Pooling Strengths for Development and Creating a Better Future Together
Remarks by H.E. Han Zheng
Vice President of the People’s Republic of China
At the High-Level Dialogue on the Fifth Anniversary of
The Global Development Initiative
New York, September 25, 2026
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the High-Level Dialogue on the Fifth Anniversary of the Global Development Initiative (GDI). In September 2021, President Xi Jinping put forward the GDI at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Five years on, thanks to his personal commitment and the concerted efforts of all parties, the GDI has been translated from a Chinese vision and proposal into collective global action, and from a development blueprint into concrete cooperation projects on the ground. Through the Initiative, China has contributed its wisdom and resources to implementing the U.N.’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
—The GDI helps build a stronger international consensus on putting development first. We have convened a High-Level Dialogue on Global Development, launched a Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, and held high-level meetings on the GDI at the U.N. Headquarters for four consecutive years. These events have helped make development a central priority on the international agenda.
—The GDI facilitates mutually beneficial development cooperation. More than 130 countries and international organizations actively support the GDI, and they have participated in cooperation under the Initiative. More than 30 GDI cooperation mechanisms and platforms—such as the Global Development Promotion Center Network and the Global Knowledge Network for Development—have been established, providing strong support for advancing global sustainable development.
—The GDI helps fulfill the development aspirations of countries in the Global South. More than 2,000 GDI projects, all closely aligned with the needs of beneficiary countries, have brought tangible benefits to the local population. More than 10,000 human resources training programs have been organized to share development approaches and practical skills, helping developing countries to build up their capacity for self-reliant development.
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Friends,
At present, the cause of global development faces grave challenges. The implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is woefully behind schedule. As a staunch advocate and pragmatic actor in the global development cause, China will work with all parties to practice true multilateralism, advance the implementation of the GDI in greater depth and deliver more substantive outcomes, and ensure that development outcomes benefit more people across the world. To this end, I wish to make four proposals.
First, we should strengthen solidarity and coordination to fully implement the SDGs. We should prioritize the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, fully leverage the GDI’s role as an accelerator to support the U.N. in strengthening the development pillar, and make policy preparations for the launch of work on the post-2030 global development agenda next September. China is ready to contribute funding to the China-U.N. Trust Fund Project for Statistical Capacity Development to support fellow developing countries in enhancing their statistical and monitoring capacity for implementing the SDGs.
Second, we should stay action-oriented and actively pursue development that benefits the people. We should make full use of funding mechanisms such as the China-U.N. Peace and Development Fund and the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and implement more “small and beautiful” livelihood projects that deliver real benefits to local people. China will launch an engineering capacity building program to train 10,000 engineers for developing countries over the next five years. The program will cover areas such as transport infrastructure and information and communications technology (ICT) to help countries improve their infrastructure and strengthen development resilience.
Third, we should expand cooperation in priority areas and accelerate empowerment-driven development. We should broaden the scope of GDI cooperation focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), the digital economy, new energy, and disaster prevention and mitigation to foster new drivers for sustainable development. China is ready to work with all parties to implement flagship projects under the GDI, including “Digital South” and “Clean Stove,” to help Global South countries achieve digital transformation and green development.
Fourth, we should strengthen partnerships to promote interconnected development. We should strengthen and expand the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative and the U.N. Task Force on Leveraging Partnerships Toward the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and conduct extensive cooperation through relevant bilateral, trilateral and multilateral mechanisms to leverage complementary strengths and create synergy. In April next year, China will host the 83rd session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Shanghai. We will take this opportunity to deepen GDI cooperation with all parties and provide strong momentum for building an Asia Pacific community.
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Friends,
Achieving sustainable development is a shared aspiration of all peoples and an important mission of the United Nations. As the Global Development Initiative marks its fifth anniversary, China will build on this milestone and continue to play its role as a responsible major country. We will work with all countries to strengthen international development cooperation, promote more robust, greener and healthier global development, and make new and greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity. Thank you.
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