Address by CIDCA Chairman Luo Zhaohui at 3rd China and International Development Forum

China's Contribution to the World on Philosophy and Practice of International Development Cooperation in the New Era

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It's an honor to attend the forum today. From rough food to culinary delicacies, from primitive shed to modern skyscrapers, people's pursuit of a better life never stops. 

Development and common development are fundamental ways to realize such aspiration. China is a developing country, attaching great importance to both its own development and global development cooperation. Particularly over the past decade, China has eradicated absolute poverty, and finished building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus completing the First Centenary Goal. Through a Chinese path to modernization, China is promoting national rejuvenation.

The past decade also marked China's leading role in shaping up international development cooperation with its most active and effective efforts and biggest contribution than ever. Seeing the whole picture, and following people's will and the tide of the times, President Xi Jinping has put forward ground-breaking ideas and thinking on two separate occasions, which facilitates global common development and prosperity by providing Chinese wisdom, approach, and strength.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, globalization sped up. The 9/11 Incident in 2001 made the world reflect on globalization in terms of politics, and the 2008 international financial crisis made the world rediscover globalization in terms of economy and led to a rise of trade protectionism. Against this backdrop, in late 2012 and early 2013, President Xi Jinping put forward the idea of "a community with a shared future for mankind" and the Belt and Road Initiative, which stresses safeguarding globalization by advancing policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity and an open world economy, while solidifying the idea of "global village".

In September last year, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI). At that time, we saw the changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, greater major-country competition, more geopolitical conflicts, struggling economic recovery, and deviation from development agenda. The U.S. adopted unilateral policies, withdrew from treaties and groups one after another, and clamored for decoupling and cutting supply chains. The world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Aligned with UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the GDI promotes cooperation in eight priority areas that are of vital concern to countries, such as poverty reduction, food security, and green development, so as to pool development consensus, tackle development dilemma, and bring development issues back to the core of international agenda. The GDI presents the call of the time!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thinking is the pacesetter of practice. China not only advocates for international development cooperation, but also takes earnest actions.

First, high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. As an important platform for China on international development cooperation, the Belt and Road Initiative covers both land and sea routes that span from east to west. It's a continuance of ancient Silk Road with benefits to the world and an important public good that China contributes to the world. To date, over 140 countries and 30 international organizations have signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with China. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has seen remarkable development results. The China-Laos Railway is now fully operational. The Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway has succeeded in test run. East Africa now has its first high-speed railway. The first cross-sea bridge in Maldives has been built. The world has seen 82 economic and trade cooperation zones along the Belt and Road.

Second, full implementation of the GDI. In June this year, President Xi Jinping announced 32 key measures to implement the GDI, including holding a Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, developing a project pool, establishing a four-billion-dollar Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and providing 100,000 training opportunities. So far, over 100 countries and international organizations, including the UN, have expressed support for this initiative. Nearly 70 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI, which has created a sound momentum of joint participation by countries and agencies in multiple fields. Not long ago, the CIDCA inaugurated the Global Development Promotion Center, and the CIDCA and the Yunnan Provincial People’s Government successfully held the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development and Cooperation.

Third, deepening international cooperation on COVID-19 response. Facing a pandemic unseen in a century, over the past three years, China has carried out the biggest emergency humanitarian relief with the longest duration since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. In the early days of the pandemic, we provided a large volume of COVID-19 response supplies to 153 countries and 15 international organizations, and sent medical expert teams to 34 countries. Later on, we provided over 110 countries and four international organizations with over 2.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Our COVID-19 response assistance is still underway. Recently, we provided over 20 countries with emergency food assistance and fertilizer, among other production goods. We also offered strong support for Pakistan to fight floods.

Fourth, sharing governance experience. The Chinese path to modernization provides humanity with new options for modernization. China provides not only concrete help, but also means for the independent development of the recipient countries. Standing ready to share its state governance experience, China supports developing countries to explore sustainable development paths that fit their own national conditions, and helps developing countries advance the modernization of their governance level and capability. In 2015, President Xi Jinping announced the establishment of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development. To date, over 300 officials from 67 countries have graduated with master's or doctoral degrees. This effort has been highly recognized by other developing countries.

