By He Yin, All sides must assume their responsibilities for history and the people, keep to the right direction, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity, said Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Xi made the remarks in a video address at the opening ceremony of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on June 12. He stressed that all sides need to foster an international environment for peaceful development, follow the trend toward open development, and harness the historic opportunity for innovation-driven development.
What he said fully demonstrated the emphasis that China lays on global development and the country’s strong support for the common development of the Global South. The world today is undergoing faster changes unseen in a century. Peace and development is confronted with new challenges. At the same time, the aspiration for peace, development, and cooperation of people from all countries has become even stronger.
Since its inception, the UNCTAD has been making voices for developing countries, vigorously advancing South-South cooperation, advocating North-South dialogue, and promoting a new international economic order. In Xi’s video address, he elaborated on China’s advocacy for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. This is conducive to promoting global common development and prosperity.
Fostering an international environment for peaceful development is a necessary prerequisite for achieving global development. History has proved that only by adhering to peaceful development and win-win cooperation can the world achieve long-term stability and universal prosperity.
Standing at a crossroads where the world must choose between unilateralism and multilateralism, and between lose-lose and win-win, China has always stayed committed to its original aspiration of forging ahead hand in hand with fellow developing countries.
China holds that all countries, major ones in particular, should pursue true multilateralism, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and support a more effective role of UNCTAD and other multilateral agencies. UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said that multilateralism is the antidote to challenges such as trade protectionism, and she appreciates China’s support for multilateralism and South-South cooperation.
Following the trend toward open development is the only way to achieve global progress. Economic globalization, like rivers converging into the sea, is an inevitable course of history. The problems associated with economic globalization can only be resolved through its continued development; unilateral actions and protectionism will only backfire.
China believes the world should advocate a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, properly resolve development imbalance and other issues, and make the global governance system more just and equitable. As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated, “We must channel the courage and wisdom of those who built UNCTAD, to reimagine a world where trade is a force for shared prosperity — not geopolitical rivalry. Where global supply chains are source of green innovation and climate action — not environmental damage”.
Harnessing the historic opportunity for innovation-driven development is an inevitable choice to achieve global development.
The ongoing new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, led by digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI), is cultivating new quality productive forces and bringing new development opportunities to countries, particularly developing ones. It is important to build an open, inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for the digital economy, follow the people-centered, AI-for-good principle and strengthen AI-related rules and governance within the framework of the United Nations, actively advance green transition, and help developing countries join the trend of digital, smart and green development.
It is necessary to adhere to innovation-driven development, strengthen cooperation in areas such as new industrialization and AI, accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, and provide all people with a future full of opportunities. China will always be a member of the Global South and the developing world. It has always been taking actions to promote global development. China has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilizations Initiative, with the aim of assisting global modernization and achieving shared prosperity.
While pursuing its own development, China also helps other developing countries accelerate their development. Through high-quality development, China is comprehensively advancing Chinese modernization, which will undoubtedly bring new and greater opportunities to global development.
In 2023, China’s total import and export of goods reached $5.94 trillion, with outbound investment of $147.85 billion, contributing 32 percent to global economic growth. China will continue to be the largest engine driving global economic growth.
Development concerns the well-being of all humanity. All parties should bear in mind the future and well-being of mankind, pursue peaceful, open and innovation-driven development, build international consensus on development, and foster new growth drivers for global development. China is ready to work with all parties to help implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ensure that more development gains will be shared more fairly by people across the world, and usher in a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress for the world.
