Envoy says Beijing will continue its role as an engine in global
economy
The success of the Global Development Initiative, or GDI, proposed by China
for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, drew praise
from the United Nations.
The GDI is a global public good provided by China, said Zhang Jun, China's
permanent representative to the UN, on Wednesday. Based on China's own
development experience, the initiative is aimed at promoting common development
and building a shared future.
"I hope more like-minded friends and partners will join the Group of Friends
of the GDI and participate in the policy exchanges and practical cooperation
under the GDI framework. Let's work together to turn the vision of the 2030
Agenda into reality," Zhang said in his opening remarks at a briefing of the
Group of Friends of the GDI.
The briefing was held at the UN's headquarters in New York, and it was
co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of China to the UN and the UN in China.
"China will continue to play its role as an engine of the world economy.
China will continue to share its development experience with other countries.
China will continue to provide more public goods to the international
community," Zhang said.
"We believe China's new progress in its modernization will provide new
development opportunities for other countries and promote the building of a
community with a shared future for humankind."
During the keynote speech, Luo Zhaohui, chairman of the China International
Development Cooperation Agency, said China is promoting a Chinese path to
modernization and is committed to high-quality development and high-level
opening-up. It is accumulating valuable experience for the realization of SDGs,
and providing feasible and replicable action plans.
He said China will continue to practice the concept of a community with a
shared future for humankind, build a global development partnership, and promote
common development.
All parties present at the briefing agreed that global economic recovery is
sluggish, and multiple crises have been intertwined. Thus, the practical
significance and long-term impact of the GDI have become increasingly
prominent.
Timely proposal
Chimed Khurelbaatar, Mongolia's deputy prime minister and minister of economy
and development, said the GDI is a "timely, pragmatic and efficient initiative
that will play an important role in accelerating the implementation of the 2030
Agenda for all countries".
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said that with regard to
current global geopolitical tensions and the weakening role of the UN, the GDI
emphasizes being people-centered and focuses on key areas such as poverty
reduction, food security and technological innovation, which is "very
significant".
The UN's permanent representatives from Singapore, Cuba, Zimbabwe and other
countries said with the initiative putting development issues at the top of the
UN agenda, it will become an "accelerator" for the implementation of the 2030
Agenda and a "catalyst" for multilateralism.
Other permanent representatives of Pakistan, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and other
countries to the UN said that in less than two years after the GDI was proposed,
the 32 implementation measures announced by China have already been steadily
advancing and have achieved positive results.
The Group of Friends of the GDI should work together to create more
cooperation results, they said.
Ministerial officials from Guinea, Cuba, Tajikistan, Honduras, Dominica, Sri
Lanka, Tanzania and other countries, and permanent representatives or deputy
permanent representatives of more than 80 members of the Group of the Friends of
the GDI also joined the meeting.
Representatives from nearly 20 UN agencies, including the UN Development
Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization, joined the meeting. In total,
more than 200 representatives attended the high-level meeting.
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