U.S.-China Strategic Competition and China’s Evolving Global South Strategy: Responses under the Second Trump Administration and Policy Implications

Abstract

This study aims to analyze China’s Global South strategy during the Xi Jinping era and assess its implications. As the Global South emerges as a key actor in the international order, China has sought to utilize it as a strategic foundation for responding to the U.S.-led international system. Through various cooperation mechanisms such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has expanded political, economic, and security cooperation with Global South countries while promoting a multipolar international order and the diffusion of China’s own strategic discourse. In particular, the inauguration of the second Trump administration, along with the expansion of “America First” policies and intensifying geopolitical conflicts, presents both new opportunities and challenges for China’s Global South strategy. China is expected to strengthen anti-U.S. and anti- Western solidarity while expanding cooperation in economic security and supply chains. However, differences in interests among Global South countries and concerns over economic dependence on China may serve as major constraints on China’ s strategy. Based on this analysis, the study suggests that the South Korean government should strengthen cooperation with Global South countries and establish differentiated strategies tailored to specific regions and countries.