CIDCA holds press conference for Q3 2025 (full text)

China Women's News: The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women has concluded successfully. President Xi Jinping announced a series of major initiatives to support the development of women's causes worldwide. Could you brief us on what work the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) will undertake to implement these initiatives?

Li Ming: Five years ago, President Xi proposed convening another Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. On Oct 13, President Xi attended the opening ceremony of the meeting and delivered an important speech. He emphasized that women play an important role in creating, promoting and carrying forward human civilization, and that advancing the cause of women is a shared responsibility of the international community. He put forward four proposals: fostering an enabling environment for women's growth and development, cultivating strong momentum for the high-quality development of women's causes, building governance frameworks to protect women's rights and interests, and writing a new chapter in promoting global cooperation on women. He also announced a series of major initiatives to support the development of women's causes worldwide.

These important proposals and initiatives demonstrate President Xi's strategic vision and global perspective. They represent China's propositions and solutions for promoting the sound and sustainable development of women's causes worldwide and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. They will provide strong impetus for global progress in women's development and help create a better future for humanity.

Going forward, the CIDCA will make every effort to implement the measures for international development cooperation and foreign assistance announced by President Xi.

Regarding the commitment to earmarking a quota of $100 million in China's Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund for implementing development cooperation projects for women and girls in collaboration with international organizations, the CIDCA will further deepen cooperation with international organizations such as UN Women, the United Nations Children's Fund, and the United Nations Development Programme. By fully leveraging their global networks and platform advantages, we will better promote gender equality and the development of women and girls worldwide, particularly in countries of the Global South.

Regarding the commitment to launching 1,000 "small yet smart" livelihood programs with Chinese assistance that take women and girls as priority beneficiaries, the CIDCA will place greater emphasis on the principle of gender equality in cooperation projects related to poverty reduction, healthcare, education, culture and other livelihood sectors in developing countries, and take women and girls as priority beneficiaries, helping other Global South countries strengthen their capacity to protect women's rights and interests.

Regarding the commitment to inviting 50,000 women to China for exchanges and training, the CIDCA will make full use of major platforms such as the Global Women's Development Cooperation Exchange and Training Base to enhance experience sharing and deliver training programs for women from developing countries in priority areas, including poverty reduction, education, healthcare, management and leadership, thereby enhancing women's capacity for independent development.

Regarding the commitment to establishing a Global Center for Women's Capacity Building and conducting capacity building and other development cooperation with relevant countries and international organizations, yesterday afternoon, the CIDCA, together with the All-China Women's Federation, officially inaugurated the Global Center for Women's Capacity Building at China Women's University. This is a practical step jointly taken by China and the international community to accelerate the implementation of the global women's development initiatives announced by President Xi. Going forward, the CIDCA and the All-China Women's Federation will jointly carry out bilateral and multilateral exchanges and capacity-building cooperation on women's development, explore trilateral development cooperation with international organizations such as UN Women, and conduct research on international development cooperation related to women's development.

In addition, to mark the convening of the meeting, the CIDCA compiled and released a report, International Development Cooperation: China's Practice (Seventh Issue) — Women's Empowerment and Development. The report systematically presents China's philosophy, practices, progress, achievements and prospect in international development cooperation on women's development. It highlights China's foreign assistance and international development cooperation measures that benefit women and girls in developing countries and showcases China's contributions and achievements in promoting global women's development over the three decades since the Fourth World Conference on Women was held in Beijing in 1995. Rich in content, the report constitutes an important part of the CIDCA's efforts to implement the initiatives announced by President Xi. Chinese and English editions of International Development Cooperation: China's Practice (Seventh Issue) are available at today's press conference, and members of the media are welcome to pick up a copy.

People's Daily: The Tianjin Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) concluded successfully in early September. At the Summit, President Xi announced a number of assistance measures. How will the CIDCA implement these measures and continue to advance development cooperation with other SCO member states?

