After pledging to strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, China has taken another remarkable and practical step in pursuing green development.

China will step up support for other developing countries in promoting green and low-carbon energy and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad, announced President Xi Jinping at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) via video on Tuesday.

This is not surprising but of great significance, as China has previously cooperated with several countries along the routes of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) towards "greening" the initiative.

Global development initiative

Phasing out coal investments would be promising to reduce carbon emissions, which pose a threat to the United Nations' (UN) Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, especially Goal 13 on climate action. 

Besides decreasing coal-fired power projects, China has pledged an additional $3 billion of international assistance in the next three years to support developing countries in responding to COVID-19 and promoting economic and social recovery. 

"Development holds the key to people's well-being," Xi said, adding that countries need to work together to steer global development towards a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth. 

Beijing has highlighted its willingness to work with the international community, including the United States, to jointly advance global environmental governance. 

For instance, through joint partnership, China has established the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition, which serves as a platform for BRI cooperation on green development. Under the platform, China has provided more than 2,000 training opportunities for environmental protection officials, experts and technicians from over 120 participating countries. 

Adhering to green development is engraved in the Chinese government through the Constitution and the master blueprint of national development as an ecological civilization to be observed in all socioeconomic developments and political agendas. 

Beating COVID-19 remains a major task  

Undoubtedly, though many countries are busy trying to rebuild their economies amid the pandemic, COVID-19 is still raging in the world, with the number of new cases rising every day globally. 

Under such circumstances, President Xi called for putting people and their lives first, taking a science-based approach to origins tracing, enhancing the coordinated global COVID-19 response and minimizing the risk of cross-border virus transmission. 

Noting that vaccination is a powerful weapon against COVID-19, he stressed the pressing priority is to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of vaccines globally. 

China has promised to provide a total of two billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the world by the end of this year and has donated 100 million doses of the vaccine to other developing countries in the course of this year in addition to $100 million to COVAX. 

Practicing true multilateralism is critical 

Whether it is improving global environmental governance or beating COVID-19, multilateralism is paramount, which is another key point of Xi's statement at the UNGA. 

"The UN should hold high the banner of true multilateralism and serve as the central platform for countries to jointly safeguard universal security, share development achievements and chart the course for the future of the world," Xi said. 

The Chinese president called on the UN to increase the representation and say of developing countries in international affairs and take the lead in advancing democracy and the rule of law in international relations. 

China, a staunch supporter of multilateralism

President Xi also called for building a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, equity, justice and win-win cooperation, stressing that the practice of forming small circles or zero-sum games should be rejected. 

"One country's success does not have to mean another country's failure, and the world is big enough to accommodate common development and progress of all countries," he said, adding that differences and problems among countries need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

As the largest developing country, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the second-largest contributor to the UN's regular budget and peacekeeping assessments, China has always actively supported the work of the United Nations, firmly safeguarded the international system and upheld multilateralism with concrete actions. 

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has hosted a series of major international events, including the G20 Hangzhou Summit, the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the China International Import Expo, and the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations.