By He Yin, People’s Daily
A High-level Meeting on the Global Development Initiative (GDI) was recently held in Beijing. At a time when changes unseen in a century are accelerating and the world is entering a new period of turbulence and transformation, humanity once again stands at a crossroads.
Against this backdrop, China invited all relevant parties to revisit the shared aspiration of advancing global development, explore viable solutions to accelerate sustainable development, and deepen the implementation of the GDI.
This meeting injects robust momentum and valuable confidence into addressing global development challenges and advancing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In September 2021, amid growing concerns over the future of global development, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the GDI at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The initiative offered China’s solution and contribution to reinvigorating global development.
Over the past five years, the GDI has grown from a Chinese proposal into a broadly shared international consensus, and from a vision into extensive practical cooperation.
The initiative has received strong support from the international community. More than 130 countries and international organizations now support the initiative and participate in related cooperation, while nearly 100 countries as well as international and regional organizations have signed cooperation documents with China. The Group of Friends of the GDI has grown to 88 countries and has become an important force for advancing global development.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted that the GDI and other global initiatives proposed by China closely align with the priorities of the United Nations, demonstrating strategic vision and the sense of responsibility expected of a major country.
The widespread support for and participation in the GDI reflect its commitment to placing development at the center of the international agenda and responding to the shared aspirations of people around the world for development and prosperity.
Today, amid mounting global uncertainties and instability, progress toward the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development remains significantly behind schedule, the development gap between the Global North and the Global South continues to widen, posing serious challenges to global development.
Through tangible financial commitments and practical cooperation, the GDI has worked to promote common development and shared prosperity. Leveraging mechanisms such as the China-United Nations Peace and Development Fund and the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has mobilized more than $23 billion to support over 1,800 “small and beautiful” livelihood projects, and has provided training to more than 200,000 professionals from other developing countries.
From Juncao technology, a Chinese innovation for cultivating fungi and advancing ecological agriculture that supports global poverty reduction, to sustainable development satellites enabling shared data access, and to the MAZU (Multi-hazard, Alert, Zero-gap, Universal) system that empowers Global South nations to bolster meteorological early warning and disaster prevention and mitigation capacity, outcomes stemming from the GDI have delivered tangible benefits to populations in over 120 countries.
As World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo observed, the GDI embodies the development vision the world urgently needs today — one that puts people first, promotes inclusive and sustainable growth, and provides an important framework for turning ambitious goals into concrete actions.
This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the beginning of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). The CPC pursues happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, while also contributing to human progress and world harmony.
This enduring sense of mission and broad global vision provide the intellectual foundation of the GDI and explain why China has always viewed its own development in the context of humanity’s shared development, creating new opportunities for the world through its own progress.
China’s decision to expand zero-tariff treatment on imports from all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations has opened new opportunities for African exports to the Chinese market.
Together with 28 countries, China has also launched the World AI Cooperation Organization to help bridge the digital and AI divide and ensure that cutting-edge technologies benefit people around the world.
Through these practical initiatives that embody openness, inclusiveness and harmonious coexistence, China is working with all parties to expand the benefits of modernization for humanity and provide greater certainty in an increasingly uncertain world.
Regardless of how the the international landscape changes, China will continue fulfilling its responsibilities as a major country by closely linking its own development with the common development of all nations and serving as both a promoter of and contributor to global development.
China stands ready to work with all parties, using the GDI as a platform to pool development resources, strengthen the foundations for sustainable development, uphold the path of peaceful development, foster an open environment for development, and continue advancing toward the goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity.
Pooling strength to advance global development together
