Remarks by Xi Jinping at the High-level Dialogue on Global Development (full text)

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 24th.

Building high-quality partnerships to create a new era of global development

——Speech at the High-level Dialogue on Global Development

(24 June 2022)

President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping

Colleagues:

Development is the eternal theme of human society. In the late 1960s, when I worked as a farmer in a small village on the Loess Plateau of China, I experienced firsthand the hardships of the people’s crops and the suffering of food and clothing. Their desire for a better life was deeply imprinted in my mind. Half a century later, when I revisited my hometown, I saw that the villagers did not worry about food and clothing, and their faces were filled with happy smiles.

An ancient Chinese said: “If you are in the warehouse, you will know the etiquette, and if you have enough food and clothing, you will know the honor and disgrace.” Over the years, I have traveled all over China’s urban and rural areas and visited many countries. I deeply feel that only continuous development can realize the people’s dream of a healthy life and a peaceful society.

For a long time, the vast number of developing countries have made unremitting efforts to explore a development path that suits their own national conditions and achieve economic and social development, and have achieved remarkable results. Emerging market countries and developing countries have accounted for half of the world’s economy, and have also made great progress in science and technology, education, society, culture and other fields.

At present, the new crown pneumonia epidemic has swallowed up the achievements of many years of global development, the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has been hindered, the gap between the North and the South continues to widen, and food and energy security is in crisis. Some countries politicize and marginalize development issues, engage in “small courtyards with high walls” and limit sanctions to artificially create divisions and confrontations. At the same time, the desire of the people of all countries to seek peace, development and cooperation has become stronger, the will of emerging market countries and developing countries to unite and self-improvement has become stronger, and the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation will bring more opportunities to all countries.

These are challenging times, but also hopeful times. We must recognize the general development trend of the world, strengthen our confidence, and act on it. We must form a single rope and join forces to promote global development and jointly create a development pattern of inclusiveness and balance, coordination and inclusiveness, win-win cooperation, and common prosperity.

First, we must jointly build an international consensus on promoting development. Only when people of all countries live a good life can prosperity last, security be guaranteed, and human rights have a foundation. We must place development at the center of the international agenda, implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and build a political consensus that everyone attaches importance to development and that all countries seek cooperation.

Second, we must jointly create an international environment conducive to development. Protectionism is self-inflicted, and creating a “small circle” will only isolate oneself, limit others and harm oneself, and decoupling and cutting supply will not work and will not go far. We must seek development with sincerity, work together to promote development, build an open world economy, and build a more just and reasonable global governance system and institutional environment.

Third, we need to jointly cultivate new momentum for global development. Innovation is the first driving force for development. We must promote technological and institutional innovation, accelerate technology transfer and knowledge sharing, promote the development of modern industries, bridge the digital divide, accelerate low-carbon transformation, and promote a stronger, greener and healthier global development.

Fourth, we need to jointly build a global partnership for development. Only through cooperation can we achieve great things, good things, and long-term things. Developed countries should fulfill their obligations, developing countries should deepen cooperation, and the North and South should meet each other halfway to jointly build a global development partnership of solidarity, equality, balance and universal benefits, so that no country or individual will be left behind. We should support the United Nations in playing an overall and coordinating role in global development cooperation, and encourage business circles, social groups, and media think tanks to participate in global development cooperation.

Colleagues!

China has always been a member of the big family of developing countries. I launched the Global Development Initiative at the UN General Assembly last year, and we will take pragmatic steps to continue supporting the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

——China will increase resource investment in global development cooperation, integrate and upgrade the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to the “Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund”, and increase the capital by 1 billion US dollars on the basis of 3 billion US dollars; – Input from the United Nations Peace and Development Fund to support cooperation on global development initiatives.

——China will work with all parties to promote cooperation in key areas, mobilize development resources, deepen global cooperation in poverty reduction and alleviation, improve food production and supply capabilities, and promote clean energy partnership; strengthen vaccine innovation research and development and joint production; promote land and marine ecology Conservation and sustainable use; improve the digital literacy and skills of the entire population, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of industrialization, promote connectivity in the digital age, and inject new impetus into the development of all countries.

——China will build an international development knowledge and experience exchange platform, establish a global development promotion center, establish a global development knowledge network, carry out the exchange of experience in state governance and administration, and promote mutual learning; hold the World Youth Development Forum and jointly launch a global youth development action plan , to bring together the broadest forces for the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“Agree with one heart and one mind, and everything can be achieved.” Let us strengthen our confidence and work together in the right direction of building a high-quality partnership to create a new era of prosperity and development!

thank you all.