Xi stressed the need to forge a united, equal,
balanced and inclusive high-quality global
 development partnership and jointly foster a new
 era of global development featuring benefits for
 all, balance, coordination, inclusiveness, win-win
 cooperation and common prosperity.

On the evening of June 24, Chinese  President Xi Jinping chaired the High-level Dialogue on Global  Development in Beijing via video link and delivered important remarks.  President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria, President Alberto Fernández  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 Mourão 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.

The  Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People was brightly illuminated.  The national flags of the 18 participating countries fluttered in the  resplendent light.

Around eight o’clock in the evening, President Xi Jinping announced the  opening of the Dialogue. Leaders of participating countries watched a  video clip to revisit the important moments of cooperation among  emerging markets and developing countries in recent years. When the  virtual group photo of the 18 leaders appeared on the screen, warm  applause burst out in the venue.

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. 

(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China)