Wang Manqian: Global Development Initiative Injects New Momentum into Global Sustainable Development
General Secretary Xi Jinping, in his speech at the reception celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, emphasized the need to promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative; to actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system; and to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. On September 21, 2021, while attending the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative, calling on the international community to accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to promote the realization of stronger, greener, and healthier global development. The "Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and Africa on Deepening Cooperation within the Framework of the Global Development Initiative," released during the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), pointed out that the GDI is highly compatible with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the African Union's "Agenda 2063," and the development strategies of African countries, injecting strong momentum into the promotion of global common development. The GDI is an important practice of the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity in the field of global development, and has become a major public good provided by China to the international community in the New Era.
I. Development carries the people’s aspiration for a better life; it is the top priority for developing countries and an eternal theme of human society. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “This is an era full of challenges, but also one full of hope. We must clearly recognize the general trend of world development, firm up our confidence, rise to action, pull together as one, exert our full strength, promote global development, and jointly create a development pattern characterized by equity, balance, coordination, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation, and common prosperity.” Centered on development, the GDI focuses on promoting global collective progress, demonstrating China’s active responsibility and firm determination in advancing global common development, and winning widespread response and support from the international community.
The GDI is a leading concept for solving global development puzzles. In the current era, the international situation is complex and volatile, with various variables and challenges emerging one after another. The world’s great changes unseen in a century [1] are accelerating, which not only tests human wisdom and courage but also makes the international community’s thirst for solidarity, coordination, and common development even stronger. Faced with such a historical background, finding an effective way to break through development dilemmas has become an urgent task of the times for human society. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s proposal of the GDI points to a feasible path for all nations, providing a Chinese solution for addressing challenges, resolving disputes, and eliminating differences, thereby highlighting China’s profound insight into and active contribution to global governance. The GDI aims to push human society toward the goals of lasting peace, comprehensive security, common prosperity, broad inclusiveness, and a clean and beautiful world. Through this initiative, nations can unite more closely to jointly address global challenges and promote the construction of a more harmonious and stable international order. As the GDI is implemented in depth, the international community is expected to jointly open up a better future. This is not only a powerful response to the current global development predicament but also a vivid interpretation of the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity.
The GDI is a new proposal for international cooperation presented by China. In today’s globalized world, development problems facing all countries are endless—ranging from weak economic growth and the widening gap between rich and poor to ecological degradation and threats to public health security—all of which urgently require global solutions. The GDI focuses not only on the development of individual nations but emphasizes synergy, cooperation, and common development between states. By advocating for the new development philosophy of innovation, coordination, green development, openness, and sharing, it provides a brand-new perspective and path for solving global development puzzles. In practice, the GDI and the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity echo each other, jointly promoting the improvement and transformation of the global governance system. The concept of a community with a shared future for humanity emphasizes the common interests and responsibilities of all people and advocates for the establishment of a more just and reasonable international order. The GDI further specifies the concrete goals and action plans for achieving common development on this basis. It encourages countries to formulate development plans according to their own national conditions while strengthening international policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bonds, thereby building a closer and more pragmatic global development partnership.
The proposal of the GDI demonstrates China’s responsibility and action as a major country. Solving global development puzzles requires gathering global strength and pooling the wisdom of all parties. Therefore, the GDI actively advocates for multilateralism, supports the core role of international organizations such as the United Nations in promoting global development, and encourages the participation of governments, enterprises, and civil society to form a powerful synergy for global development. During the implementation process, emphasis is placed on aligning and coordinating with the development strategies of various countries to ensure that measures take root and yield results. By strengthening various forms of international cooperation, such as North-South cooperation, South-South cooperation, and triangular cooperation, China strives to promote the optimal allocation and efficient utilization of global development resources, contributing Chinese strength to the realization of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. As a Chinese solution for solving development puzzles, the GDI has evolved from a Chinese proposal to an international consensus, and from a cooperation concept into practical action, demonstrating strong vitality and broad prospects in actual operation. With its unique perspective and comprehensive layout, the GDI has injected new momentum and hope into global development, becoming an important force in promoting the construction of a better world.
II. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Chinese-path modernization adheres to independence and self-reliance. It relies on the hard work, innovation, and creativity of all the people to develop and strengthen itself. It achieves national development through a combination of stimulating endogenous momentum and the peaceful utilization of external resources. It does not oppress other nations or plunder the resources and wealth of other countries in any form; rather, it provides support and assistance within its capacity to the vast number of developing countries.” Adhering to peaceful development—seeking its own development while resolutely safeguarding world peace and development, and better safeguarding world peace and development through its own development to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity—is a prominent feature of Chinese-path modernization. The GDI is a proposal of global significance put forward by China against the backdrop of numerous challenges and changes in economic globalization. Its core content consists of the “Six Adherences”: adhering to development as a priority, adhering to a people-centered approach, adhering to benefits for all and inclusiveness, adhering to innovation-driven development, adhering to harmony between humanity and nature, and adhering to action-oriented results. This not only reflects China's profound understanding of and active response to global development but also demonstrates the global value of Chinese-path modernization.
Adhering to development as a priority. Development is the “master key” to solving all problems and the crux of achieving people’s happiness. In today's globalized world, the links between countries are increasingly close; the situation where all prosper or suffer together has become increasingly evident. Promoting the common development of all nations to achieve true sustainable development is particularly important. The GDI treats development as a priority, viewing it as the fundamental way to solve global issues. By strengthening international cooperation, it promotes common development and the joint tackling of global challenges to achieve shared prosperity and progress.
Adhering to a people-centered approach. The people are the creators of history and the subjects of social development; improving people’s well-being is always the important standard for testing the effectiveness of national policies. From the moment of its birth, the Communist Party of China established seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation as its original aspiration and founding mission. The GDI is precisely the extension and expansion of the people-centered development philosophy at the international level. It emphasizes that countries should pay more attention to the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security during the development process, ensuring that everyone benefits from development. It earnestly takes the needs and interests of people worldwide as the starting point, committing to inclusive development and ensuring that the fruits of development benefit all people more extensively and fairly.
Adhering to benefits for all and inclusiveness. Today, the convergence of interests and the shared destiny of all nations has become an indisputable fact. Only by advocating for and establishing a more just and reasonable new international economic order can we ensure that all countries achieve common development on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. The GDI resolutely opposes trade protectionism and unilateralism, emphasizes inclusive development, and encourages all countries to join hands in addressing global challenges and sharing development opportunities and fruits. This not only reflects China’s sense of responsibility as a major country but also highlights the global value of Chinese-path modernization. By adhering to the principles of universal benefit and inclusiveness, China is committed to promoting the construction of an open world economy, facilitating trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and providing broader development space and opportunities for all countries.
Adhering to innovation-driven development. Scientific and technological innovation can bring about a leap in productive forces, promoting industrial upgrading and economic transformation; management innovation, meanwhile, can improve efficiency, optimize resource allocation, and inject new vitality into social development. To achieve higher-quality and more sustainable global development, the GDI encourages countries to carry out deep cooperation in multiple fields such as scientific and technological innovation and management innovation. The innovation-driven approach advocated by the GDI not only requires countries to make technological breakthroughs but also necessitates innovation in development concepts, policy formulation, and implementation. Countries need to discard traditional development concepts and path dependence, follow the trend of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and achieve more inclusive and sustainable development.
Adhering to harmony between humanity and nature. Faced with the severe ecological problems existing in the world today, the GDI explicitly proposes the direction of green and low-carbon development, aiming to promote a virtuous cycle and coordinated progress between economic and social development and ecological environmental protection. While developing the economy and pursuing progress, humanity must respect, conform to, and protect nature, ensuring a harmonious and stable relationship between humanity and nature. Harmony between humanity and nature is one of the essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization pursues comprehensive development, which includes the protection and improvement of the ecological environment. Without a good ecological environment, there is no true modernization. In the process of promoting modernization, we always place ecological environmental protection in an important position, promoting eco-priority, conservation, intensive use, and green and low-carbon development. We are accelerating the green transformation of development models and supporting high-quality development with a high-quality ecological environment. This is closely linked to the GDI’s philosophy of adhering to harmony between humanity and nature, persisting in sustainable development, and contributing to human peace and development.
