As the world grapples with a slowdown in multilateral co-operation and growing economic fragmentation, the Global South is increasingly searching for policy anchors that offer predictability, scale and development continuity. In 2026, China's two sessions arrived at precisely such a moment, not merely as a domestic political milestone, but as a bellwether for South-South economic co-ordination in an unsettled global landscape.
This year's two sessions -- the annual meetings of China's National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference -- marked the formal start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), a planning period expected to define China's development engagement with the Global South for the rest of the decade.
Official data show that during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), China's GDP trajectory remained resilient. China accounted for roughly 30 per cent of global economic growth annually during the period, and its share of the world economy expanded from about 11 per cent in 2012 to about 17 per cent by 2025.
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The two sessions provide two critical public policy signals. First, through the Government Work Report, China's leadership sets near-term economic targets, budget priorities, regulatory emphasis and social service commitments. Second, the discussions and resolutions influence investor expectations and partner country planning.
In 2026, global economic conditions remain complex. China's domestic policy stance, whether emphasising export support, domestic consumption, technological development or resilience, will ripple outward.
The country has become a central trading partner for many developing economies.
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The Belt and Road Initiative has been a flagship mechanism for physical connectivity and economic co-operation between China and Global South partners. World Bank research estimates that the BRI could boost trade flows for participating countries by an average of 4.1 per cent.
Partnerships established have laid a foundation that many developing countries now depend on for trade diversification, industrial capacity building and energy and digital connectivity. These forms of co-operation were visible well and will be reflected in how the 15th Five-Year Plan is ultimately articulated.
The author is the executive director of South-South Dialogues, a Nairobi-based communications development think tank. This is an abridged version of an article that appeared in China Daily Global Edition. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
