UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday voiced readiness to work with all parties to further implement the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and accelerate the implementation of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to reinvigorate global development.
Li made the remarks at a high-level meeting on the GDI held by China at the UN headquarters in New York.
Present at the meeting were UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, Angolan President Joao Lourenco, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, as well as ministerial-level officials from more than 30 countries and heads of international organizations.
In his address, Li said that Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the GDI at the UN General Assembly in 2021, focusing on the broadest interests of human society and calling on all parties to commit to six core principles, which have played an important leading role in promoting common development.
More than 130 countries and international organizations have participated in the implementation mechanism of this crucial initiative, Li said, depicting the initiative as a widely popular international public good.
At present, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, international development cooperation has been severely impacted, and the momentum of world economic growth has weakened, the premier noted.
To solve the problems, he called for continued efforts to focus on development, fully promote development, and join hands to make the pie of development bigger.
Firstly, Li called for creating a stable and open international development environment, jointly safeguarding the international system with the UN at its core, adhering to multilateralism and free trade, and striving to build an open world economy.
Secondly, he urged efforts to build a balanced and inclusive development partnership, take greater care of the needs of developing countries, and actively address unbalanced and inadequate development.
Thirdly, Li said, efforts should be made to cultivate future-oriented drivers of innovation and development, strengthen international scientific and technological innovation cooperation, oppose "building walls and barriers," and ensure that innovation and development truly benefit the world as a whole.
Fourthly, he called for promoting more sustainable, green and low-carbon development, enhancing global coordination in new energy and other industries, and working together to achieve more sustainable development featuring harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.
China, Li stressed, will always be a supporter and promoter of common development, and will take more active actions and demonstrate its due responsibility.
The country will continue to increase its investment in global development, enhance scientific and technological cooperation to empower global development, and actively promote the green transformation of global development, Li said.
As a responsible major developing country, he said, China will not seek new special and differential treatment in current and future World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations.
The Chinese government put forward the AI+ International Cooperation Initiative and welcomes the active participation of all parties, Li said.
China is willing to deepen global development cooperation with all countries based on the GDI, and jointly create a more prosperous and beautiful future for the world, he added.
Attendees expressed support for the four major global initiatives and the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Xi, spoke highly of the fruitful outcomes of cooperation under the GDI, commended the exemplary and leading role played by China in the reform process of the WTO, and welcomed China's new initiative on international cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI).
They noted that both China's vision and practices are highly consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, stressing the need to jointly uphold multilateralism, reform and improve global governance, promote open and inclusive development and safeguard the common interests of the international community, particularly the Global South.
In a statement issued at the meeting, parties reaffirmed their commitment to prioritizing development, deepening cooperation under the GDI, and working together to implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
