Zhao Fengtao: China contributes to common prosperity, development around world

Zhao Fengtao, vice-chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), took an interview with Xinhua News Agency on China's achievements on foreign assistance and its role in international development cooperation. Below is a summary of the interview.

GDI implementation yields major preliminary results

China proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) in September 2021, which has guided global efforts towards a new phase of balance, coordination and inclusiveness. In June 2022, China announced a series of pragmatic measures to promote the implementation of the GDI.

As an agency responsible for China's foreign assistance and international development cooperation, the CIDCA has been working on the implementation of the GDI, which has yielded major preliminary results, according to Zhao. The agency established the Global Development Promotion Center and invited the GDI Group of Friends countries and organizations to join the Global Development Promotion Center Network, which now has 31 members. A global development project pool was established, with 50 projects having already been launched in its first batch. Now the project pool consists of over 100 projects, and has carried over 1,000 sessions of human resource training, involving over 50 GDI Groups of Friends countries. As for the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has promised to raise the input to four billion dollars to support small yet smart projects in eight major areas.

China leads global cooperation in COVID-19 response

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has provided massive anti-pandemic supplies to 153 countries and 15 international organizations, dispatched medical expert teams to 34 countries, and provided over 2.2 billion doses of vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations. This is the most intensive and wide-ranging emergency humanitarian relief operation since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

In addition to efforts to address the "distribution deficit" and bridge the "immunity gap", China has also helped other developing countries reinforce their public health system and epidemic prevention and control capabilities by assisting in the building of hospitals, cooperating in vaccine production and talent exchanges and training.

"China's efforts in this regard are still continuing. We are still providing assistance within our capability to those countries in need," Zhao said. China has carried out hundreds of assistance projects in areas such as public health, trade promotion, connectivity and poverty reduction, which have been well received by those countries, he said, adding that China is also prepared to increase resource investment in global development cooperation and to work with all countries against global challenges in a bid to achieve the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

China advances tripartite cooperation in international development

In April 2018, the CIDCA was established to formulate foreign aid policies and plans, determine foreign aid projects, supervise and evaluate their implementation, coordinate major foreign aid affairs, and promote the reform of foreign aid methods.

China is always open to exchanges in international development and tripartite cooperation, according to Zhao. Under the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out cooperation projects in over 50 countries in food assistance, post-disaster reconstruction, refugee relief and healthcare for women and children. China has worked with Switzerland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand to implement tripartite cooperation projects that meet the needs of the recipients in such areas as agriculture and health.

China will continue to actively explore trilateral cooperation in an open and pragmatic manner, and encourage the private sector, civil society and charity organizations to play a bigger role in this regard and inject new impetus into international development cooperation, he said.