Question: This year marks the fifth anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s proposal of the Global Development Initiative (GDI). How does China assess the progress made under the Initiative and its significance?

Embassy Spokesperson: On 21 September 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Focusing on development, an eternal theme of human society, the Initiative calls on the international community to place development high on the global macro policy agenda and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Over the past five years, thanks to the personal attention of President Xi Jinping and the joint efforts of all parties, the GDI has evolved from a Chinese proposal into an international consensus and from a concept for cooperation into a wealth of practical outcomes.

To date, more than 130 countries and international organisations have expressed their support for the GDI and engaged in cooperation under the Initiative. Nearly 100 countries and international and regional organisations have signed cooperation documents with China under the Initiative, and the Group of Friends of the GDI has grown to include 88 member countries. The cooperation mechanisms and platforms under the GDI have continued to improve, providing strong support for advancing international development cooperation and implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Over the past five years, the GDI has helped build stronger international consensus on prioritising development, promoted mutually beneficial development cooperation, and responded to the development needs of countries in the Global South. It has offered China’s solutions and contributions to revitalising the global development cause.

At present, the international landscape is marked by transformation and turbulence. Progress towards the 2030 Agenda is lagging significantly, the North-South development gap is widening, and the global development cause faces grave challenges. Against this backdrop, the GDI has taken on even greater significance. Development is the master key to solving all problems. As a steadfast advocate and a pragmatic doer in the global development cause, China stands ready to work with all parties to promote stronger, greener and healthier global development, ensure that the benefits of development reach people in all countries, and make new contributions to the common development of all countries and to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.