Mushahid Hussain Syed, former chairman of the Pakistani Senate Defence Committee, offered a stark assessment of the shifting global landscape at the 14th World Peace Forum in Beijing on July 3.
"We are seeing the rise of the Global South. Asia, Africa, Latin America," Syed said. At the same time, he pointed to "the retrenchment of Western power and Western clout and the unraveling of the so-called 'rules-based order,'" an order the West itself initiated, yet one that "was neither based on rules and nor was it promoting order."
Syed argued that this order "was based on a lot of double standards." Despite the turbulence and difficulties, however, he saw "a glimmer of hope." He cited China's entry into 2026 with the highest trade surplus in its history, achieved despite tariffs and illegal sanctions, as evidence of "the strength and resilience of the Chinese economy."
Turning to recent conflicts in South Asia and the Middle East, Syed concluded that the results demonstrate "size does not equal strength, that right is might, not might is right, and aggression does not pay."
Reporter: Guo Zedong
Cover & video: Deng Yingheng
