SCIO briefing on white paper 'More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China's Principles, Proposals and Actions'

EBS TV:

The Global Governance Initiative emphasizes a people-centered approach. However, poverty remains a major challenge in many developing countries. For example, World Bank says about 38% of people in sub-Saharan Africa live on extreme poverty. So, how does the Global Governance Initiative help countries work together to advance development and end poverty? Thank you.

Mo Gaoyi:

Let's have Mr. Zhao answer this question.

Zhao Fengtao:

Thanks for your question. President Xi Jinping pointed out that ending poverty is a basic right of people in all countries to pursue a happy life. The Global Governance Initiative, with people's well-being at its core, has contributed Chinese wisdom and solutions to advancing development cooperation and addressing the challenges of poverty alleviation worldwide.

First, we uphold multilateralism and continue to improve the framework for poverty reduction governance. China is committed to improving the global poverty reduction governance system, and has listed poverty reduction as the top priority among the eight key areas of the Global Development Initiative. In recent years, China has successfully hosted three editions of the High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development and has established international poverty reduction cooperation networks such as the Africa-China Alliance for Poverty Alleviation. Together with 53 countries and nine international institutions, China launched the Global Partnership for Poverty Alleviation and Development, continuously turning its poverty reduction experience into global public goods, injecting new momentum into the global poverty reduction process.

Second, we emphasize an action-oriented approach to further advance joint efforts in poverty reduction. We have pooled development resources to help establish the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, increasing its capital to $4 billion. More than 200 projects in over 70 countries have benefited more than 40 million people. We have carried out "small and beautiful" public wellbeing projects to enhance agricultural production capacity in developing countries. Hybrid rice and Luban Workshops have become golden brands of China's foreign aid in poverty reduction. Juncao technology has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in more than 100 countries. We have leveraged science and technology by establishing a "Digital South" special fund and by releasing a new-generation Mazu early warning cloud platform. The Mazu platform helps strengthen global capacity in agricultural meteorological disaster prevention and mitigation. We have also closely integrated trade, investment and aid, creating new opportunities for poverty reduction and development in African countries through the implementation of zero-tariff treatment.

Third, we advocate a people-centered approach to further enhance the internal driving force for poverty reduction. China has stepped up technical assistance and training for other countries and actively shared its experience in Chinese modernization and poverty reduction. Books such as "Up and Out of Poverty" have been well received by political leaders and scholars in many countries. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China implemented more than 7,000 foreign aid training programs, training 230,000 people in various governance and technical skills, and effectively supporting countries in exploring poverty reduction and sustainable development paths suited to their national conditions.

The way to reduce poverty lies in building self-sustaining capacity rather than simply providing aid; the path to development lies in advancing together rather than going it alone. China stands ready to work with all countries, taking the implementation of the Global Governance Initiative as an opportunity to help address global poverty challenges and jointly build a better world free from poverty and marked by shared development. Thank you.