In September 2021, President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, injecting strong impetus into the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and global development endeavors. On 25 September 2026, the High-Level Dialogue on the Fifth Anniversary of the Global Development Initiative was held at UN Headquarters in New York. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the Dialogue. Participants expressed readiness to continue to firmly support the GDI, strengthen solidarity and collaboration, and work together to build a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient future.
As President Xi has noted, development is development is the eternal theme of human society and is key to promoting people’s well-being. Over the past five years, the GDI has been translated from a Chinese vision and proposal into collective global action. More than 130 countries and international organizations actively support the GDI, and they have participated in cooperation under the Initiative. Over 2,000 GDI cooperation projects, tailored to the needs of beneficiary countries, have taken root and delivered outcomes in more than 120 countries. More than 30 GDI cooperation mechanisms and platforms — such as the Global Development Promotion Center Network and the Global Knowledge Network for Development — have been established one after another. More than 10,000 human resources training programs have been organized to share development approaches and practical skills, helping developing countries to build up their capacity for self-reliant development. The GDI helps build a stronger international consensus on putting development first, facilitates mutually beneficial development cooperation, helps fulfill the development aspirations of countries in the Global South, and generated robust momentum for global development.
Liberia is an important member of the Global South family. As a sincere friend and reliable partner of the Liberian people, China has firmly supported Liberia’s national development. When Liberia was hit by the Ebola outbreak in 2014, China offered assistance without delay. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, China provided multiple batches of anti-pandemic aid to Liberia. Chinese medical teams have long worked in Liberia to save lives and safeguard people’s health. In infrastructure, Chinese-aid projects including the two overpasses on the Tubman Boulevard, the National Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Laboratory, the Fingerprint Laboratory, and the refurbishment and expansion of the Liberia Broadcasting System have been completed, energizing Liberia’s economic and social development. In agriculture, education, human resources and other areas, China has continued to provide food assistance and train professionals, supporting Liberia in pursuing self-sustaining and autonomous development.
The profound changes unseen in a century accelerate across the world, and progress in implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has fallen seriously behind schedule. The graver the challenges, the more countries need to stand together and jointly advance development. At the above-mentioned High-Level Dialogue, Vice President Han Zheng put forward four proposals: strengthen solidarity and coordination to fully implement the SDGs and fully leverage the GDI’s role as an accelerator; stay action-oriented and implement more “small and beautiful” livelihood projects that deliver real benefits to local people; expand cooperation in priority areas and broaden the scope of GDI cooperation focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), the digital economy, new energy, and disaster prevention and mitigation to foster new drivers for sustainable development; strengthen partnerships and conduct extensive cooperation through relevant bilateral, trilateral and multilateral mechanisms to leverage complementary strengths and create synergy. These propositions will further advance the GDI and create new opportunities for China and Liberia to jointly implement it.
During the meeting between Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in this May, Minister Nyanti stated that Liberia highly commends and firmly supports the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and the series of Global Initiatives, and is ready to strengthen multilateral coordination with China within the UN framework, jointly work for a world of lasting peace and shared prosperity. As both China and Liberia are founding members of the United Nations and members of the UN Security Council, China stands ready to work with Liberia to take the fifth anniversary of the GDI as a new starting point. We will enhance cooperation within the UN framework, uphold true multilateralism, pool development momentum, translate more cooperation outcomes into tangible benefits for the Liberian people, and ensure that the fruits of development are shared more equitably by people across all countries.