Global Development Initiative  

Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a Global Development Initiative, calling for bolstering confidence and jointly addressing global threats and challenges to build a better world for all. 

Xi made the remarks at the General Debate of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) via video on September 21, 2021, as the world faces the combined impacts of changes unseen in a century and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The six-pronged initiative includes staying committed to development as a priority, to a people-centered approach, to benefits for all, to innovation-driven development, to harmony between man and nature and to results-oriented actions.   

Xi said at the event that  

— The current pandemic may appear overwhelming, but we humanity will surely overcome it and prevail. 

— It falls on each and every responsible statesman to answer the questions of our times and make a historical choice with confidence, courage and a sense of mission. 

— Facing the severe shocks of COVID-19, we need to work together to steer global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth. 

— We should safeguard and improve people’s livelihoods and protect and promote human rights through development, and make sure that development is for the people and by the people, and that its fruits are shared among the people. 

— A world of peace and development should embrace civilizations of various forms, and must accommodate diverse paths to modernization. 

— Democracy is not a special right reserved to an individual country, but a right for the people of all countries to enjoy. 

— One country’s success does not have to mean another country’s failure, and the world is big enough to accommodate common development and progress of all countries. 

— We need to pursue dialogue and inclusiveness over confrontation and exclusion. 

— China has never and will never invade or bully others, or seek hegemony. 

Global Security Initiative 

Xi proposed a Global Security Initiative to promote security for everyone around the world while delivering a keynote speech via video at the Opening Ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022 on April 21. 

Xi proposed the initiative with the future of all humanity in mind. The initiative is another global public good offered by China, as well as a vivid illustration of the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity in the security field. 

The Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative have become important global public goods provided by China, offering China’s wisdom and impetus to help improve global governance. 

Xi said it is important that: 

— We stay committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and work together to maintain world peace and security; 

— We stay committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, uphold non-interference in internal affairs, and respect the independent choices of development paths and social systems made by people in different countries; 

— We stay committed to abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, reject the Cold War mentality, oppose unilateralism, and say no to group politics and bloc confrontation; 

— We stay committed to taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously, uphold the principle of indivisible security, build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture, and oppose the pursuit of one’s own security at the cost of others’ security; 

— We stay committed to peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, support all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of crises, reject double standards, and oppose the wanton use of unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction; 

— We stay committed to maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains, and work together on regional disputes and global challenges such as terrorism, climate change, cybersecurity and biosecurity. 

(Source: Xinhua News Agency)