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Editor's Note:

The Global South is on the rise, advocating for world justice, economic prosperity and solidarity, while aiming to build better global governance. The significance of the Global South and its growing importance on the world stage are increasingly recognized. China, a country rooted in the Global South, has been working with the other Global South countries to firmly safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

The Global Times is launching a special series, "Face to Face with Global South Wisdom," inviting experts and scholars from Global South countries to share their insights on the potential for cooperation between China and the Global South, as well as the responsibilities of Global South countries in global governance. In this piece, three experts from countries across the Global South shared their insights on how China's artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation is fostering a more inclusive digital future - and how this contrasts with the US' zero-sum approach in the same field.

Eduardo Tzili-Apango, an associate professor of international relations at the Metropolitan Autonomous University and a senior fellow on China at the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations

In the contemporary age of technoglobalization, the possibility for countries in the Global South to achieve "leapfrog development" largely depends on the support of external partnerships and technological transfers. In this regard, China and the US are global AI leaders and represent potential partners in AI development. Nevertheless, they present two contrasting paradigms. China actively promotes development by focusing on expanding technodigital productive forces and AI capacities, whereas the US, by prioritizing regulation over production and emphasizing normative values and digital ethics, inadvertently inhibits any leapfrogging.

China's approach is fundamentally material and techno-productive.Through initiatives such as the Digital Silk Road, China exports AI-enabled infrastructure - including smart ports, mining systems, cloud platforms and facial recognition systems - while simultaneously investing in local capacity building such as training programs and the deployment of adaptable AI models. These projects enable Global South countries like Peru, Brazil and Nigeria to adopt advanced applications in logistics, agriculture and urban management. Crucially, these initiatives are not ideologically prescriptive; they focus on function and efficiency, creating conditions for developing countries to expand their productive base without necessarily adhering to external political or regulatory models.

In contrast, the US frames its digital cooperation with the Global South primarily around normative and ideological agendas: transparency, data privacy, democratic governance and ethical AI. US programs often condition support on adherence to these values, which in practice limits access to technological tools and capital for countries that prioritize development over alignment. Geopolitical considerations remain central. 

Ultimately, while the US may succeed in setting ethical standards, it does not provide the physical tools or infrastructural networks necessary for the Global South to leap ahead. China, conversely, offers a material path forward; its strategy strengthens the productive forces required for technological sovereignty and development. Thus, when it comes to enabling progress through AI, China presents a more effective alternative for countries seeking rapid, pragmatic and sovereign digital advancement. The recent proposal of the Chinese government to create a global AI cooperation organization reflects China's commitment to an inclusive form of technoglobalization.

Yasiru Ranaraja, a special commentator on current affairs, a researcher on maritime affairs and an expert on BRI development from Sri Lanka

As the world is pushing deeper into the era of AI, models like Kimi, DeepSeek and Qwen coming out of China symbolize a rapidly evolving stack of technology that is not limited to one part of the world. These advances are not only milestones for China but also possible drivers of transformation for the Global South, allowing affordable access to these AI tools. The recent highlight is clearly about the Global AI Governance Action Plan proposed by China, which advocates for establishing a global AI cooperation organization to break the control of a small group of companies and countries over important technologies like AI. 

This model of inclusive governance provides a useful blueprint to countries across the Global South, most of which have deep digital divides and insufficient access to leading-edge technologies. AI represents an opportunity for the majority of the Global South to overcome infrastructure hurdles while facilitating immediate smart growth in agriculture, healthcare, education, logistics and governance. However, this moment of technology transfer is only the starting point; it requires collaborative platforms, co-creation, funding and capacity building. China's efforts in promoting open-source platforms, research centers and South-South cooperation initiatives can serve as a basis for such cooperation. 

Notably, this also requires the Global South to step up, not just as recipients, but as co-architects of global AI norms. A co-governance framework, as proposed by China, allows for diverse actors to contribute to the evolving rules and responsibilities of AI development and deployment. This approach recognizes that the future of AI must be designed with multiple values in mind, rather than solely for the interest of a few techno-economic superpowers.

As AI increasingly defines the boundaries of competitiveness, security and social change, the question is no longer who creates the most advanced model but who ensures that it is inclusive, fair and adaptable. For the Global South, China's AI plan offers an alternative vision: a path founded on solidarity, openness and strategic collaboration.

Paul Zilungisele Tembe, director at the SELE Encounters Cross-Civilization Communication Strategies in South Africa

In an ideal world, the emergence of AI should consider balancing the developmental gap between developed and developing nations. AI is so far the best tool that offers promises of leapfrogging opportunities for economies that are still in the formative cycle, for example, the majority of South-South cooperation nations. However, amid AI emergence, there exist forces at play that aim to weaponize it as a tool to perpetuate past and present hegemonies. The assumption that new technologies such as AI are a reserve of the Global North seems to persist in the form of protectionism, competition and notions of a zero-sum game. Such tendencies have manifested through unprovoked rivalry and trade wars between large economies. 

AI is already reshaping economies, socio-cultural nuances and an array of political systems across the globe. The question arises as tendencies resembling neo-colonialism through the use of AI have become rampant, especially from the Global North toward the Global South. Is the Global South at a risk of being left behind yet again in another technological race? In the age of information technology, is there a reason to repeat the patterns of the First, Second, and Third Industrial Revolutions during which the Global South was left on the periphery of leading technological developments? 

China has shown a steadfast commitment to sharing open-source resources with the entire world, especially among nations in South-South cooperation. China believes that an AI governance framework should seek a balance between development and security. Its Global AI Governance Action Plan serves as an accumulative and compounded statement of the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, all anchored in the ideal and practice of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

By contrast, the US insists on pronouncements aimed at boosting AI technology sales to its allies. Washington has proposed loosening environmental rules in favor of AI developments. It seems that despair over maintaining a competitive edge against China has caused the US to lose focus on establishing a proper and ethical AI governance framework.