Abstract: The rise of the Global South has created a favorable international political environment for China to construct its discourse and protect its overseas interests.The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made a series of original and significant theoretical contributions in this regard. To protect its overseas interests, China should construct its discourse from the following four aspects: (i) in terms of values, staying committed to the greater good and shared interests; (ii) economically, advocating for openness and win-win cooperation; (iii) politically, practicing multilateralism; and (iv) in terms of rules, respecting the international rule of law. China’s overseas interests can be defined jurisprudentially as the legitimate interests relating to the state, organizations, or citizens and existing outside China’s jurisdiction. China can clarify different targets of interest protection at three levels—the citizens, the state, and the world. Moreover, China should promote progressive cooperation and consultation within the framework of international law, delivering beneficial changes to both developing and developed countries, thus realizing the shift from “voice” to “discourse.” 

Keywords: overseas interests, Global South, discourse power, multilateralism, national security in foreign-related affairs, international rule of law 

Author: Ren Hongda, associate research fellow, CASS Institute of International Law; secretary general, Center for Foreign-Related Rule of Law Studies, CASS Institute of International Law;

Source: 3 (2025) China security studies.