Li Ming: Since its establishment 24 years ago, the SCO has consistently upheld the Shanghai Spirit, grown stronger with increasing maturity, and successfully forged a path of regional cooperation that keeps pace with the times and meets the needs of all parties, setting an example for a new type of international relations.

The Tianjin Summit was the largest SCO summit to date and also the most fruitful in terms of outcomes. In the field of international development cooperation, President Xi announced that China will implement 100 "small yet smart" livelihood projects in member states with such need; provide 2 billion yuan ($296.31 million) in grants to member states within this year; and offer 10,000 human resources training opportunities to member states over the next five years.

We have been actively engaging with the competent authorities of relevant SCO member states to identify "small yet smart" projects that require modest investment, deliver quick results and directly benefit local communities, while accelerating project approval and implementation. Around the time of the Summit, more than 10 cooperation documents were signed, including exchanges of notes on such projects as the provision of facilities and equipment for the Luban Workshop in Kazakhstan, the second phase of the dredger assistance program for Uzbekistan, and infrastructure development at the Bedel Port in Kyrgyzstan, as well as memorandums of understanding on human resources development cooperation. By combining landmark projects with "small yet smart" livelihood projects, these initiatives will make an important contribution to the economic and social development of the relevant countries and to improving the well-being of their people.

We have signed intergovernmental agreements with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and other relevant member states, and signed the China-Belarus Development Cooperation Roadmap (2025–30) with Belarus. Under the grant framework, we will continue to discuss with the competent authorities of partner countries the implementation of development cooperation projects. Funding will be directed toward "small yet smart" livelihood projects to create more employment opportunities and help address the most pressing concerns of local people in recipient countries.

For many years, China has actively carried out human resources development cooperation with other SCO member states, sharing China's experience in capacity building across various fields of economic and social development, with encouraging results. Over the next five years, under the human resources development cooperation program, China will continue to provide 2,000 training opportunities each year for participants from other SCO member states across a wide range of fields, and strengthen exchanges on governance and public administration, to cultivate more professionals to support the economic and social development of SCO member states.

Xinhua News Agency: On Sept 23 (local time), Premier Li Qiang attended and addressed the High-level Meeting on the Global Development Initiative, hosted by China at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where he announced a series of measures to support the work of the United Nations and promote global development. Which of these measures will be implemented by the CIDCA, and what are the plans?

Li Ming: On Sept 23, Premier Li attended and addressed the High-level Meeting on the Global Development Initiative hosted by China at the United Nations Headquarters.

In his speech, Premier Li comprehensively elaborated on China's commitment to working with all parties to further advance the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and reinvigorate global development. He proposed a series of practical measures to increase global resource input and issued a sincere call to the international community to remain focused on development, work together to promote development, and jointly expand the "pie" of global development.

Participants highly commended the new measures announced by China in such fields as trade, digital capacity, artificial intelligence, climate change and green development. They expressed their readiness to deepen cooperation under the Global Development Initiative, jointly implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

CIDCA Chairman Chen Xiaodong accompanied Premier Li to the High-level Meeting and delivered a keynote speech during the subsequent interactive dialogue session on practical measures for implementing the 2030 Agenda.

As the Chinese government's agency responsible for coordinating foreign assistance and international development cooperation, the CIDCA will actively implement the international development cooperation measures announced by Premier Li.

First, over the next five years, China will implement 2,000 "small yet smart" livelihood projects. The CIDCA will make comprehensive use of bilateral aid funds, the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and human resources development cooperation programs, with a focus on the eight priority areas of the Global Development Initiative. We will align these projects with the development strategies and urgent needs of other developing countries and Global South countries, supporting them in achieving equitable, inclusive, sustainable and shared development.

Second, China will carry out 200 marine development cooperation projects to help small island states strengthen their capacity for sustainable development. Climate change, environmental degradation and the overexploitation of resources are major global challenges. Ecological and climate issues transcend national borders, and protecting our shared planet requires collective efforts. We will focus on such areas as the blue economy, disaster prevention and mitigation, climate response, capacity building, and smart ocean development, implementing marine development cooperation projects to help small island states enhance their capacity for sustainable development.

