On July 29, 2022, H.E. Lin Xianjiang, Chinese Ambassador to Dominica published a signed article entitled "China Will Always be a Contributor to Global Development" on The Chronicle Newspaper, introducing the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping.
Following is the full text of the article：
Development is the timeless theme for humanity, the master key to addressing all problems and the key to achieving people's happiness. At present, the world is ushering in a new phase of instability and transformation, with the combined impacts of changes and the COVID-19 pandemic both unseen in a century. The global economy is struggling to recover, the development gap between the North and the South keeps widening, international development cooperation lacks drive, and the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is encountering difficulties. Human development is standing at a new crossroads. How to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic? How to build a post-pandemic world? How to achieve better development? These are major issues of common concern to the whole world and the urgent issues that all countries must answer.
In September 2021, with the future of all humanity in mind, President Xi Jinping solemnly put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. This initiative follows a people-centered approach as the core principle, pursues practical cooperation as the guidance, and upholds openness and inclusiveness as the idea for partnership. It calls on the international community to speed up the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, pursue more robust, greener and more healthy global development, and build a global community of development with a shared future, contributing China's initiatives and wisdom to addressing difficulties holding back development. So far, the GDI has been warmly received by more than 100 countries and international organizations, and more than 50 countries including Dominica have joined the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative.
In June this year, in order to further advance the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, President Xi Jinping hosted the High-level Dialogue on Global Development. Leaders from 18 emerging markets and developing countries including BRICS countries attended. Under the theme “Foster a Global Development Partnership for the New Era to Jointly Implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, the leaders discussed global development issues of common interest and reached extensive consensus.
At this High-level Dialogue, President Xi Jinping put forward four proposals: jointly building international consensus on promoting development, jointly creating an enabling international environment for development, jointly fostering new drivers for global development and jointly forging a global development partnership. President Xi also announced China's important measures to implement the GDI, including setting up the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, enhancing support for the China-UN Peace and Development Fund, issuing a Global Development Report and establishing a Global Development Promotion Center and a Global Knowledge Network for Development, to play China's part in mobilizing global resources for development and expediting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
A list of deliverables composed of 32 measures was also released at the High-level Dialogue on Global Development, covering eight areas of poverty reduction, food security, pandemic response and vaccines, financing for development, climate change and green development, industrialization, digital economy, and digital-era connectivity, including setting up a Global Alliance for Poverty Reduction and Development, launching a Food Production Enhancement Action, establishing an International Vaccines Research, Development and Innovation Alliance, promoting the establishment of the Global Clean Energy Cooperation Partnership, establishing the Global Network for Sustainable Forest Management, holding a Global Development Forum and providing 100,000 training opportunities for other developing countries, among others. These measures will inject strong impetus into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
To enhance development cooperation between China and Caribbean countries, the China-Caribbean Development Center was officially established in Shandong Province of China on July 6. It is a tangible step for both sides to join hands to implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Global Development Initiative, and is another milestone for China and Caribbean countries to create prosperity and development together, presenting a lavish gift to the co-celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Caribbean countries. The Center will focus on development issues of concern to the Caribbean side, strengthen exchanges among personnel from governments, universities, media, think tanks etc., and vigorously carry out high-standard, sustainable and people-centered cooperation projects through material donations, technical support, personnel training, academic research to further benefit the people of Caribbean countries including Dominica.
Some people may wonder why China is trying to help global development. I would like to say that China has always upheld morality since ancient times. “At times of hardship, one should hold himself to a high standard; when prosperous, one should contribute to the wellbeing of all.” This ancient Chinese maxim describes the lofty aspirations and vision cherished by the Chinese people. Seeking development for the world is the value pursuit of China's diplomacy. In addition, in the past 73 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially the past 40-plus years since the reform and opening up, China has made great changes and remarkable achievements. Learning from the experience of China's development, we deeply realize that only when the world is good can China be good; and only when China is good can the world be better. As the second largest economy and the largest developing country in the world, China is willing to share its experience and achievements with the rest of the world. China will always be an unswerving contributor to global development, striving to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
As Chinese ambassador to Dominica, I will uphold the spirit of the Global Development Initiative and implement its measures, while actively promoting practical cooperation between China and Dominica in various fields, and supporting development projects such as infrastructure, agriculture, education, health and sports, so that the friendship between the two countries will bear more fruits and better benefit the two peoples.