Andrei Chevelev, former head of the Asia-Pacific Unit, Sector for Priority Africa and External Relations at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said that the current international governance architecture should undergo necessary reforms to ensure that the voices of the Global South are truly and effectively heard.

"Recent developments, including the expansion of BRICS, deeper cooperation under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the steady advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative, are all helping to promote a more equitable and balanced international order," Chevelev said. "These mechanisms are not exclusive groupings, but open platforms that create new opportunities for shared development."

He said that China's proactive participation and its growing leadership in global governance reform underscore its transition from a bystander to a key contributor on the international stage.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, founder and chairman of the Forum for a New South Asia, praised China as a vanguard in the modernization of the Global South.

As development and modernization have become universal aspirations, cooperation is most crucial in the creation and application of science and technology, which are key drivers on the path to modernization, he said.

China's approach to modernization prioritizes the well-being of both people and the planet, setting an extraordinary example for the Global South, he added.

The forum was held by the State Council Information Office of China, Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Peking University.

Contact the writers at yangran1@chinadaily.com.cn