Third, China will work with relevant countries and international organizations, including the World Health Organization, to implement more health cooperation projects. We will expand cooperation in HIV/AIDS prevention and control, malaria control, cardiovascular disease prevention, tuberculosis control, public health management, and maternal and child nutrition and health, helping other developing countries strengthen the resilience of their public health systems and jointly address global health challenges.

Fourth, China will establish a funding program dedicated to digital capacity-building within the Global Development Capital Pool to support the "Digital South" initiative under the Global Development Initiative. In recent years, China has actively shared its scientific and technological innovation achievements, promoted the Inclusive Plan on AI Capacity Building, and helped countries of the Global South enhance their digital and intelligent development. Going forward, we will mobilize resources from domestic and international partners to incubate more flagship projects and strengthen the sharing of digital knowledge, technological achievements and practical applications with countries of the Global South.

China Central Television: Among the foreign leaders and dignitaries attending the commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, many are from countries of the Global South. China's victory in the war inspired many colonial and semi-colonial countries that had suffered from aggression and oppression. Now that China has achieved remarkable development, it has prioritized supporting the development of countries of the Global South. Could you elaborate on China's policy considerations and concrete measures for supporting the development of these countries?

Li Ming: As a natural member of the Global South, China has always been committed to promoting solidarity, cooperation and common development among countries of the Global South. We have consistently adhered to the principles of treating all countries as equals, pursuing win-win cooperation, refraining from interfering in other countries' internal affairs, attaching no political conditions to our assistance, honoring our commitments with concrete actions, seeking practical results, and acting within its capacity while doing its utmost.

China actively shares the experience of Chinese modernization, coordinates the implementation of flagship projects and "small yet smart" livelihood projects, and remains committed to improving people's well-being while helping countries develop the capacity for sustainable growth. Through a series of policy measures, China has helped relevant countries improve economic and social development, enhance people's livelihoods, and respond to global challenges, thereby promoting the common development and prosperity of the Global South.

First, China actively supports infrastructure development in countries of the Global South. Through the construction, expansion and rehabilitation of roads, railways, airports, ports and other infrastructure projects, we have strengthened connectivity and promoted local economic development. Landmark projects such as the China–Maldives Friendship Bridge and the "Egg Road" project in Madagascar have been widely acclaimed.

Second, China shares its experience in targeted poverty alleviation, agricultural development and other fields with countries of the Global South. Hybrid rice technology has been introduced to nearly 70 countries across five continents, helping increase rice yields in a number of African countries from 2 tons per hectare to 7.5 tons per hectare, significantly alleviating food shortages. Juncao technology has taken root in more than 100 countries, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and becoming a "prosperity grass" and "happiness grass" for local communities.

Third, China helps improve people's well-being in countries of the Global South. Signature "small yet smart" livelihood assistance programs, including Luban Workshops, the Chinese medical assistance teams, and the Brightness Action program, have been widely praised. Since the establishment of the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has worked with more than 20 international organizations to implement over 190 projects in 60 countries of the Global South, covering food security, healthcare, maternal and child health, vocational training and other fields, benefiting more than 30 million people.

Fourth, China helps countries of the Global South strengthen capacity building. Through short- and medium-term training programs in China, degree education for in-service officials, overseas training, and the dispatch of senior technical experts, China has trained more than 500,000 professionals from over 180 countries and regions, helping countries of the Global South enhance their capacity for independent and sustainable development.

Today, the Global South is gaining ever greater momentum. China stands ready to work hand in hand with other countries of the Global South to address risks and challenges, create a better future, and jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity.

China Daily: A series of disasters, including the recent earthquake in Afghanistan and flooding in Pakistan, have occurred in recent weeks. What emergency assistance has China provided?

