Western powers are using the term "de-risking" to mask resistance to a fairer global order, portraying the rise of Latin American, African, and Asian countries as a destabilizing force rather than a legitimate shift in global power, said Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran.
Leaders from Asia, Europe, and Africa are converging in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin for the largest-ever Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, held from August 31 to September 1, where they will chart a ten-year roadmap for regional cooperation and development.
With geopolitical tensions simmering and the Global South asserting greater influence, the summit marks a pivotal moment for alternative models of global governance.
Speaking ahead of the gathering, Marandi emphasized that Western powers continue to frame the Global South’s rise as a threat despite its push for inclusiveness and shared prosperity.
"I think the term de-risking is very misleading and it is intentionally made to mislead or use to mislead. Basically, a number of countries do not want a more just global system and they want to remain the dominant powers. So those rising powers across the Global South, which include countries in Latin America and Africa, as well as Asia. Their rise is seen as a risk, as a threat, as a danger, and it shouldn't be seen that way," said the professor.
Marandi also pointed out that the SCO promotes equality and inclusiveness in global governance, unlike Western blocs that rely on hierarchy and exclusivity.
"The good thing about the SCO is that it's not directed against anyone. No one in the Global South is trying to develop a NATO. No one in the Global South is trying to develop an exclusive club like the EU. It is a club where everyone can join, and it is a club which promotes security for all. So it's very different from the current models that exist in the west and if anything, those are the models that are risky for the rest of the world. But this model, as well as similar models, whether regional or global, like BRICS, they are inclusive, and they are for bringing about greater security and greater economic prosperity for those who have been denied security and prosperity for centuries in some cases," he said.
Scholar slams "de-risking" narrative as SCO summit showcases Global South’s rise
