Wang Yi: GDI achieves important early harvests in 5 areas

The Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China has been warmly received and actively supported by the international community, said Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, at the first high-level conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development held on July 10, 2023. 

Over the past two years, China has worked with various GDI partners for concrete results in advancing the initiative and achieved important early harvests in the following five areas.

First, the GDI has helped revitalize the international development agenda. China has hosted the High-Level Dialogue on Global Development and the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of the GDI, and made endeavor to bring development back to the center of the international agenda, injecting strong impetus to the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda.

Second, the GDI has helped facilitate many cooperation projects. China has announced 32 steps for the implementation of the GDI and to date, more than half of them have been completed. The Global Development Promotion Center is up and running, and the GDI project pool continues to expand, with a total of close to 200 projects.

Third, the GDI has helped mobilize abundant development resources. China has set up the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and has provided additional contribution to bring the total funding commitment to $4 billion. We have also launched the China-FAO South-South Cooperation Trust Fund.

Fourth, the GDI has helped build an extensive network of cooperation. To date, over 100 countries and international organizations have expressed support for the GDI, and close to 70 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI. China has signed MOUs on GDI cooperation with nearly 20 countries and international institutions. A united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership is taking shape.

Fifth, the GDI has helped improve the lives of people around the world. From COVID-19 health kits to surgeries helping cataract patients regain their sight, from building primary and middle schools to cooperation on R&D technologies, the GDI is bringing real changes and true hope to people all over the world.