Critical Thinking on Emerging Powers and South-South Cooperation:

Concepts and Practices in Historical Perspectives

Lecture 1

Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org

This collection was collated by Xiuli Xu as teaching material on the Emerging Powers and International Development course at the Institute of Development Studies

Contents

• Historical review of the concept of "Emerging Powers": country classifications for a changing world

• Debates on "Emerging Powers": an innovative len or "an old bottle with new wine"?

• emerging powers and South-South Cooperation in history

1. Emgerging powers: BRICS

• The Emerging Powers – a category that includes the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) as well as other key countries such as Mexico, Turkey and Indonesia – are establishing themselves as an influential presence in the global development landscape.

Source:http://news.hexun.com/2009/bricsummit/

Different country catagories embedded in different global context

• rising Powers• emerging markets• emerging economics• great powers• emerging middle

powers

• developing countries• the thrid world• global south

• established powers• industrialized countries• developed countries• the North countries

• least developed countries• low-income countries• fragile states

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Different country catagories embedded in different global context: how the Western view non-western world?

• It explores the discourse dynamics and evolution of the global order underpinning different narratives.

• Various forms of wording rests with different power structure behind international development regime and conceptions about the relations between countries in different global context.

Source: http://www.ebay.com.hk; http://www.amazon.cn

Established perceptions about the relations between countries behind the country categories

• The distinction between developing and developed countries has long been central to development studies and to debates on development policy (Harris et al.,2009)

• The dichotomous view between developed and undeveloped, rich and poor, North and South has been established to lead international development strategies, policies and practices.

Source: http://hi.baidu.com; http://www.pep.com.cn; http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global

Understanding current international development regime in historical review (Li Xiaoyun,2013; Preston, 2009)

• exotic aethetic• religion• colonalism• development • cooperation ?

Source: http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424053111903747504579185800700741812.html#articleTabs_article%3D2

2. Debates on "emerging powers"

• Some think it is a strong tool to understand the current global system characterized by cumulatively polycentric and burgeoning pluralist landscape;

• while others are highly sceptical to the concept with various concerns.

Source: http://www.belloflostsouls.net

2. Debates on "emerging powers": just another fashionable idea promoted by government?

• BRICS grouping, expanding to include other ‘emerging donor’ states, is divergent and heterogeneous.

• The BRICS’ diversity of interests means they cannot offer a collective alternative to the existing aid architecture.

• The clash between development models will and has emerged.

• some predicted an imminent economic decline for the rising powers, including the BRICS.

3. Emerging Powers and South-South Cooperation in History

• Bandung conference of 1955• Non-Aligned Movement and G77

since 1960s• Various forms of regional

cooperation network since 1970s

• South-South Cooperation• FOCAC• Burgeoning Trilateral cooperation

Source: http://www.lsqn.cn; http://www.china.com.cn

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3. Principles of SSC

• Modalities: emphasis on technical and economic cooperation, rather than governance intervention.

• Principles: peace and development; self reliance and mutual respect of sovereign rights,which buit the roots of the current clash between SSC and the established international development system which emphasizes conditionality of good governance, and altruism, rather than mutual benefits.

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Case analysis• To understand the politics and alternatives of countr

y classfication

Case 1: Dan Harris, Mick Moore and Hubert Schmitz (2009) Country Classifications for a Changing World. IDS WORKING PAPER 326.

Case 2: The World Bank (2009). World Development Report 2009: Reshaping Economic Geography. Washington DC

Case 3: UNDP(2013). 2013 Human Development Report: The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World. New York, USA.

Source: http://electronic.districsides.com; http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global