For more than a decade, China has invested heavily in the economic development of countries collectively known as the Global South. More recently, China has demonstrated that its ambitions are growing beyond the economic realm and extending into the geopolitical sphere. This shift carries implications not only for the developing countries that are the beneficiaries of China鈥檚 investment, but also for the United States and other developed democracies, said a scholar at the Keough 91视频 of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame.
鈥淔or China, nations and regions in the Global South are a major priority, and we should be paying more attention to them in addition to monitoring China鈥檚 great power rivalry with the United States,鈥� said , associate professor of politics in the Keough 91视频. 鈥淭he rivalry between China and the U.S. is part of the story, but not the whole story.鈥�
Eisenman researches China鈥檚 economic and geopolitical strategies in the Global South, which collectively includes Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. These regions have become an essential component of China鈥檚 external engagement and foreign policy in recent years, Eisenman said.
Eisenman and other Notre Dame scholars including the Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough 91视频; , assistant professor of global affairs; and associate professor of political science, will participate in the two-day panel discussion 鈥� at the Atlantic Council on Feb. 21-22 in Washington, D.C. The event will also feature prominent experts from the U.S. Department of State, USAID and Freedom House, as well as experts from across the Global South such as Joseph Asunka, CEO of Afrobarometer, a prominent pan-African research network that provides data on the views of Africans to inform development and policy decision-making.
Two recent events signal China鈥檚 expanding geopolitical ambitions, Eisenman said. Most recently, as the U.S. faced pushback for its support of Israel鈥檚 military campaign in the Gaza Strip, China aligned itself with countries such as Brazil, India, Pakistan and South Africa, all of which condemned Israel鈥檚 actions. And in March 2023, China brokered a d茅tente between Saudi Arabia and Iran following seven years of open hostility and nonexistent diplomatic ties between the two countries. Eisenman said these events reveal China鈥檚 expanding geopolitical interests beyond places like Africa, the largest beneficiary of Chinese investment in recent years.
鈥淚n many ways, China鈥檚 investment in places like Africa has peaked and is unlikely to return to those levels,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat is increasing are the engagements of the Communist Party of China and the People鈥檚 Liberation Army with their counterparts in the Global South. We鈥檙e seeing an expansion in the political and security arena in ways that should draw our attention.鈥�
To shed light on these and other emerging trends, the Keough 91视频鈥檚 and the have formed the a multi-year partnership that is co-directed by Eisenman and David Shullman, who leads the council鈥檚聽. This joint effort convenes policymakers, academics and local partners to study and coordinate local responses to China鈥檚 strategic intentions and impacts in the Global South. The initiative also aims to produce rigorous academic and policy publications, convene leading experts and offer mentoring opportunities for Notre Dame students and experts from the Global South. Founded in 2022, the initiative aims to become the premier global resource for understanding China in the Global South.
The Atlantic Council event will be the largest that the China-Global South Initiative has hosted, according to Eisenman. 鈥淭he scope of this event reflects the tremendous support of the Keough 91视频 and the Atlantic Council for this initiative,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ith top U.S. officials joining attendees from all around the Global South, including the Philippines, Colombia, Ghana and more, we believe it will generate critical insights not only for future research, but for future policy strategies as well.鈥�
Eisenman is the co-author (with David Shinn) of 鈥溾�� (Columbia University Press, 2023), which focuses on political and security relations between China and Africa, explains the tactics and methods that China uses to build relations with African countries, and contextualizes and interprets them within Beijing鈥檚 larger geostrategy.
Originally published by Ren茅e LaReau at聽 on Feb. 8.
Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu