Xi's Global Strategy Pivots on Global South and Taiwan

September 2, 2026 at 11:17 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

China's global strategy under Xi Jinping has a double pivot: engaging the Global South to reshape the international order and taking Taiwan to demonstrate Chinese might. Xi aims to complete the Taiwan takeover by 2050 as part of his China Dream. The strategy seeks to transform the liberal international order into a Sino-centric tianxia order.

Key Facts

China's primary pivot is to engage the Global South to secure support for reshaping the international order by re-centering the U.N. in global politics.
Xi Jinping has set a deadline of 2050 to complete the takeover of Taiwan as part of his China Dream.
The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 commits the U.S. to help Taiwan defend itself against an externally imposed change of status.
Taiwan has avoided falling under Chinese control with U.S. protection since 1950.
Xi calls the strategy of making the U.N. more responsive to the Global South the 'democratization of international relations'.

The Double Pivot

China's global strategy under Xi Jinping has a double pivot. The primary pivot is to engage the Global South, which constitutes a clear majority of the world's countries and population, to secure support for reshaping the existing international order by re-centering the U.N. in global politics. Xi calls this the 'democratization of international relations'. With the support of the Global South, Beijing seeks to forge 'the common destiny for humankind,' implying transforming what remains of the 'liberal international order' into the Sino-centric tianxia order.

Taiwan Takeover

The complementary pivot is for China to take Taiwan despite the U.S. commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 to help Taiwan defend itself against an externally imposed change of its status. Taiwan is geographically in the middle of the strategically vital First Island Chain in the Pacific Ocean and has avoided falling under Chinese control with U.S. protection since 1950. Unlike his predecessors who merely saw Taiwan as a legacy from the Chinese Civil War to be dealt with without a meaningful timeline, Xi has changed the paradigm. While he retains the irredentist language, taking Taiwan is part of his China Dream, to be completed by 2050. Xi would prefer Taiwan negotiate for a 'peaceful re-unification' and thus remove the raison d'être for the U.S. to intervene, but should this not materialize Beijing will use force.

Tianxia Order

Tianxia consists of two Chinese characters, 'sky' and 'below,' meaning 'all under heaven.' By taking Taiwan, China will show the U.S. and its allies cannot prevent it from seizing the First Island Chain. It will acquire a critical springboard to project power well into the Pacific and make key U.S. allies like Japan and South Korea question if they can rely on their respective defense treaties with the U.S. It will establish dominance in the Western Pacific and mark the advent of Chinese global preeminence.