Adhering to action-oriented results. Global issues emerge one after another—from climate change to economic inequality, and from public health crises to food security challenges. The complexity and urgency of these issues require countries worldwide to respond jointly with concrete actions. The GDI clearly points out that only through practical and effective action can we promote continuous new progress in global development. The initiative calls on all countries to discard empty talk and procrastination and instead take powerful measures to ensure that various development goals take root. In this process, China has demonstrated its own responsibility through practical actions. Whether promoting historic achievements in domestic poverty alleviation or actively participating in international cooperation and assistance on a global scale, China is practicing the GDI with concrete actions.
III. Today, as economic globalization deepens, Chinese-path modernization demonstrates unique charm and vitality. With its huge economic volume and market potential, China promotes global economic growth and prosperity. This not only injects strong momentum into the country’s own development but also provides new ideas and solutions for global development. Through the practice of Chinese-path modernization, China shows the world a modernization path different from that of the West, providing a reference for other developing countries and promoting the improvement and development of the global governance system.
Expanding the diplomatic “circle of friends” and improving international cooperation mechanisms. “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” In an interdependent world, no country can seek development in isolation. Since the GDI was proposed in September 2021, it has received support and participation from more than 100 countries and over 20 international organizations, including the United Nations. Already, 82 countries have joined the “Group of Friends of the GDI,” and more than 70 countries and international organizations have joined the Global Development Promotion Center Network...
More than 100 countries, international organizations, and financial institutions have signed cooperation documents with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) to implement this initiative. This year, CIDCA also issued a joint statement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to promote the initiative. China is actively expanding its diplomatic reach, striving to cultivate a broad and deep "circle of friends" [2] and establish close, friendly diplomatic ties with nations worldwide. This omni-directional, multi-tiered, and three-dimensional diplomatic layout not only creates an advantageous external environment for China’s development but also provides an expansive platform for exchange and cooperation among all nations. Concurrently, China is dedicated to refining and perfecting various international cooperation mechanisms, such as propelling the in-depth implementation of the "Belt and Road" Initiative [3] and actively participating in the construction of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Through these vital cooperation platforms, China and other nations jointly mobilize funds, share resources, and promote pragmatic cooperation, achieving mutual benefit and common development. These measures not only demonstrate China’s responsibility as a major power but also contribute positive momentum to the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity.
Fulfilling development commitments and promoting pragmatic cooperation. The Global Development Initiative (GDI) originated in China, but its fruits and opportunities belong to the world. On the path to development and prosperity, not a single country or individual should be left behind—this is the vision of the GDI and the goal championed by the United Nations. In July 2023, China successfully hosted the first High-Level Meeting of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development and established the Global Development Project Pool and Capital Pool, further embedding the GDI in the hearts of the people. To date, the total number of projects in the Global Development Project Pool exceeds 1,000, with over 500 projects already completed or currently under implementation. Simultaneously, we established the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, which has supported over 150 projects, manifesting a firm commitment to global development. China will continue to maintain its positioning as a developing country, deepen strategic alignment with various nations and regions, promote the common prosperity of "Global South" countries, and lead South-South cooperation in unleashing new potential. We must fully utilize the project and capital pools, innovate cooperation models, and accelerate the transformation of funds into flagship projects. Focusing on the health, digital, and green sectors, we aim to create "small yet beautiful" [4] brands and advance the meticulous implementation of new projects, striving to demonstrate significant achievements through precise operations and contributing more Chinese wisdom and strength to global development.
Advancing the improvement of the global governance system and assisting in the realization of global sustainable development goals. As the world's largest developing country, China bears a significant responsibility in global development. It consistently upholds the global governance view of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, actively leading international development cooperation and promoting the reform and improvement of the global governance system to contribute to a more just and reasonable international order. China persists in true multilateralism, promotes North-South dialogue to achieve complementary advantages, and consolidates a cooperation pattern where North-South cooperation serves as the main channel complemented by South-South cooperation, while practicing the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities [5]. We remain committed to promoting the reform of the multilateral development governance system, expanding multi-party cooperation under the GDI and the UN 2030 Agenda, and leading the planning of the "Post-2030" development agenda. At the same time, China resolutely opposes the politicization, instrumentalization, and weaponization of foreign aid and international development cooperation. We urge developed countries to fulfill their aid and climate finance commitments and to engage in equal cooperation based on consensus. Together, we will contribute to global development, ensuring that international development cooperation always follows the correct direction and assists in achieving global sustainable development goals.