Wang Yi calls for stronger global cooperation to advance global development

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday attended a high-level meeting in Beijing marking the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative (GDI), calling on countries to uphold the banner of development, strengthen cooperation and work together to build a better future.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that five years after China proposed the initiative, the GDI has provided a Chinese approach and made Chinese contributions to revitalizing global development efforts.

Wang said that amid a changing and turbulent international landscape, the significance of the GDI has become even more prominent, urging countries to continue advancing the alignment between the GDI and the United Nations development agenda.

He put forward four proposals to promote global development.

First, Wang called for strengthening solidarity and cooperation to create a peaceful environment for development. China, he said, will continue to support UN reform and development efforts, strengthen the development pillar and improve the well-being of developing countries.

Second, he urged countries to work together to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China will continue to provide more development resources to developing countries and help address imbalances and inadequacies in global development, he said.

Third, Wang called for openness, mutual learning and innovation-driven development. China is willing to deepen innovation cooperation with all parties to help Global South countries seize new opportunities and address emerging challenges, he said.

Fourth, he stressed the importance of upholding multilateralism and improving global governance. Countries should strengthen policy coordination to ensure that the post-2030 global development agenda of the United Nations better reflects the common needs of the Global South, Wang said.

Noting that China's development cannot be separated from the world, and that global development also needs China's participation, Wang emphasized that regardless of how the international situation changes, China will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, closely link its own development with the common development of all countries, and serve as a promoter of and contributor to global development.

He added that China will continue advancing the implementation of the GDI, sharing development opportunities with countries around the world and working toward building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The meeting was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the China International Development Cooperation Agency and UN development agencies in China.

Participants included Earle Courtenay Rattray, chef de cabinet to UN Secretary-General, ambassadors from members of the Group of Friends of the GDI, and representatives of UN development agencies in China.

Participants spoke highly of the achievements made by the GDI over the past five years, saying the initiative aligns with the purposes of the UN Charter and helps place development at the center of the global agenda.

They said the initiative has provided valuable opportunities for Global South countries and expressed willingness to deepen development cooperation with China, uphold multilateralism and work together to promote global peace and prosperity.