Interview
KAMPALA, Uganda – China is a key partner of the Group of 77 (G77) nations in advancing the interests of the least developed countries on global issues, Naledi Pandor, South Africa’s minister of international relations and cooperation, says.
China has been playing an active role in the 134-member state organization that seeks to influence global affairs, Pandor said in a recent interview with Xinhua before the G77 and China Summit, which opened in the Ugandan capital of Kampala on Sunday under the theme of “Leaving No One Behind.”
The summit seeks to bring new dynamics to cooperation among the involved nations in a more competitive world. It aims to boost South-South cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, sustainable development, climate change, poverty eradication, and digital economy.
“China is a very strong economic power and participates actively in the G77. We need China to be robust in it,” Pandor said.
The G77 should take advantage of China’s economic strength, the presence of some other major developing countries, and a bloc of 54 African nations to advocate for the interests of the Global South, she said.
“I believe in fora such as this, we can begin to develop much more strategic approaches. The time has come for us to be forward-looking, more proactive, and more articulate about asserting our perspective as the Global South,” she added.
Pandor said the Global South needs a fair say in global affairs.
“Sometimes, we are influenced by others often because we don’t have strong economic growth in our countries, and we are reliant on aid and other matters. We tend not to be as strong and assertive as we need to be,” she said, noting that developing countries need to stand up against the injustices in the world. – Xinhua
