Initiatives proposed by China praised

As the Party enters its next century with the mission of realizing national rejuvenation and building China into a modern socialist country, the world has once again arrived at a crossroads. Countries around the world face common challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine crisis, rising unilateralism and protectionism, slow economic recovery and setbacks in global development.

“Where is the world headed: Peace or war? Progress or regression? Openness or isolation? Cooperation or confrontation? These are choices of the times that we are confronted with,” Xi said when delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Business Forum on June 22.

With the development of the international situation in mind, Xi proposed the Global Development Initiative at the United Nations General Assembly session in September. He called on all countries to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and establish a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership.

As the Ukraine crisis loomed large, Xi proposed the Global Security Initiative in April, urging all countries to remain committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.

Abhishek G. Bhaya, a journalist and international affairs commentator, said that in contrast to the US “Indo-Pacific” strategy that reeks of an archaic Cold War mentality, China’s Global Security Initiative is for the public good as part of its long-stated vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

It is clear that China is wellentrenched as a reliable economic and security partner in the Asia-Pacific region, while recent US policies are likely to foment trouble and security challenges in the region, Bhaya said.

“Between the two competing visions for maintaining peace and security in the Asia-Pacific, the choice couldn’t be more obvious.”

As development is getting increasingly marginalized on the international agenda amid the COVID-19 pandemic and regional conflicts, China hosted the Highlevel Dialogue on Global Development on Friday attended by leaders of 18 countries, which called on the international community to forge a stronger development partnership to expedite the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

While chairing the virtual dialogue meeting, Xi cited his experience as a farmer in a small village in Shaanxi province in the late 1960s and the dramatic changes experienced by the area’s residents in the past decades, saying that only through continuous development can the people’s desire for a better life and social stability be realized.

China will take a series of concrete actions under the framework of the Global Development Initiative to support international development cooperation, including upgrading its SouthSouth Cooperation Assistance Fund into the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, with an additional input of $1 billion on top of the existing $3 billion, according to the chairman’s statement released after the meeting.

Carlos Watson, representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to China, said that a closer look at the GDI indicates that it shares pillars similar to the SDGs as it focuses on the planet, people, prosperity, peace and partnerships. “The FAO welcomes the GDI because we are encouraging all member states to join hands on this final stretch of final sprint to reach our common goal.”