Li Ming: On Sept 1, while chairing the "SCO Plus" Meeting in Tianjin, President Xi expressed profound condolences over the victims of the earthquake in Afghanistan and extended sincere sympathy to the bereaved families and the people in the disaster-stricken areas. Acting immediately on President Xi's important instructions, the CIDCA announced 50 million yuan in emergency humanitarian material assistance for earthquake relief in Afghanistan, including urgently needed supplies such as tents, blankets, tarpaulins and food.

The first shipment of relief supplies was delivered to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on Sept 7 by two Y-20 transport aircraft of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force. The second and third shipments arrived in Kabul on Sept 11 and 13, respectively. Additional shipments are currently being prepared or transported and will be delivered to the Afghan side and dispatched to the affected areas as soon as possible.

In addition, the Chinese embassy in Afghanistan, Chinese enterprises operating in Afghanistan, and the Association of Overseas Chinese in Afghanistan have jointly raised donations and relief supplies worth approximately 350,000 yuan, which have been handed over to the Afghan side. The Red Cross Society of China has also provided $200,000 in emergency humanitarian cash assistance to the Afghan Red Crescent Society.

Following the devastating floods in Pakistan, China extended a helping hand without delay by providing $2 million in emergency assistance. To further support Pakistan's disaster relief efforts and post-disaster reconstruction, the first shipment of additional emergency relief supplies—including life jackets, tents, sleeping bags and blankets—arrived in Pakistan on the morning of Sept 28. The second shipment was dispatched on Oct 4, while the remaining supplies will be shipped by sea to Karachi Port. China stands ready to continue providing assistance within its capacity in light of Pakistan's needs.

We believe that, under the leadership of the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan and with the support of the international community, including China, the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan will overcome the disasters at an early date and rebuild their homes.

China National Radio: What is the relationship between the Global Development Initiative and the recently proposed Global Governance Initiative?

Li Ming: In September this year, President Xi proposed the Global Governance Initiative at the "SCO Plus" Meeting. Following the three global initiatives previously put forward by China, it represents another important international public good that China has contributed to the world. It was also the highlight of the Tianjin Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Since its announcement, the initiative has been warmly welcomed and supported by the leaders of participating countries and the heads of international organizations, and it will undoubtedly receive an even more positive response and broader recognition from the international community.

The Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and Global Governance Initiative each have their own focus while complementing one another. Together, they inject greater stability and certainty into a world marked by turbulence and transformation from the perspectives of development, security, civilization, and governance, while demonstrating China's sense of responsibility and commitment in international affairs.

In the face of a world undergoing profound changes and increasing uncertainties, China will continue to uphold the vision of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits in global governance. We will strengthen coordination with the United Nations and all other parties to advance the implementation of the four global initiatives in an integrated manner and work together toward building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Global Times: We noted that Premier Li met with Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, in New York late last month. Gates said that the Foundation looks forward to further strengthening its relationship with China and carrying out more substantive cooperation in global health, particularly in support of developing countries, to jointly advance global development. Could you share any concrete plans or considerations in this regard?

Li Ming: The CIDCA maintains exchanges and cooperation with the Gates Foundation, and the two sides enjoy broad potential for cooperation in addressing global health challenges and improving the health and well-being of people in developing countries.

The two sides have formally signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation and established a joint working group to put in place a regular coordination mechanism. For example, the Accelerating Malaria Elimination Project in Gambia, jointly implemented by the CIDCA, the Gates Foundation, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, has been successfully launched and achieved preliminary progress, delivering tangible health benefits to the people of The Gambia.

Such cooperation not only demonstrates China's responsible commitment to actively participating in global health governance, but also serves as a successful example of the international community working together to address global challenges.

Going forward, the CIDCA will fully implement the consensus reached between Premier Li and Gates, further tap the potential for cooperation with the Gates Foundation, and expand our partnership. The two sides will continue to explore third-party project cooperation in African and Asian countries and other regions, focusing on such areas as malaria prevention and control, polio eradication, poverty reduction, agricultural development, and climate change response. We will also innovate financing models for development cooperation and strive to deliver early outcomes through practical actions, jointly advancing the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.