In recent years, Chinese President Xi Jinping has put forward Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), providing Chinese solutions and contributing Chinese wisdom to promote global development, enhance mutual security, and strengthen exchange and mutual learning among civilizations, injecting new impetus into the cause of human peace, development, and civilization.
President Xi Jinping proposed the GDI during participating in the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2021. This initiative stays committed to development as a priority, a people-centred approach, benefits for all, innovation-driven growth, harmony between man and nature, and results-oriented approaches. It aims to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, deepen global development partnerships, promote international development cooperation, and achieve stronger, greener, and healthier global development. Development is of paramount importance for all countries, as it is the top priority of governance and the key to achieving people’s well-being. Without development, nothing would be possible. Moreover, every country has the right to development, and everyone has the desire to develop. On the path of development, no country or individual should be left behind. This is the humble vision of the GDI and the goal advocated by the United Nations. The GDI prioritizes eight key areas of cooperation, including poverty reduction, food security, pandemic response and vaccines, development financing, climate change and green development, industrialization, digital economy, and connectivity, providing feasible pathways to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Currently, the GDI has received the support of more than 100 countries and international organizations. Nearly 70 countries have joined the Group of Friends of GDI. Over 100 early-harvest projects have been implemented, which have benefited more than 60 developing countries. In addition, China has signed bilateral cooperation documents on the GDI with more than 20 countries. China is committed to promoting high-quality development, accelerating the establishment of a new development paradigm, and is willing to continue sharing development opportunities with other countries. China firmly supports and assists developing countries in speeding up their development and promotes the common prosperity and progress of all humanity.
The GSI was proposed by President Xi Jinping during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Boao Forum for Asia. The initiative advocates the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, emphasizes respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously, and resolving differences and disputes among countries through dialogue and consultation in a peaceful manner, maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains. The GSI aims to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts, improve global security governance, encourage joint international efforts to bring more stability and certainty to a volatile and changing era and promote durable peace and development in the world. As a responsible major country in the world, China has always pursued a path of peaceful development, firmly upholds the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purpose and principles of the UN Charter. China actively conducts bilateral and multilateral security cooperation with all countries and international and regional organizations under the framework of the GSI and promotes coordination of security concepts and convergence of interests. More than 80 countries and regional organizations have expressed their support for and appreciation of GSI. In March this year, China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran issued a joint statement announcing the restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which was a successful practice of implementing the GSI. China has always maintained an objective and impartial position on the Ukraine crisis and other regional crises, actively advocated for peace and dialogue, and contributed Chinese wisdom and efforts to promote political solutions to crises. All this demonstrates China’s commitment to the GSI.
The GCI was proposed by President Xi Jinping who is also the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, at the CPC Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting in March 2023. The initiative advocates the respect for diversity of world civilizations. According to the GCI, countries need to uphold the principle of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations. Let cultural exchanges transcend estrangement, mutual learning transcends clash, and coexistence transcend a feeling of superiority. It advocates the common values of humanity. Countries need to keep an open mind in appreciating the perceptions of values and refraining from imposing their own values or models on others, and from stoking ideological confrontation. It advocated the importance of inheriting and innovating civilizations. Countries need to fully harness the relevance of their history and cultures to the present time, and push for creative transformation and innovative development of their excellent traditional cultures in the process of modernization. Furthermore, it advocates robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. Countries need to explore the construction of a global network for inter-civilization dialogue and cooperation, enrich the contents of exchanges, and expand avenues of cooperation to promote mutual understanding and friendship among peoples of all countries, and jointly advance the progress of human civilization. With its focus on respecting the diversity of global civilizations, the GCI extends and complements the GDI and the GSI, further expands the practical path to building a community with a shared future for mankind, and provides more ideological guidance and inspiration for the future of human society. Different civilizations have different interpretations of the connotations of values, but people of all countries share the common aspiration for a better life and pursue peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom. The exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations promote the development of human society. In the face of multiple challenges and crises, more and more countries recognize the importance of seeking common ground while reserving differences and seeking the greatest common divisor in more fields. China’s advocacy of exchanges and mutual learning among civilization, and the promotion of the common values of humanity help foster mutual understanding among peoples of different countries and jointly tackle global challenges.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the world’s second-largest economy, and the only country in human history continuously maintaining its civilization, China bravely shoulders the responsibility of promoting world peace, development, and progress. China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a promoter of human civilization progress. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. The two countries are intensifying efforts to build a closer community with a shared future and have been closely cooperating on issues such as development, security, and civilization. China and Pakistan are natural partners to implement the above-mentioned initiatives. Pakistan is the first country to join the Group of Friends of GDI. China is ready to work continuously with Pakistan to implement the GDI, GSI, and GCI, share development opportunities, address security challenges, and promote the progress of civilizations.