SINGAPORE — Last week I was invited to attend a ceremony in Beijing, China, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the proclamation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and to share my views on the vision and mission of the Global South 'in a shifting landscape.'

As I understand it, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence came into being in the early 1950s, proclaimed by China, India and Myanmar (Burma) in joint diplomatic statements; these principles were intended to guide the practice of modern international relations. It was then a time of national jubilation around the world when many newborn countries had just shaken off the yoke of colonialism and were attempting to claim their rightful place on the international stage, equal to both their former colonial masters as well as their new brethren countries.