Expert on China’s intl development cooperation: Encouraging other developing countries to explore suitable development paths

When advancing international development cooperation, China encourages other developing countries to explore development paths suited to their national circumstances, Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs under Renmin University of China and Jean Monnet chair professor, said in a recent interview with China News Service.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the China-proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI), which aims to build consensus, foster new momentum and promote development for all countries around the world.

Wang said development is a core concern of the international community, and the increasing deficit in global development highlights the GDI's contemporary value.

China has made impressive development achievements. It has achieved the poverty reduction target outlined in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, thereby accelerating global poverty alleviation. China has also advanced industrial digitalization and digital industrialization in a synchronized way.

Wang also emphasized that with an action-oriented principle, China shares its modernization experience to promote international development cooperation and to enable more countries to benefit from its development results.

Closer South-South cooperation is a feature of how China implements the GDI. Wang noted that China focuses on win-win cooperation, instead of conditional assistance, a method usually taken by Western countries.

"We enhance the self-development capacities of other developing countries by teaching them how to develop, thereby reducing their dependence on assistance," Wang said.

China has built infrastructure, launched "small yet smart" projects and initiated human resource development cooperation projects in a bid to drive the modernization of the Global South countries. China has also pioneered a third-party market cooperation to achieve multilateral, complementary benefits.

Wang highlighted the digital divide between the Global North and South when talking about the current challenges in global development cooperation. Developing countries face uneven industrialization, as well as the dual pressure from digital and low-carbon transformation. Wang stressed that other developing countries can learn from China's corresponding experience in advancing industrialization and digitalization in tandem.

China has decided to hold the third High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development in 2026, which marks the fifth anniversary of the GDI. The event aims to build a development consensus and promote win-win cooperation. As this year is the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, the country's high-quality development would create new opportunities for the world, Wang noted.

He stressed that China will leverage its strength in the digital economy and governance to help bridge the global digital gap, promote global digitalization and respond to digital risks with other countries.

Wang highlighted the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in global international development cooperation in the future. He said that AI will promote digitalization, integrate the real and digital economy and advance inclusive education in the future.

"China will continue to promote global digitalization and low-carbon transformation in collaboration with other countries," Wang said.