Fifth, expanding multilateral and tripartite cooperation. In recent years, while pushing forward bilateral cooperation, we have attached importance to expanding trilateral and multilateral cooperation. We work with over 10 international organizations, including UNDP, WFP, UNICEF, and the International Red Cross, to further extend tripartite cooperation on climate change, eco-environmental protection, among other fields. We have carried out over 130 projects in more than 50 countries, bringing benefits to over 20 million people.

Over the past year, President Xi Jinping also sent written remarks to four major events hosted by the CIDCA, namely the fifth anniversary celebration of the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund and the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, the 20th anniversary celebration of Juncao assistance, the 50th anniversary celebration of artemisinin's advent and the International Forum on Hybrid Rice Assistance and Global Food Security.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The unique model of China's international development cooperation is well-received by recipient countries. In terms of cooperation vision, we uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, shared benefits and win-win results. We never interfere in other countries' internal affairs through foreign aid, with no political strings attached. In terms of cooperation channel, we shift from government assistance being the main channel alongside a focus on bilateral approach to the diversification of assistance actors featuring a combination of multilateral and bilateral approach. In terms of cooperative approach, we emphasize a blend of "hard aid" including infrastructure construction and material assistance and "soft aid" such as human resource training and technical support, as well as the combination of foreign assistance and mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to align with the development strategies of recipient countries for economic complementarity and common development. In terms of cooperation forms, we leverage on our traditional strength in complete sets of projects, goods and materials, technical assistance, cooperation in human resources development and emergency humanitarian relief, and pay more attention to small but practical projects that improve people's well-being. In 2018, the Chinese government set up the CIDCA to better coordinate and guide international development cooperation. 

The theory of China's international development cooperation roots in the Marx's thinking on internationalism born 200 years ago, the 5,000-year-long fine tradition of Chinese culture, and the important historical experience of the Communist Party of China (CPC) over the past century in holding that "the world belongs to one family and embraces a global vision". The CPC stays true to its original aspiration of striving for human progress and world harmony. 

"The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose." China Aid is part of South-South cooperation and represents mutual help between friends. It's both altruistic and mutually beneficial. We never do a thing that is not altruistic or only benefits ourselves. China wants no reward from its foreign assistance, but receives friendship and support from developing countries and their people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

International development cooperation epitomizes North-South relations and South-South cooperation, which is critical to the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It draws increasing attention and competition among major global forces.

First, China will continue to play a leading role in international development cooperation. President Xi Jinping proposed new ideas and initiatives of international development cooperation, the institutional strength enables high-quality development in China, and our foreign assistance model is well-received around the world. In addition, the report to the 20th CPC National Congress made a commitment to investing more resources in global development cooperation. China will surely make greater efforts for bigger contribution in terms of international development cooperation. China will continue to firmly implement the idea of a community with a shared future for mankind, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and implement the GDI. Instead of slowing down, we will speed up the upgrading from "painting the broad strokes" to "refining the details" by fleshing out with concrete actions.

Second, North-South competition will intensify in international development cooperation. North-South relations will have a profound impact on the outlook of international development cooperation. The U.S. and the western world are advancing selective multilateralism. Geostrategy and ideology are becoming important considerations for their international development cooperation. In terms of rules, standards, and visions, they will continue to exert greater restrictions for South countries, including emerging donor countries and recipient countries. In the specific areas of international development cooperation, competition-cooperation relationship will see dynamic adjustment.

Third, South-South cooperation has a bigger share. As China and other emerging countries are growing stronger as a whole, the boundaries between traditional recipient countries and emerging donor countries are blurred and integrated. Supporting each other, they are more willing to seek common development. When it comes to advancing UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, they are playing a more active role in seeking rule-making power and making their voices heard around the world. China has been long standing for non-interference policy, equality and mutual benefit, win-win cooperation, the idea that "both shared interests and the greater good are of vital importance", among other ideas and stances, which has received wider recognition.

Fourth, the role of multilateral platforms becomes prominent. Under the guidance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN and the UN development system remain a key multilateral platform in advancing international development cooperation. BRICS, SCO, ASEAN, the African Union and other regional multilateral organizations, as well as the RCEP, the CPTPP and other free trade agreements, will highlight their regional characteristics and strengths in foreign assistance, investment and trade, among other aspects, so as to shape up constructive interaction with the UN system while being supplementary to each other.

Thank you!