Remarks by Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, at the opening ceremony of the first High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development

Remarks by Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, at the opening ceremony of the first High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development

Friends,

President Xi Jinping's message of congratulations has shown China's sincerity in advancing the U.N.'s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and a firm resolve to implement the GDI, and has set out a grand vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind. It has charted the right course for the success of the Forum and its follow-up actions.

In 2021, facing the profound changes in the world situation and serious challenges to global development, President Xi Jinping proposed the GDI as a resounding call for focusing on development and revitalizing cooperation. It has been warmly received and actively supported by the international community. Over the past two years, China has worked with various GDI partners for concrete results in advancing the initiative. The GDI has grown richer in substance with improved mechanism of implementation and a clearer roadmap. It has delivered practical cooperation projects as well as a number of early harvests.

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 U.N.'s 2030 Agenda.

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.

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 USD 4 billion. We have also launched the China-FAO South-South Cooperation Trust Fund.

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.

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.

Friends,

As a Chinese saying goes, the flame runs high when everyone adds wood to the fire. The GDI is not a solo performance by China, but a chorus by all parties. Holding the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development is one of the important measures announced by President Xi Jinping at the High-level Dialogue on Global Development. The theme of the Conference, "Global Development Initiative: Echo the Development Agenda and Call for Global Action", well captures the salient features of the GDI. We believe that global development should be pursued by people of all countries, and its benefit be shared by all. No country or individual should be left behind.

We need to discuss the development plans together. We need to better align the GDI with the U.N.'s 2030 Agenda and synergize the GDI with the development strategies of other developing countries. We need to explore new growth drivers, find the development path suited to a country's national conditions, and work for more robust, greener and healthier global development.

We need to build a development paradigm together. We need to continue to urge developed countries to fulfill their international obligations and deepen North-South cooperation. We also need to pay more attention to South-South cooperation and enhance mutual assistance among developing countries. We need to fully leverage the role of governments, private sectors, social organizations and international organizations, and galvanize the strengths of the business community, the academia, and the civil society of all countries. This way, we can form a coordinated, mutually-reinforcing paradigm for shared development, and make sure that more resources are channeled to developing countries.

We need to share development outcomes together. We need to follow closely the implementation progress of the goals of the U.N.'s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, substantiate and strengthen the GDI project pool, incubate and develop more quality development projects, and implement more livelihood projects, so as to increase the sense of gains and happiness of people of different countries.

We need to improve development governance together. We need to adhere to true multilateralism, and reject decoupling, severing supply chains and unilateral bullying. We should support the U.N.'s coordinating role, advance the reform of multilateral development institutions, increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries, so as to make the governance system and institutional environment for global development more just and equitable.

Friends,

Being the largest developing country in the world, China is naturally a member of the Global South. Over the course of history, China and fellow countries of the South have joined hands in our struggles for national independence and liberation, and forged profound friendship. No matter how the international situation may evolve, China will stay true to its status as a developing country, and stand firmly side by side with fellow countries of the South for shared development and joint revitalization.

China will take more active, effective and sustainable steps to implement the GDI. We will continue to use grant assistance, concessional loans, cooperation funds and other means, and work with various partners, to deepen practical cooperation in the eight key areas. On that basis, China will also take actions in the following six aspects to jointly open up development prospects and share development outcomes with countries around the world.

First, supporting development as a priority agenda. The Beijing Statement to be released by this Conference will be another call to "put development front and center on the international cooperation agenda". China will continue to use bilateral and multilateral occasions to unequivocally advocate for international development cooperation, and help bring due attention and input to bear on global development.

Second, improving the fostering of development projects. The Guidelines on Global Development Project Pool to be released during this Conference will provide greater convenience and institutional support for parties joining the building of the pool. China will work with all parties to continue improving the transparency and efficiency of the work, and foster and deliver more "small yet smart" development projects that bring benefits to the people.

Third, breaking the bottleneck of development financing. The Guidelines on Global Development Project Pool Financing to be adopted during this Conference will serve as a useful guidance for project financing. China will also enhance communication with the United Nations Development Program and the International Fund for Agricultural Development on financing cooperation. China has been encouraging domestic and international financial institutions to provide greater support to this cause, and has received positive response.

Fourth, expanding ways of development cooperation. This Conference will announce eleven assistance projects co-funded by receiving countries, including infrastructure projects such as railway, mobile network and wind power plant, livelihood projects such as Juncao planting and community hospital, and capacity building projects such as developing industries and urban public transport. These projects will be carried out under the GDI framework, with assistance funded by the China International Development Cooperation Agency and resources to be mobilized from the government, private sector and social organizations of the receiving country as well as from international organizations. This will be a major innovation and an expansion of the ways of development cooperation.

Fifth, strengthening third party development cooperation. The Conference will witness the announcement of China's cooperation with Switzerland on malaria prevention and control in Tanzania, with Germany on agriculture in Nigeria, and with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on malaria prevention and control in countries in need. These concrete actions will prove that the GDI is an open platform, and that we welcome the active participation from more developed countries. 

Sixth, supporting young people's leading role in development. At the Conference, China will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation with U.N. in China and other parties to announce the establishment of the Youth Leaders' Community for Global Development, through which more young people will be supported to participate in global development cooperation, and add more vitality to the future development of the world.

Friends,

China has always believed that its own future is closely linked with the future of all other countries. We are creating new opportunities for the shared development of all countries through our own development, and providing new impetus for humanity's exploration for modernization through the Chinese path to modernization. China will continue to work with all countries to advance the GDI, sound the "bugle" for shared development, and build a "fast lane" for development cooperation, to jointly implement the U.N.'s 2030 Agenda, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

I wish the first High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development a full success!

Thank you.