by Maya Majueran
The United States' conspicuous absence from two major international gatherings -- the G20 Summit in South Africa and the COP30 climate conference in Brazil -- has raised pressing questions about Washington's commitment to multilateralism. Yet paradoxically, both summits achieved significant breakthroughs in global cooperation and green development, even without the world's so-called indispensable nation.
Rather than slowing down, global cooperation accelerated. And in doing so, it sent a clear message: the world is no longer waiting for Washington.
The U.S. absence exposes a deeper and more structural reality. Washington remains reluctant to adapt to the emerging multipolar world order, still viewing global affairs through a zero-sum, Cold War-era lens. This mindset is increasingly incompatible with a 21st-century world defined by shared challenges and distributed power.
Meanwhile, the Global South, encompassing the vast majority of the world's population, is forging new pathways centered on inclusivity, sustainability, and mutual benefit. These priorities stand in sharp contrast to Washington's approach, which often seeks to preserve hierarchies, enforce dominance, and weaponize interdependence. The choice facing the West is stark: engage constructively or be left behind.
Despite the U.S. absence, the G20 Summit reached a historic milestone: the adoption of a joint declaration on day one, the first such achievement in the summit's history. It emphasized stronger support for developing countries and integrated an unprecedented African perspective on global governance and development.
At COP30, nations pledged solidarity and cooperation in addressing the challenges of climate change, reaffirming a collective commitment to green transitions and climate resilience.
Both outcomes underline a simple truth: The world is willing and capable of advancing global cooperation without U.S. leadership. And in many cases, it can do so more effectively.
If the United States and its allies continue distancing themselves from multilateral mechanisms, the Global South will continue strengthening its own institutional ecosystem. This evolution is already clear in the expanding influence of BRICS, whose enlargement and institutionalization reflect a growing confidence in Global South leadership. The momentum behind the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) further highlights the shift, as countries from Eurasia, South Asia, and the Middle East find common ground in security, economic cooperation, and development.
New platforms for trade, finance, and development are also emerging, allowing states to bypass traditional Western-controlled systems. These mechanisms along with intensifying South-South cooperation in technology, infrastructure, and climate adaptation represent the early foundations of a parallel global architecture. This movement is not an act of defiance, but a response to longstanding inequalities embedded in some international institutions, which have historically privileged a small circle of Western allies while sidelining the majority of nations.
Developing countries are no longer passive participants. They are demanding a global governance system that is transparent, inclusive, and equitable -- one that treats all nations fairly, regardless of size, wealth, or geopolitical alignment.
A quiet but profound transformation underway across the Global South is the democratization of technology and knowledge. Affordable innovation -- much of it driven by Chinese companies and open-source ecosystems -- is empowering developing countries to leapfrog traditional stages of development.
In many regions, low-cost solar systems are electrifying rural communities, reducing energy poverty, and enabling micro-enterprises. The spread of affordable electric vehicles is modernizing transport systems while cutting emissions. Meanwhile, the rise of open-source AI platforms from China is lowering barriers to advanced computing, allowing startups, universities, and small governments to harness tools that were once restricted to wealthy nations and tech giants.
This broad access to technology aligns with China's vision of a shared future for humanity -- one where prosperity is not concentrated in a handful of Western capitals but distributed across continents. For many in the Global South, this is not abstract diplomacy; it is visible and tangible in the form of new jobs, upgraded infrastructure, digital empowerment, and rising productivity.
Such accessibility to innovation is reshaping development trajectories. It proves that the Global South does not have to wait for the West's approval or technology largesse. It can build, innovate, and modernize on its own terms with partners who view development as cooperation, not control.
The era of weaponizing trade, technology, and currency is fading. A new global governance system must emerge -- one based on mutual respect, sustainable development, and shared prosperity.
Within this shift, China's Global Governance Initiative has resonated across the Global South, offering a framework built on connectivity, digital inclusion, and people-centered development. From innovation parks in Africa to renewable energy projects in Southeast Asia, the model is already delivering results.
This is not about replacing one hegemon with another. It is about building a world where every nation has the tools and opportunities to advance.
The world is undergoing a profound transformation. Power is dispersing, cooperation is broadening, and multilateralism is being redefined by those long left on the margins.
Washington can either participate in this transformation or isolate itself from it. The rest of the world has made its choice: to move forward collectively, to reform global governance, and to pursue a model of development that benefits all.
If the West continues to cling to outdated hierarchies, the Global South is fully prepared to shape the future -- economically, politically, technologically, and institutionally.
The message could not be clearer: Adapt to the new reality or be left behind.
Editor's note: Maya Majueran serves as the director of the Belt and Road Initiative Sri Lanka, an independent and pioneering organization with strong expertise in Belt and Road Initiative advice and support.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Xinhua News Agency.
