Three Worlds Theory
Maoist interpretation and formulation of international relations
The Three Worlds Theory (simplified Chinese: 三个世界的理论; traditional Chinese: 三個世界的理論; pinyin: Sān gè Shìjiè de Lǐlùn), in the field of international relations, posits that the international system during the Cold War operated as three contradictory politico-economic worlds.
Development
The precursor of the Three Worlds Theory was Mao Zedong's formulation of the "intermediate zones". Mao based this idea on the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, stating between the two superpowers were "many capitalist countries, colonial, and semi-colonial countries." Mao described Africa and Latin America as the "First Intermediate Zone," in which China's status as a non-white power might enable it to compete with and supersede both American and Soviet influence. The more advanced economies of Europe and Japan constituted the second intermediate zone.
Mao articulated the Three World Theory in the 1970s. On April 10, 1974, at the 6th Special Session United Nations General Assembly, Vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping applied the Three Worlds Theory during the New International Economic Order presentations about the problems of raw materials and development, to explain the PRC's economic co-operation with non-communist countries.
The First World comprises the Soviet Union and the United States, the two superpowers. The Second World comprises Canada, Japan, the countries of Europe, and the other countries of Global North. The Third World comprises China, India, the countries of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the other countries of Asia.
As political science, the Three Worlds Theory is a Maoist interpretation and geopolitical reformulation of international relations.
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