2nd China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation opens in Kunming

The Second China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation kicked off in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province on Dec 8, 2023. Xiao Jie, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech.

Luo Zhaohui, chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), and Wang Yubo, governor of Yunnan, delivered speeches at the ceremony, both of whom pointed out that the blue economy is an important part of global cooperation and promoting blue cooperation is a common responsibility for all. China has proposed the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, as well as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. China has been striving to implement the concept and the three initiatives, as well as the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-30), and has achieved major outcomes.

China will continue to invest more resources in global development cooperation, and work with countries in the Indian Ocean region to advance blue cooperation. Yunnan will continue to leverage its geographic advantage as China's gateway for opening up toward South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean region, and provide an important platform for sustainable development of the region.

President of Kenya William Ruto, President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan, President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Prime Minister of Egypt Mostafa Madbouly delivered remarks via video link. Vice-President of the Maldives Hussain Mohamed Latheef, Minister of Trade and Tourism of Djibouti Mohamed Warsama Dirieh, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure of South Africa Sihle Zikalala, Comorian Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Environment, Tourism and Handicraft Houmed Msaidié, and Vice-Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Amr Zakaria Hamouda delivered remarks onsite.

They all agreed that in face of multiple global challenges and while the on-schedule realization of the UN 2030 Agenda faces grave challenges, China has acted as a responsible major country by proposing China's initiatives, carrying out China's measures and sharing China's opportunities to promote global development. This forum fully demonstrated related countries' efforts in deepening communication and boosting blue cooperation for global development, they said, adding that all parties will fully leverage this platform to jointly build a maritime community with a shared future.

Themed on "Boosting Sustainable Blue Economy to Build Together a Maritime Community with a Shared Future", the forum is co-hosted by the CIDCA and the Yunnan provincial government and  being attended by over 300 guests from more than 30 countries and international organizations. Four parallel sub-forums will be held on cooperation in the blue economy, cooperation in maritime disaster prevention and reduction, biodiversity and maritime ecology protection, and the sustainable development of island countries of the Indian Ocean.