Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended a high-level meeting in Beijing on Tuesday marking the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative. In his address, he called on countries to champion development, strengthen mutual cooperation, and work together to build a better future.
Wang Yi, who also serves as a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, stated that in the five years since its launch, the Global Development Initiative has offered a Chinese approach to reinvigorating global development and made a tangible Chinese contribution to international development efforts.
Wang said the Initiative's significance has grown further amid today's turbulent and unsettled international environment. Countries should therefore continue to align the Global Development Initiative with the development agenda of the United Nations.
The Chinese Foreign Minister put forward four proposals to advance global development.
First, he called for strengthening solidarity and cooperation to help create a peaceful environment for development. China, he said, will continue to support the reform and development efforts of the UN, reinforce the organization's development pillar, and contribute to improving living conditions for people in developing countries.
The second proposal concerned accelerating the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Wang Yi stated that China will continue to provide additional development resources to developing countries and help address imbalances and gaps in global development.
In the third point, he called for openness, mutual learning, and innovation-driven development. China, he said, is ready to deepen innovation cooperation with all partners and help Global South countries seize new opportunities and respond to emerging challenges.
The fourth proposal underscored the importance of multilateralism and improving global governance. Countries should, according to Wang, strengthen policy coordination so that the UN's post-2030 global development agenda better reflects the shared needs of Global South nations.
Wang Yi recalled that China's development cannot be separated from the wider world, and that global development in turn needs China's participation. Regardless of how the international situation evolves, China will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a major world power.
China seeks to closely link its own development with the shared development of other nations and to continue acting as a supporter and active participant in global development.
Wang added that China will continue to implement the Global Development Initiative, share development opportunities with countries around the world, and strive to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
The meeting was jointly organized by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the China International Development Cooperation Agency, and UN development organizations operating in China.
Participants included Earle Courtenay Rattray, Chief of Staff of the UN Secretary-General, ambassadors of member states of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative, and representatives of UN development agencies in China.
Participants spoke highly of the achievements made by the Global Development Initiative over the past five years. They noted that the Initiative is consistent with the purposes of the UN Charter and is helping to return development to the center of the global agenda.
They also stated that the Initiative has brought valuable opportunities to Global South countries. They expressed willingness to further deepen development cooperation with China, uphold multilateralism, and jointly contribute to world peace and prosperity.
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