South-South cooperation is a broad framework of collaboration among countries of the South in the
political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and technical domains. Involving two or more developing countries, it can take place on a bilateral, regional, intraregional or interregional basis. Developing countries share knowledge, skills, expertise and resources to meet their development goals through concerted efforts. Recent developments in South-South cooperation have taken the form of increased volume of South-South trade and flows of foreign direct investment, movements towards regional integration, technology transfers, and other forms of exchanges (UNOSSC).

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an ambitious foreign and economic policy aiming to strengthen the country’s economic leadership through a vast programme of infrastructure building throughout its neighbouring countries. China avows itself to principles of international development cooperation, such as mutual respect, non-conditionality, equality and building local capacity. However, foreign policy analysts view this initiative as China’s attempt to gain political leverage over its neighbours, as the often debtentrapped partner countries make significant concessions on sovereignty. Regional and global powers have thus far failed to come up with a strategy countering this expansion of China. Does the country - to a certain extent - practice principles of South-South Cooperation or are the investments all about creating power and supporting China’s strategic interests? How tangible is India’s role for those changes?

Presentations

• Sven Grimm, Programme Co-Chair (DIE): The Belt-and-Road Initiative - A broad political narrative
• Murad Ali, currently Alexander von Humboldt Fellow (DIE), Assistant Professor., University of Malakand, Pakistan: Monitoring and Evaluation in South-South Cooperation: the Case of CPEC in Pakistan
• Jutta Kranz-Plote (BMZ): The Belt and Road Initiative: Consequences for Development Policy

Discussants:

• Heiner Janus (DIE)

Moderator:

• Stephan Klingebiel (DIE)