China leads global push for sustainable, inclusive growth at UNGA

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has pledged to further advance the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held here this week.

China's pledge to push for sustainable, inclusive growth through deeper global cooperation was reaffirmed by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, during his participation in the UNGA General Debate and relevant events, including the UN SDG Summit and the high-level meeting on Global Development Initiative Cooperation Outcomes hosted by China, as well as bilateral talks.

The events unfolded at a critical moment when sustainable development is in peril and progress towards Sustainable Development Goals has been stalled amid a sluggish recovery and rising geopolitical wrestling.

When addressing the SDG Summit, Han said China seeks to combine the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its national medium- and long-term development strategies, and always integrates its own development with global prosperity and stability.

China, he said, will actively help the countries of the Global South with concrete actions, and continue to work with all parties to make positive contributions to achieving the sustainable development goals on schedule and building a global development community.

To this end, Han expounded on China's four proposals: to firmly put development at the center of the global agenda, build an open world economy, seize the historic opportunity of the new round of scientific and technological revolution, and revitalize the global partnership for development.

A convergence of development strategies is in green development. Over the years, China has led by example by setting out clear carbon reduction goals and prioritizing green development in its development plans, and has spearheaded global efforts for a shared, low-carbon future.

China will be unswervingly committed to working toward the dual target of peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, Han said when meeting with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry on the sidelines of the UNGA.

China has always been a staunch practitioner in addressing climate change, and will fully implement the goals of the Paris Agreement, he said, noting that maintaining China-U.S. dialogue and cooperation on climate change is of great significance to both countries and the whole world.

Besides contributing to global growth with its own development momentum and development wisdom, China, as always, actively brainstorms new visions and proposals with other countries for a better and sustainable shared future.

As another highlight of the UN events this week, a high-level meeting on the GDI Cooperation Outcomes was hosted by China on Tuesday to review the past dividends of cooperation and pool consensus for greater commitment to the GDI.

China stands ready to work with all parties to push for a sound and steady advancement of the GDI, Han stated.

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 development community, he said, noting that 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.

Exactly two years ago, on Sept. 21, 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping brought this development idea to the general debate of the 76th session of the UNGA, which later evolved into a global public good.

Through the GDI, China joins hands with other countries around the world to pioneer a new model of international development cooperation, and calls for revitalizing economic recovery through technological innovation, improving a just and equitable global governance system, and taking collective action to build a global community of development with a shared future.

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 joint development.

Notably, 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. China has also established a 10-billion-U.S.-dollar special fund for implementing the GDI.

Two years on, the GDI continues to gain traction. Now it is more than an idea for development proposed by China, but a common ideal of solidarity which increasingly wins attention, rallies support and pools wisdom.

By rolling out a set of initiatives including the GDI, China is propelling the world "into a new paradigm, where we think about the one humanity first, before we think about national interests," said Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder and chair of the German think tank Schiller Institute.

Experts believe that at a time when the global development is facing headwinds, the GDI has come as an effective response to the multiple and interlocking crises facing the world as well as developing countries' needs for inclusive growth, and has been expected to reignite a sense of hope, optimism, and enthusiasm for the 2030 Agenda.