Several Chinese research centers are actively working to strengthen relations between China and the Global South (Asia, Africa, and Latin America) through research in policy, governance, and economics. These institutions focus on joint development dialogues with China and its Belt and Road Initiative. A few Arab think tanks and research centers are also active in these dialogues with Chinese centers concerned with the Global South. Among the most prominent is the Bahrain Center for Strategic and Energy Studies, which actively participates in conducting numerous studies with Chinese think tanks and research centers focused on the Global South. The Bahrain Center actively participates in the “Dialogue of Think Tanks in the Global South” held in China to promote cultural exchange and international cooperation. Several Chinese research centers are also active in analyzing and strengthening relations with the Global South, focusing on the Belt and Road Initiative and joint development. Prominent among these are the Center for Chinese Globalization Studies (CCG), the China-Arab Center for Reform and Development Studies at Shanghai University, and the International Institute of Chinese Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University.
These Chinese think tanks and research centers focused on Global South studies concentrate on providing policy recommendations and exchanging development experiences. The main areas of focus for these Chinese centers concerned with Global South studies are joint development through studying joint economic and industrial development models between China and countries of the Global South. (Evaluating the Belt and Road Initiative in the Global South): through evaluating infrastructure projects and economic linkages. (Promoting Cultural Exchange): through enhancing cultural understanding and overcoming shared challenges in health and food security.
These research centers for Global South studies act as intellectual bridges to strengthen China’s relations with Africa, Asia, and Latin America through joint research and seminars. The most prominent Chinese centers concerned with the Global South can be summarized as follows:
1) The Chinese Center for Globalization Studies (CCG):
This is an influential non-governmental research center that organizes high-level forums to promote partnerships between China and the world. It conducts studies on globalization, investment, and development. It is a leading international think tank focusing on the study of globalization, development, and talent development, and it has active international branches and exchange activities, particularly in Southern China.
2) The China-Arab Center for Reform and Development Studies:
Located at Shanghai International Studies University, it specializes in promoting cultural, educational, and economic exchanges between China and Arab countries and in conducting studies on shared development experiences.
3) The Centers and the International Institute for Chinese Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU):
This center comprises various institutes that study public diplomacy, the Silk Road, and global governance, making it an important hub for understanding China’s foreign policy toward the Global South. It includes the Silk Road Studies Institute and other specialized centers focused on governance and public diplomacy to support exchanges with developing countries.
The Centers of Study at Beijing Foreign Studies University encompass a network of specialized centers, including the International Institute for Chinese Studies, the Silk Road Studies Center, and the Center for Comparative Studies, which examine the cultural, legal, and political aspects of China within a global context.
4) The Center for Global Governance in Education Studies:
This center focuses on studying and collaborating with development and education models in developing countries.
5) Silk Road Studies Institute:
It focuses specifically on China’s Belt and Road Initiative projects and their impact on infrastructure and the economies of developing countries.
6) Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS):
Cooperates with the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in fellowship and research programs aimed at strengthening scientific capacity in developing countries.
7) Global South Research Centre (GSRC):
Established in Beijing in March 2025 as a leading research and exchange center under the auspices of the International Knowledge Center for Development (CIKD) to promote dialogue and provide recommendations on key issues affecting the Global South. The center brings together researchers, representatives of international organizations, government agencies, and think tanks to facilitate cooperation. The “GSRC” operates under the umbrella of the Development Research Centre of the State Council of China (DRC).
8) China-Global South Project (CGSP):
Which provides data analysis and tools on Chinese activities in the Global South.
9) China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR):
A comprehensive research center covering international strategies and issues of the Global South.
10) Center for China and Central Asian Studies (CCASC):
Focuses on China’s presence in Central Asia and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
11) China Center for Contemporary World Studies (CCCWS):
Organizes seminars on the role of the Communist Party of China in the modernization of the Global South.
12) Chinese Centers for Global South Studies (CCGSS):
Focuses on presenting an international perspective of the Communist Party of China and developing the role of the Global South in modernization. It focuses on studying international politics and the role of the Communist Party of China in the modernization of the Global South and organizes dialogues for think tanks from the Global South.
13) Dialogue of Think Tanks in the Global South:
Held periodically in China, it serves as a platform for experts to discuss cultural exchange and cooperation, as exemplified by the Nanjing Dialogue.
14) Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS):
Located at “SOAS University of Science and Technology.” Focuses on academic studies and intellectual exchange between China and Southeast Asia.
China’s studies of the Global South focus on bolstering its influence as a leader in alternative development, using the Belt and Road Initiative and other global initiatives (developmental, security, and cultural) to link its economic and geopolitical interests with 150 countries. Beijing seeks to present its development model, such as the Shenzhen experience, as an alternative to the West, considering itself part of the “large family of developing countries.” The most prominent aspects of China’s studies and policies toward the Global South include economic cooperation and finance: China has lent and invested approximately one trillion dollars, focusing on infrastructure projects, 5G technology, mining, and renewable energy. China’s studies of the Global South also aim to disseminate the Shenzhen Development Model by studying Shenzhen as a model of rapid urbanization, land, population, and economy, with the goal of replicating it in other cities of the Global South. Chinese think tanks and research centers specializing in Global South studies also strive to support the building of a new world order by promoting a multilateral system that serves the interests of developing countries, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS, and by enhancing China’s role in conflict resolution, with the Saudi-Iranian reconciliation being a prime example. Furthermore, Chinese educational institutions specializing in Global South studies play a role in disseminating Chinese cultural and educational diplomacy through a policy of offering Chinese scholarships to train Arab and African leaders and experts and by conveying the concept of a “community with a shared future.” These Chinese Global South studies centers also seek to counter strategic competition with Washington and the West by confronting Western and American pressures that aim to alter China’s status as a developing country and to compete with India for leadership in the Global South.
The strategic objectives of Chinese research centers specializing in Global South studies include providing China with an opportunity to shape its influence through “soft power” and economic tools while integrating the national interests of countries in the Global South within the framework of China’s comprehensive development. These Chinese research centers are active in promoting China’s role in the Global South, primarily through international forums, research publications, and platforms for elites and experts, to strengthen partnerships between China and the Global South. The research of these Chinese centers focuses on a number of topics, including strategic competition, economics, technology, and the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative. They also produce research that supports shared development and strengthens ties between China and countries of the Global South. Furthermore, these centers serve as strategic links to enhance mutual understanding and discuss issues of development, health, and food security, particularly within the framework of Sino-African and Sino-Arab cooperation.
