BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China has been lauded by experts and diplomatic envoys for delivering tangible benefits to people in different countries.
At the High-Level Meeting on the Global Development Initiative at Five Years held in Beijing on Tuesday, delegates spoke highly of the fruitful outcomes achieved since the GDI was proposed in 2021, hailing China's leading role in advancing international cooperation on development.
As of now, the GDI has received support from more than 130 countries and international organizations. Nearly 100 countries and international and regional organizations signed cooperation documents with China on the initiative, while the Group of Friends of the GDI has grown to 88 countries.
CHINESE SOLUTION TO GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
It has been five years since China introduced the GDI, offering a Chinese solution for revitalizing global development.
To Earle Courtenay Rattray, chef de cabinet to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the GDI is deeply rooted in China's own development experience, which offers insights for other countries confronted with challenges.
The GDI advocates cooperation rather than confrontation, and common prosperity instead of vicious competition, offering new hope for developing countries, said Willy Kipkorir Bett, ambassador of Kenya to China.
Through the GDI and platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative, China has continued to share technology, capital and management expertise, helping other developing countries tackle challenges, said Khalil Hashmi, Pakistani ambassador to China.
At the 2026 World AI Conference earlier this month, China announced the creation of the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO). China, along with 28 other countries, signed the founding agreement to establish a new platform for international cooperation on AI development and governance.
Stephen Jackson, the UN resident coordinator in China, cited MAZU, an AI-powered meteorological early warning system showcased at the World AI Conference, as an example of how AI can support global endeavors.
China is at the leading edge of AI innovation, with advances in areas such as geospatial imaging, autonomous vehicles and embodied intelligence, Jackson said, adding that the UN system supports deeper cooperation with China in advancing AI for good and for all.
Beyond AI innovation, China has also sought to apply digital technologies to address broader challenges. Guo Huadong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said China has been promoting the use of digital technologies to advance sustainable development.
In 2021, China established the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals to facilitate international cooperation on using big data to support the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Over the past five years, the center has provided data-based solutions and technological support to partners in Pacific island countries, Africa and other regions.
Kenya, one of the founding members of WAICO, sees cooperation with China in digital technologies and AI as an opportunity to advance its digital transformation. Kenya is ready to deepen collaboration with China in these areas, said Ambassador Bett.
SHARED DEVELOPMENT
In the past five years, the GDI has delivered tangible results on the ground.
Backed by more than 23 billion U.S. dollars in funds it has mobilized, the initiative has implemented over 1,800 "small and beautiful" projects and trained more than 200,000 professionals, delivering concrete benefits to communities in over 120 countries.
Observing that the GDI is precisely calibrated to the real needs of developing countries, Amakobe Sande, the UN Children's Fund Representative to China, noted that the initiative offers more than just financial and technological aid.
By creating a practical platform, it offers a vital opportunity for the Global South to address shortfalls in public well-being and achieve sustainable growth, Sande added.
The GDI is also recognized as a vital platform for countries, especially those in the Global South, to learn from one another and exchange ideas.
China has played an important role in building a more just and equitable global governance system, said Abdulrahman Dambazau, Nigeria's Ambassador to China, noting the assistance the GDI has delivered to his country in education, food security and healthcare.
Antonio Serifo Embalo, ambassador of Guinea-Bissau to China, said that the GDI fosters the sharing of development gains and deepens pragmatic cooperation. Such efforts, he concluded, serve the broader interests of the international community. Enditem
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