China, at UN, presents itself as a member of the Global South as alternative to a Western model

By TED ANTHONY
AP National Writer

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — China is telling assembled world leaders at the United Nations that it considers itself part of the Global South. It says it identifies with the goals and challenges of less-developed nations. The message came from a second-tier official after the country’s powerful president, Xi Jinping, skipped the annual U.N. meeting again. Xi sent Vice President Han Zheng to deliver a policy statement at the General Assembly’s leaders’ meeting. It appeared to focus on building coalitions around its approach to development and international relations. It called China a “natural member” of the Global South. The loosely defined term identifies nations around the world that are less developed and less rich than what were previously called “first-world nations.”