On September 3, 2025, the world’s attention turned to Beijing, where the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II was commemorated with a spectacle that was anything but ordinary. Tanks, missile launchers, robot dogs, and sleek J-35 stealth fighters rolled and soared across Tiananmen Square, while the eyes of the globe watched Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stand shoulder to shoulder in an unmistakable display of unity. More than two dozen world leaders were present, underscoring the international significance of the event. According to CGTN, this was the first time these three leaders appeared in public together, a moment heavy with symbolism and intent.
But the military parade was just the most visible act in a carefully orchestrated series of events that signaled a profound shift in the global balance of power. Over the preceding months, China had hosted the largest-ever Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin and participated in a pivotal BRICS summit in Rio. These gatherings were not mere photo opportunities; they were the scaffolding for a new world order, one that challenges the dominance of the US-led West and elevates the voice of the Global South.
At the heart of these developments was a shared sense of purpose among nations that have long felt sidelined by Western institutions and narratives. As Tehran Times observed, the “awakening of the Global South marks a turning point in contemporary history, signaling the decline of Western legitimacy and the end of its monopoly on narrative.” The summits and parades were more than pageantry—they were a declaration that the Global South is no longer content to be a spectator in global affairs.
The SCO summit in Tianjin, held in early September, was particularly consequential. Leaders discussed the creation of a development bank modeled after the BRICS Bank, designed to reduce the dependence of Global South countries on Western financial giants like the IMF and World Bank. The summit also produced a 10-year strategic plan: member states would begin trading with each other using their national currencies, deliberately reducing reliance on the US dollar. Russia, meanwhile, proposed an alternative payment system to challenge the Western-dominated SWIFT network, a move widely seen as a step toward “de-dollarisation.” As Global South Media Network reported, these measures are being implemented subtly, as leaders are wary of openly provoking the West.
Underlying these financial and diplomatic maneuvers is a clear philosophical divergence. The principles laid out at the SCO summit—respect for sovereignty, opposition to unilateral sanctions, non-interference in internal affairs, and rejection of force—stand in sharp contrast to the West’s tendency to use economic and military leverage as tools of coercion. According to Tehran Times, this shift is not just about geopolitics, but about reclaiming dignity, independence, and justice in international relations.
The BRICS summit in Rio, held in July 2025, added further momentum to this movement. The resulting “Rio Declaration” included 126 commitments aimed at reducing Western influence and increasing the involvement of BRICS nations—and the broader Global South—in global decision-making. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, once cast as a democratic counterweight to Beijing, has leaned enthusiastically into both BRICS and SCO, signing on to new frameworks for artificial intelligence governance and echoing calls for more equitable global rule-making. As The Telegraph noted, Modi’s participation was motivated in part by his frustration with US tariffs and a desire to assert India’s independence on the world stage.
The contrast between Beijing’s outward-facing, international parade and the inward-looking military spectacle staged by former US President Donald Trump in Washington just months earlier could not have been starker. Trump’s event, held to mark the US Army’s 250th anniversary, was attended by domestic supporters and no foreign leaders—a rally, not a summit. In Beijing, the parade was a “manifesto,” a declaration of intent, and a plea for legitimacy delivered before a carefully curated global audience. As The Telegraph pointed out, “Xi orchestrated a global summit with missiles attached.”
China’s ambitions extend far beyond military theater. The nation has lifted more than 800 million citizens out of poverty in just a decade, a feat unmatched in modern history. Now, as the world’s second-largest economy, China is positioning itself as the strategic leader of the Majority World, mobilizing the Global South through what Xi Jinping has called the “Global Governance Initiative” (GGI). The GGI, endorsed by Putin during his four-day state visit to China, promises a “genuinely balanced” system that reflects the interests of a broad range of countries and advances international law, sustainable development, and security.
But China is not acting alone. The Global South’s awakening is powered by a web of new alliances and resilient states. BRICS has evolved from an economic bloc into a geopolitical force, developing financial cooperation independent of the West and prioritizing the interests of its members. The SCO, led by China and Russia, coordinates security and military cooperation across Asia, creating what Tehran Times describes as “an independent shield against NATO and Washington’s influence.”
Elsewhere, the so-called Islamic Resistance Axis in West Asia—comprising groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Ansarullah—has provided a model of popular-based resistance to Western and Israeli dominance. Their resilience, along with that of countries like Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, and Niger, illustrates the Global South’s capacity to withstand economic pressure and military aggression. These examples, as highlighted by Tehran Times, have inspired other nations to pursue independent paths and challenge neocolonialism.
This collective momentum has exposed the limitations of the Western unipolar narrative. The West’s double standards, particularly in human rights and military interventions, have eroded its legitimacy. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the destruction wrought under the banner of combating terrorism, and the imposition of sanctions have all contributed to a growing sense that the old order is no longer fit for purpose. As Global South Media Network put it, “China is not only a superpower of the 21st century, but it is also a catalyst in the reawakening of the Global South as a significant role player in international affairs.”
Looking ahead, the consolidation of a multipolar world seems inevitable. The Global South, with its diverse yet united front, is not just participating in global affairs—it is shaping them. The institutions and rules of the Western-led order are being challenged, duplicated, and, in some cases, replaced. Development banks, alternative payment systems, and new frameworks for governance are laying the foundations of a parallel system grounded in sovereignty, multipolarity, and shared prosperity.
The events in Beijing, Tianjin, and Rio were not isolated incidents. They were interconnected acts in a global drama that is redrawing the map of power and influence. As the voice of the Global South grows louder, the world is witnessing the end of Western monopoly and the rise of a new era—one in which dignity, independence, and justice are not just aspirations, but guiding principles for international relations.
