The Global South Media and Think Tank Forum 2025, pools strength for enhanced cooperation
Xinhua / The Citizen
500 journalists, scholars, government officials and entrepreneurs from 110 countries or international and regional organizations gathered in southwest China’s Yunnan Province for the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum 2025.
Their common aspiration is to turn the Global South’s rising economic weight — representing 40 percent of global GDP and 80 percent of world growth — into an equally powerful voice in the fields of international discussion and communication.
The event also marks the formal launch of the Global South Joint Communication Partnership Network, which features more than 1,000 media outlets, think tanks and other institutions across 95 countries and regions.
Fu Hua, head of Xinhua News Agency, meets with Martin Alejandro Les Lima, director of the media office of the presidential palace in Uruguay, who came to China to attend the Global South Media and Research Centers Forum .
Their common aspiration is to turn the Global South’s rising economic weight — representing 40 percent of global GDP and 80 percent of world growth — into an equally powerful voice in the fields of international discussion and communication.
Within five days of meeting, participants will brainstorm and contribute their wisdom to translate the forum theme, “empowering global south, navigating global changes,” into tangible solutions for practical projects.
Two signature documents are scheduled to be released — the Yunnan Consensus, a joint pledge to expand cooperative production of news and analysis, and a research report on China’s contribution to global public intellectual products, which distills best practices from the country’s South-South initiatives.
The event also marks the formal launch of the Global South Joint Communication Partnership Network, which features more than 1,000 media outlets, think tanks and other institutions across 95 countries and regions.
This is the second edition of the forum, which is co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency, the Communist Party of China Yunnan Provincial Committee and the People’s Government of Yunnan Province. It was first held last November in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Experts and intellectuals attending the forum point out that Global South countries have long been in a weak position in the international public opinion arena. Often as objects of observation, narration and shaping, their voices have been drowned out, their stories distorted, and the truth behind them obscured.
Professor Cheng Manli from Peking University’s School of Journalism and Communication noted that a common task for Global South countries is to break the existing international public opinion pattern and discourse monopoly, and to establish their own subject status and discourse advantage.
“The fate of the Global South should not be determined by others but shaped by us. We need strategic unity, long-term vision and political courage,” Aires Ali, former prime minister of Mozambique, told Xinhua. “The Global South is not only a geographical concept but also a voice, a force and a history full of struggle and hope. It is our common responsibility to make this voice heard, respected and cherished by our people and the entire international community.”
Forum participants believe that cooperation among Global South media and think tanks holds great potential in the future.
In terms of maintaining peace and stability, the security deficit facing the world today requires not only political mediation and diplomatic dialogue, but also the building of bridges of understanding and communication by media and think tanks.Participants also stress the importance of building partnerships between media outlets and think tanks.
In recent years, the Global South has seen its influence grow significantly. Accounting for over 40 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) and contributing as much as 80 percent of global growth, the Global South is a key force for maintaining world peace, driving world development, and improving global governance.
China has always been a member of the Global South, a reliable long-term partner of fellow developing countries, and a doer and go-getter working for the cause of global development.
From Asia to Africa, Latin America to the Pacific, China collaborates with Global South countries to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, building roads, bridges and harbors, crucial infrastructure for economic prosperity. “Small and beautiful” livelihood projects, such as the Luban Workshops and hybrid rice cultivation, have taken root across Global South countries, supporting their modernization efforts.
Within five days of meeting, participants will brainstorm and contribute their wisdom to translate the forum theme, “Empowering Global South, navigating global changes,” into tangible solutions for practical projects.Plenary sessions will alternate with focused workshops on peace-building narratives, AI-driven newsrooms, heritage preservation and other topics.
This forum provides a neutral platform for different stakeholders to engage in constructive discussions, clarify misunderstandings, and build trust.
The promotion of this mutual understanding is the cornerstone of regional and global peace and common prosperity.
The Global South Media and Research Forum 2025 is more than just a conference, it is a statement of collective will, it emphasizes the maturity and role of the countries of the Global South on the world stage, and calls for a more democratic and multipolar global governance system.
By fostering cooperation in the fields of media, science, and politics, the Forum not only addresses current challenges, but also lays the foundation for a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.