Speech by Mr. Luo Zhaohui at the Opening Ceremony of the China-Indian Ocean Region Development Cooperation Forum

Speech by Mr. Luo Zhaohui at the Opening Ceremony of the China-Indian Ocean Region Development Cooperation Forum

(November 21, 2022, Kunming, Yunnan)

Your Excellency Governor Wang Yubo,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

It gives me great pleasure to meet you all here in the beautiful Yunnan Province to discuss the ways of enhancing development cooperation between China and the countries in the Indian Ocean region. First, on behalf of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you.

Today, the world is faced with profound changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century. These, coupled with growing major-country rivalry, escalation of geopolitical conflicts, a tortuous journey to global economic recovery, and deviation of development from the center of the international agenda, have resulted in a new phase of turbulence and transformation for the world.

President Xi Jinping took the pulse of the situation around the world, and in accordance with the global trends and the aspiration of the people, he proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI). The initiative aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It focuses on the most pressing issues of developing countries, and promotes cooperation in eight areas including poverty reduction, epidemic prevention, food security, and connectivity. It has received support from more than 100 countries and international organizations such as the United Nations, and more than 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI.

China always stands by its words. In June this year, President Xi announced a list of deliverables composed of 32 measures to deliver on the GDI, including establishing the Global Development Promotion Center, holding a Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, creating a pool of GDI projects, upgrading the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund and increasing investment in the fund to US$4 billion, and providing another 100,000 training opportunities. As the competent Chinese government department responsible for promoting international development cooperation, CIDCA has made an active effort to deliver on the initiative. And the results in the initial phase have been fruitful.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Indian Ocean connects Asia, Africa and Oceania and serves as an important window and route that connects China and countries in the region to the rest of the world. Most of the countries in the region are developing countries that face the same development challenges as China. Located in the proximity of the Indian Ocean, China is an observer of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). The Maritime Silk Road has brought us closely together since ancient times. The ancient eminent monk Faxian trekked long distances from China to the region to study Buddhism. In the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He led his fleet on seven voyages to the lands around the Indian Ocean, bringing a message of friendship. The Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative proposed by the Chinese government in recent years have written a new chapter of friendship along the Silk Road on land and sea.

The GDI places the protection and sustainable use of marine resources top on its agenda, which aligns closely with the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Countries in the Indian Ocean region are important participants in international development cooperation, and many of them are also members of the Group of Friends of the GDI. As countries bordering oceans and seeking to tap the enormous potential offered by oceans, we are not only at the forefront of ocean governance challenges but also facing a wealth of opportunities present by the blue economy.

The theme of this forum is "Shared Development: Theory and Practice of Blue Economy". It aims to promote international cooperation in development and protection of marine resources and contribute to the SDG concerning the sustainable use of the oceans. We hope this forum will kick-start our endeavor to pool wisdom and resources. China will strengthen cooperation with countries in the Indian Ocean region to grow the blue economy, advance the implementation of the GDI in the region, embark on the path to shared development, accelerate cooperation and work together to build a maritime community with a shared future.

First, we will deepen cooperation in the blue economy. We propose to hold the China-Indian Ocean Region Development Cooperation Forum on a regular basis. Confronted with global challenges, no country can be immune from their impacts. Geopolitics will lead us nowhere, while international cooperation and shared development are the key to global challenges. We should work together to bolster the blue economy and strengthen cooperation in marine economy, science, technology, biology, and tourism; improve sea routes, promote connectivity, and safeguard the security of global industrial and supply chains; boost bilateral, multilateral and South-South cooperation; accelerate the development of new marine industries, build free trade ports and other pillars for economic cooperation and play a leading role in sustainable and high-quality development.

Second, we will tap into the initial outcomes. The forum should be action-oriented and people-oriented, and bring tangible benefits to people in the region. As a dialogue partner, China is willing to continue to work with the IORA to strengthen ocean governance and expand cooperation in areas such as seawater desalination, marine monitoring, pollution control, ecological conservation, sustainable fisheries, green shipping, and marine spatial planning. China proposes to establish a jointly-funded China-Indian Ocean Region marine disaster prevention and mitigation cooperation mechanism, and is willing to take the lead in providing financial, material and technical support for the mechanism. China will support the construction of centers for China-Africa cooperation on satellite remote-sensing application. We encourage all stakeholders in the region to leverage their own strength and scale up practical cooperation to provide more public goods.

Third, we will increase intellectual support. This forum is the first high-level official development cooperation forum jointly held by China and countries in the Indian Ocean Region. We should leverage this forum and other bilateral and regional cooperation mechanisms such as the IORA to promote innovation and encourage cooperation between the government, think tanks, and enterprises. We should launch training and exchange programs to promote the sharing of knowledge and insight, support capacity building, encourage knowledge cooperation, and design and improve the roadmap of cooperation projects and the forum itself. We should encourage think tanks to run brainstorming sessions and offer advice on issues such as the establishment of an Indian Ocean tourism cooperation circle with a focus on cruise tourism, an island tourism alliance, a regional marine environment management center, a dynamic marine environment monitoring, guidance and early warning system, and regional industrial and supply chains of marine products. Cooperation is built on consensus. We propose to establish a China-Indian Ocean region blue economy think tank network in Yunnan to support capacity building in the field of blue economy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Lying between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, Yunnan is a land blessed by nature. The province is adjacent to the Indian Ocean and is conveniently connected to the ocean by land and sea routes. It is also the hometown of the great explorer Zheng He. Its unique location and history make Yunnan an ideal location for this forum. We value the part the provincial government of Yunnan has played in fostering close ties between China and countries in the Indian Ocean region.

As pointed out in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China is prepared to invest more resources in global development cooperation. We are committed to narrowing the North-South gap and supporting and assisting other developing countries in accelerating development. China has blazed a new path to modernization, providing a new choice for mankind to realize modernization. China’s new advances in development also create new opportunities for the world. We are prepared to work together with other countries, including countries in the Indian Ocean region, to promote balanced, coordinated and inclusive regional and global development and build a maritime community with a shared future and a community with a shared future for mankind.

Thank you!