the digital economy.
The significance of these efforts lies not only in the construction of physical infrastructure but also in their potential to enhance economic integration and development opportunities. In its report Belt and Road Economics: Opportunities and Risks of Transport Corridors, the World Bank noted that improved infrastructure connectivity could substantially reduce shipping times and trade costs, thereby stimulating trade and economic activity. By 2030, the report estimates that enhanced connectivity associated with the Belt and Road Initiative could increase global trade by between 1.7 and 6.2 percent, while contributing to stronger economic growth across participating economies.
For many countries in the Global South, the broader lesson is that development increasingly depends on connectivity, cooperation, and access to infrastructure. As economies become more interconnected, expanding opportunities for trade, investment, and technological exchange may play an important role in narrowing development gaps and fostering more inclusive growth.
- Pursuing Peaceful Development and Responding to the Shared Aspirations of the Global South
Amid growing uncertainty in international affairs, an increasing number of developing countries are placing greater emphasis on stability, development, and strategic autonomy. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has identified conflict, debt burdens, and climate change as among the most significant threats to sustainable development in developing economies. Against this backdrop, the importance of peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and shared security has become even more evident.
For many years, China has advocated peaceful development and win-win cooperation, emphasizing dialogue and consultation as the primary means of managing differences and resolving disputes. It has also supported the creation of a more open, inclusive, and cooperative international environment. In recent years, initiatives such as the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) have highlighted the value of cooperation and dialogue from the perspectives of development, security, and intercultural exchange.
For countries across the Global South, the central priorities are clear: a stable environment for development, equal opportunities for cooperation, and sufficient policy space to pursue nationally determined development strategies. Many developing countries seek to avoid being drawn into geopolitical rivalries or bloc-based confrontations. In this context, China’s emphasis on development, dialogue, and cooperation resonates with broader aspirations for peace, stability, and greater autonomy in international affairs.
- The Global South as a Rising Force in Shaping the International Order
As the international landscape undergoes profound transformation, the collective influence of the Global South continues to expand. With growing demographic weight, stronger economic performance, and increasing international influence, developing countries are becoming an important driver of global growth. At the same time, developments such as the expansion of the BRICS grouping, the deepening of regional cooperation, and the continued growth of South-South cooperation are enabling the Global South to move from being a participant in global governance to becoming an increasingly influential contributor to the shaping of the international order.
In this broader context, the significance of Chinese modernization extends beyond China’s own development achievements. Its experience provides a practical example of how a developing country can pursue modernization through approaches tailored to its national circumstances. For many countries in the Global South, this serves less as a model to replicate than as evidence that diverse pathways to development are both possible and legitimate. In doing so, it has helped broaden global discussions about modernization and strengthened confidence in the pursuit of independent development strategies.
Looking ahead, the stability and evolution of the international order will depend in large part on whether countries of the Global South can achieve higher levels of development and deepen cooperation among themselves. Chinese modernization is, first and foremost, China’s own path. Yet the experiences and ideas associated with it are increasingly becoming one of several important reference points for developing countries seeking sustainable, inclusive, and self-directed development in a changing world.
– The Author is Director of the Institute of South Asian Studies, Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, China
