Heine Outlines Why Active Non‑Alignment Is Gaining Ground in Today’s Global Order
Ambassador Jorge Heine, former Chilean ambassador to China and Research Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies, discussed his publication, The Non-Aligned World (2025), and the growing relevance of “active non‑alignment” in today’s era of U.S.–China competition on the Connecting East and West podcast. During the conversation, Heine explained the central argument he and his co‑authors have developed is that countries should “put their own interests front and center” and resist pressure to choose sides. As global politics shift from a unipolar to a more economically balanced duopoly, he noted, “countries can pick and choose” how and when to align.
Heine highlighted examples of how middle powers have effectively used this strategy. Brazil and India, he said, stood firm against U.S. political pressure even after facing steep tariffs, and are great examples of how states can protect sovereignty and ultimately benefit. Smaller nations can do the same; Ecuador, unable to secure a U.S. free‑trade agreement, turned to China instead. “Even smaller countries… can play both sides against the middle and end up in a better position,” he emphasized.
A key element of active non‑alignment is correctly assessing the global environment. Today’s competition differs sharply from the Cold War, Heine noted, because China is now a major global economic actor, “a bigger economy than the United States in PPP terms”, giving developing countries alternatives in trade, investment, and technology. He pointed to ASEAN as a model, demonstrating that proximity to great powers does not dictate alignment: “ASEAN shows that developing nations… can have an independent, non‑aligned foreign policy.”
Heine concluded with optimism, arguing that recent global trends confirm the value of maintaining strategic flexibility. In an uncertain landscape, he said, the greatest mistake countries can make is locking themselves into one camp. “If you take sides, you lose all leverage,” he warned. Active non‑alignment offers the most resilient path forward for middle powers across Latin America and Asia.
The full podcast episode can be listened to here.
A former research professor at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Jorge Heine is a diplomat, international relations scholar, and lawyer. He is currently a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute. He has served as an ambassador of Chile to China, India, and South Africa. Heine has written over fifteen books, including The Non-Aligned World: Striking Out in an Era of Great Power Competition (2025), which provides insights on how the Global South can navigate the changing diplomatic landscape amid the U.S.-China rivalry.