Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday chaired the High-level Dialogue on Global Development in Beijing via video link and delivered important remarks.

 

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria, President Alberto Fernandez of Argentina, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt, President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi of Iran, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, Vice President Hamilton Mourao of Brazil, Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali of Ethiopia, Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama of Fiji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob of Malaysia, and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of Thailand attended the Dialogue.

 

Focusing on the theme "Foster a Global Development Partnership for the New Era to Jointly Implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", leaders of all countries had in-depth exchange of views on such major issues as strengthening international development cooperation and accelerating the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They discussed ways to promote development cooperation and reached wide, important common understandings.

 

President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech titled "Forging High-quality Partnership for a New Era of Global Development".

 

President Xi Jinping pointed out that development is a timeless theme for humanity. Only through continuous development can the people's dream for a better life and social stability be realized. Over the years, developing countries have worked unremittingly to explore development paths suited to their national realities and to pursue economic and social development. Such efforts have produced remarkable outcomes. Today, emerging markets and developing countries account for half of the world economy, and notable progress has been made in science and technology, education, social development, culture and many other areas. We are meeting at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is eroding decades of gains in global development, the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is encountering difficulties, the North-South gap keeps widening, and crises are emerging in food and energy security. At the same time, people in all countries are more keen about pursuing peace, development and cooperation, emerging markets and developing countries are more resolved to seek strength through unity, and the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is bringing more opportunities to countries around the world.

 

President Xi Jinping stressed that this is an age rife with challenges, but it is also an age full of hope. We must get a good grasp of the overarching development trend in the world, firm up confidence, and act in unison and with great motivation to promote global development and foster a development paradigm featuring benefits for all, balance, coordination, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation and common prosperity.

 

First, we need to jointly build international consensus on promoting development. Only when people all over the world live better lives can prosperity be sustained, security safeguarded and human rights solidly grounded. It is important that we put development front and center on the international agenda, deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and build political consensus to ensure everyone values development and all countries pursue cooperation together.

 

Second, we need to jointly create an enabling international environment for development. Protectionist moves will boomerang; anyone attempting to form exclusive blocs will end up isolating himself; maximum sanctions serve nobody's interest, and practices of decoupling and supply disruption are neither feasible nor sustainable. It is important that we pursue development in real earnest and promote development in concert, build an open world economy, and shape a global governance system and institutional environment that are more just and equitable.

 

Third, we need to jointly foster new drivers for global development. It is important that we promote scientific, technological and institutional innovation, speed up technology transfer and knowledge sharing, boost the development of modern industries, close the digital divide and accelerate low-carbon transition, with a view to achieving stronger, greener and healthier global development.

 

Fourth, we need to jointly forge a global development partnership. Only by working together can we accomplish big and great things with a far-reaching impact. Developed countries need to fulfill obligations, developing countries need to deepen cooperation, and the North and the South need to work in the same direction to forge a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership. In this process, no country or individual should be left behind. It is important that we support the UN in steering and coordinating global development cooperation, and encourage business communities, social groups, the media and think tanks to take part in such cooperation.

 

President Xi stressed that China has always been a member of the big family of developing countries. China will take pragmatic steps to give continued support to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 

-China will allocate more resources for global development cooperation. We will upgrade the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund. We will also increase input to the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund. Such efforts will further support cooperation under the Global Development Initiative (GDI).

 

-China will work with all sides to advance cooperation in priority areas and mobilize resources for development to deepen global cooperation on poverty reduction and eradication, build capacity for food production and supply, and promote clean energy partnerships; step up innovation, research and development and joint production of vaccines; work on the conservation and sustainable use of land and marine ecology; and raise digital literacy and skills of the public, transform and upgrade the path to industrialization at a faster pace, and enhance connectivity in the digital era to inject new impetus into the development of all countries.

 

-China will set up a platform for experience and knowledge sharing on international development, a global development promotion center and a global knowledge network for development, for the purpose of exchanging governance experience. We will host a global forum on youth development and take part in the launch of a global action plan on youth development, in a bid to pool as much strength as possible for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 

President Xi Jinping pointed out that as an ancient Chinese adage goes, "With one heart and one mind, we can accomplish everything we aspire for." Let us firm up confidence, stride forward in pursuit of high-quality partnership, and usher in a new era of prosperity and development.

 

Leaders attending the Dialogue delivered remarks respectively. They thanked China for initiating and hosting this High-level Dialogue on Global Development, and commended President Xi's insights into global development cooperation. The cause of international peace and development is now faced with severe challenges. The emerging markets and developing countries are a crucial force in building a more equitable and balanced international order and promoting peace, security, equality and development. They need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and work with the international community to put the issue of development front and center and build a better world that meets the needs and expectations of most developing countries. The Dialogue is most opportune and relevant. It helps parties to reach new understandings on international development cooperation, safeguard common interests of developing countries, and inject new impetus into maintaining world peace and promoting common development.

 

The leaders applauded and supported the GDI and the Global Security Initiative proposed by China. They all agreed that development is the foundation of security and security is the prerequisite for development. They believed that China's initiatives address the concerns and meet the needs of developing countries, and are conducive to forging international consensus, mobilizing development resources and expediting the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They expressed the hope to step up cooperation in such areas as poverty alleviation, epidemic prevention and control, food security and energy security. They also hoped to create more synergy between the GDI and regional development plans to jointly tackle poverty, inequality and development challenges. Parties raised serious concerns over the negative spillover of unilateral sanctions and the heavy toll they have taken on vulnerable developing countries. Parties stressed the need to practice true multilateralism, defend the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold fairness and justice, and advance reforms of the global governance system. Emerging markets and developing countries need to better coordinate and cooperate, strive for greater representation and voice in international affairs, ensure the sound and steady operation of the international economic and financial system, work for the steady recovery and sustainable development of the world economy, and together forge a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership.

 

The Chair's Statement was issued after the Dialogue. It fully outlined the participants' political consensus on global development and proposes measures for practical cooperation in priority areas under the GDI.

 

Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi and He Lifeng, among others, attended the Dialogue.