China expects joint efforts for sound, steady advancement of GDI, says VP

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to work with all parties to push for a sound and steady advancement of the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said here on Tuesday.

The Chinese side also looks forward to making joint efforts with all parties to gather strong strength for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and for building a global community of shared development, Han said at the high-level meeting on Global Development Initiative Cooperation Outcomes, which was hosted by China on the sidelines of this year's session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

It is both the GDI's aspiration and the UN's goal that no country or person should be left behind on the path of development, he noted.

The GDI, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 76th session of UNGA in 2021, is aimed at forging international consensus on promoting development, nurturing new momentum for global development, and advancing the common progress of all countries in the world, Han said.

Over the last two years, Han noted, countries endorsing the GDI have, through concerted efforts, "cast the yes vote" for development, enlarged the "circle of friends" for cooperation, enriched the "pool of resources" for development and built the "toolkit" for development.

More than 70 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI, and nearly 200 cooperation projects have been included in the GDI project pool, Han said.

The Chinese side has established a 10-billion-U.S.-dollar special fund for the purpose of implementing the GDI, he said.