**Title: How is China Responding to New Trends in Globalization?**
**— An Interview with Dr. Zhai Dongsheng, Vice Dean of the School of International Relations and Director of Regional Studies at Renmin University of China**
**By Pei Xinyu and Cui Bailu**
Globalization is an objective reality and an inevitable trend in the development of human society. For decades, it has provided powerful momentum for global economic growth, facilitated exchanges between peoples around the world, and propelled technological advancements and the progress of human civilization. However, as the world experiences rapid changes, globalization is encountering new circumstances, and global governance faces fresh challenges.
Recently, the second Tongzhou Global Development Forum, themed “Building a Development Community and Creating a New Era for Humanity,” was held in Beijing, organized by Renmin University. During the forum, Dr. Zhai Dongsheng shared insights on the new trends in globalization and its future directions in an exclusive interview with the China News Service.
**China News Service (CNS) Reporter:** Globalization has historically been a trend in human societal development, yet the world is currently entering a new period of turbulence and transformation. What new challenges does globalization face?
**Dr. Zhai Dongsheng:** The historical trend of globalization originates from the development of the global market system, the universal aspiration for a better life, and consumers’ enduring demand for lower costs and better products. Thus, in the long run, there is an inherent historical necessity to globalization. However, history evolves in a complex and zigzag manner, influenced not only by market forces but also by political and security factors. The surge of globalization since the 1970s has provoked underlying resistance within Western societies following the financial crisis.
The changes in global political and economic landscapes since 2008 essentially represent a correction and adjustment to the preceding wave of neoliberal globalization. Historically, the previous wave of anti-globalization spanned from 1914 to 1945, marked by two world wars, a great depression, and surges in trade protectionism. Therefore, the characterization of our current era as a period of turbulence and transformation, as stated in the 20th National Congress report of the Communist Party of China, is timely and accurate.
How long this current phase of globalization adjustment will last is difficult to predict, but I believe it will be prolonged. The last adjustment period lasted 31 years, during which two world wars allowed for rapid and complete stress release. In contrast, major powers have yet to engage in direct conflict in this phase; various stresses that accumulated during the globalization rise—such as wealth disparity, cultural clashes, and imbalances in power—have not been rapidly relieved and are instead unfolding more gradually. Thus, this adjustment period may trade time for space; it won’t be as drastic as the last period, but it could last much longer.
**CNS Reporter:** In recent years, the global landscape has undergone significant shifts, with the collective rise of “Global South” nations becoming an important force in international political and economic order. What role do these nations play in the globalization process?
**Dr. Zhai:** The rise of “Global South” nations, when excluding China and India, is primarily significant from a political standpoint rather than an economic one. Economically, their share of global GDP and international trade has not seen consistent, trend-like changes. This stagnation arises from a lack of substantial leaps in their industrialization efforts. However, through solidarity and cooperation, particularly within frameworks such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), their role in global affairs is becoming increasingly prominent.
Despite their comparatively limited economic power, the potential of these countries is enormous. With a global population of around 8 billion, approximately 5.6 billion reside in the Global South. If this majority can gradually establish a virtuous cycle of social change, governance improvement, and economic development, it will inject sustained and robust growth into the world economy and vastly expand China’s capacity for external economic engagement.
Prior to 2008, the process of globalization saw a division among Global South nations; some emerged as rising powers while others stagnated or even experienced de-industrialization and regress. Therefore, integrating into globalization does not equate to seamless development. Historical and contemporary experiences demonstrate that the path to development is crowded with challenges, and no one-size-fits-all solution exists. Each country must formulate appropriate strategies tailored to its endowments and national circumstances, while considering the changing international context.
For China, the approach to globalization since the 1970s has been neither outright rejection nor wholesale acceptance. Instead, it has involved a gradual opening of markets, incremental integration into the world economy, continuous industrial upgrades, and the promotion of urbanization and digital transformation.
**CNS Reporter:** What are the implications and values of China’s advocacy for an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization? How can these efforts empower “Global South” nations to play a more significant role in global governance?
**Dr. Zhai:** China’s advocacy for a multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization is both timely and necessary. This means fostering the process of multipolarity without chaos and rejecting hegemony, ensuring that globalization benefits the wider populace.
The notion of “Global South,” as constructed by Western think tanks and media, subtly aims to create a rift between China and developing countries, applying developed nations’ standards to China. However, China has always stood firmly alongside the Global South, working in collaboration with these nations on various international platforms to promote reforms in international institutions. This effort allows all countries, including a broad range of developing nations, to reap the benefits of a new, inclusive form of economic globalization.
**CNS Reporter:** In this new period of globalization adjustment, what challenges do you believe China still faces? How should it navigate these challenges and fulfill its role as a responsible major power?
**Dr. Zhai:** China encounters various challenges in advancing and leading the new globalization process, particularly related to internal conflicts of interest and adjustments. For a super-large country like China, addressing external challenges effectively hinges on managing its domestic affairs well. Ultimately, this means ensuring that the fruits of development benefit the widest possible populace, such as by establishing a modern social security system with Chinese characteristics, enhancing social protection efforts, balancing supply and demand sides, and unleashing the potential of 1.4 billion consumers and their innovative capabilities.
In the past, China’s smaller economic scale leaned towards reform through opening up. Now that our economy has grown substantially, it can use domestic reform to stimulate global market integration. Consequently, China is poised to play the role of a responsible major power, providing a larger market and more innovative products and services for the new globalization.
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**About the Interviewee:**
Dr. Zhai Dongsheng is the Director of the Regional Studies Institute and Vice Dean of the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China. He is a professor of International Political Economy and a doctoral advisor. Additionally, Dr. Zhai is a member of the State Council’s discipline evaluation group for regional studies and has held various leadership roles in academic associations related to emerging economies and international finance. His research focuses on international political economy and regional studies, with a notable contribution in fields such as external economic relations, as well as research on the United States and Europe. Throughout his career, he has published dozens of academic papers in both Chinese and English in prestigious journals.
