Premier Li Qiang has reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to the Global Development Initiative (GDI), urging greater international cooperation to tackle slowing global growth, protectionism and uneven development, according to media reports.
Speaking at a high-level GDI meeting convened by China at United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York on Tuesday, Li noted that the initiative – launched by President Xi Jinping in 2021 – had already drawn participation from more than 130 countries and organisations while mobilising more than US$23 billion for the Global South.
“To solve the many problems we now face, we must remain committed to development, dedicate all our efforts to it and work together to make the pie bigger,” he said.
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At the meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the GDI as “an important mechanism to help accelerate progress on the 2030 agenda” for Sustainable Development Goals. He highlighted its close alignment with the goals, particularly around poverty eradication, food security, climate action, and inclusive and equitable growth.
Li, meanwhile, outlined four priorities: safeguarding multilateralism and free trade to build an open world economy; addressing the needs of developing nations through more balanced and inclusive partnerships; strengthening international cooperation on science and technology; and advancing green, low-carbon growth through coordination in areas such as renewable energy.
He stressed that China would continue increasing investment in development projects, expand global scientific collaboration, and push forward green transformation, adding that Beijing would not seek preferential treatment in future World Trade Organization negotiations. China also used the meeting to promote its new “AI+ International Cooperation Initiative,” which it invited all countries to join.
