GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

Promoting High-Quality Development of China’s Foreign Assistance and International Development Cooperation by Studying and Implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is Marxism of contemporary China and Marxism of the 21st century， reflecting the essence of both the Chinese culture and the Chinese ethos. It is the latest breakthrough in applying Marxism in the Chinese context. As the main architect of the thought， with an acute observation of the evolving international landscape and the underlying trends of the times and from a perspective of seeking development for the world and the whole humanity， with the future of mankind in mind and a great sense of responsibility as the leader of a major country and major party， General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forth a series of transformative new concepts， new ideas and new initiatives， leading to major breakthroughs in both theory and practice guiding China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation.

Theoretical Origins of China’s Foreign Assistance and International Development Cooperation in the New Era

The idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind is the theoretical foundation for China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation in the new era. In the 1990s， with the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War， globalization began to speed up. Following the “9·11” terrorist attacks in 2001 and the international financial crisis in 2008， there began reflections on globalization from both political and economic perspectives， with the ensuing rise of protectionism and unilateralism. Against such a backdrop， General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward in 2013 the idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind， and the Belt and Road Initiative， which stressed the need to promote globalization and an open world economy through policy coordination， unimpeded trade， financial integration， infrastructure connectivity and closer people-to-people connectivity. During his visits to Asian， African and Latin American countries， General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward a series of new ideas and concepts， such as the principles of “sincerity， real results， amity， and good faith”， “amity， sincerity， mutual benefit， and inclusiveness”， “pursuing shared interests while upholding the greater good”， “small but beautiful” projects， among others， which have contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese strength to building a new and balanced development paradigm featuring mutual benefit， coordination， inclusiveness， win-win cooperation， and shared prosperity.

With the once-in-a-century pandemic combined with changes unseen in a century， aggravated geopolitical conflicts， faltering recovery of the world economy， and lack of focus on the development agenda， the world has entered into a new period of turmoil and transformation. On the other hand， China has won the war on absolute poverty， completed the task of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects， and has maintained steady economic growth， thus injecting strong impetus into world economic development and raising the expectations of the world about China. In 2021， during the general debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly， General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly put forth the Global Development Initiative （GDI）， which dovetails with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development， pools development consensus， and promotes common development. The GDI provides answers to the fundamental theoretical questions of why we should pursue development， what development is for， who development should rely on and how to realize development， thus creating a new paradigm for international development cooperation.

These important ideas and initiatives are deeply rooted in the spirit of internationalism of Marxism. Marxism takes as its historical mission the complete emancipation of the proletarians and humanity as a whole. It was pointed out in the Communist Manifesto that the proletarians can only emancipate themselves after emancipating mankind. United actions among countries， at least among civilized countries， is the primary condition for the emancipation of the proletarians. Guided by the Marxist spirit of internationalism， proletarians worldwide began to pay attention to their cooperation and mutual assistance， which greatly promoted the development of the world proletarian revolution. China’s international development cooperation has always been committed to internationalism， with China standing in solidarity with other developing countries for common development.

These important ideas and initiatives are deeply rooted in the 5，000-plus years of traditional Chinese culture. In the eyes of the Chinese， the world is for all the people under heaven to live in harmony. Chinese philosophies such as “Mankind is one community”， “upholding integrity and amity with thy neighbor” all carry on the cultural DNAs of the Chinese nation， which depicts the beautiful vision of the Chinese people for a beautiful world. Drawing strength from the fine traditional Chinese culture， the CPC has always set its eyes on the future of mankind and handled its external relations in line with the overarching trends of human development， the evolving international order and the historical logic of China’ development. Upholding equity and justice， we have always stood on the right side of history and on the side of human progress.

These important ideas and initiatives are deeply rooted in the hundred-year historical struggles of the CPC and China’s 70-plus years of foreign assistance since the founding of the PRC. Seeking human progress and world harmony has been the CPC’s founding mission. China is a developing country. However， over the past 70 plus years， no matter when China was poor or more developed， its support for the Global South has never wavered. Never attaching political strings to our assistance， imposing ideas on others or making empty promises， China has always upheld the principles of equality， mutual benefit， win-win cooperation， and pursuing both shared interests and the greater good. Through a host of approaches such as complete projects， physical and technological assistance， emergency humanitarian aid and human resources development， China has made meaningful contribution to socio-economic development and the improvement of people’s wellbeing in a great number of developing countries， winning wide acclaim from the local people.

System of Theories of China’s Foreign Assistance and International Development Cooperation in the New Era

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC， standing at a new historical starting point， General Secretary Xi Jinping has made top designs and strategic plans for China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation， leading to a system of theories guiding China’s international development cooperation with unique Chinese features.

Leadership of the CPC is the fundamental guarantee for China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation. Foreign assistance and international development cooperation have always been part and parcel of the overall work of the Party and the country. The CPC is the core leadership of the cause of Socialism with Chinese characteristics. Strengthening the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC over work related to foreign assistance is an important aspect of the Party’s leadership over all aspects of work and a fundamental guarantee for carrying out international development cooperation. In 2018， major readjustments were made concerning the systems and mechanisms related to foreign assistance by the CPC Central Committee， with China International Development Cooperation Agency established， which is affiliated to the State Council and specifically responsible for foreign assistance and international development cooperation， thus reflecting the centralized and unified leadership of the Party over the core systems and mechanisms related to foreign assistance.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the lofty goal of China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation. To foster a community with a shared future for mankind is an intrinsic requirement of Chinese modernization. In line with the common values and shared interests of mankind， the idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind is the biggest common denominator of people around the world to build a better world and a brighter future， which has been written into the documents of many international organizations including the United Nations， winning the support and endorsement of the international community. Through its foreign assistance and international development cooperation， China has helped other developing countries reduce poverty， improve people’s lives， narrow the North-South divide， and eliminate development deficits， with concrete practice of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The GDI provides strategic guidance for China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation. Reaffirming the development agenda， the GDI provides the Chinese solution to global development problems， which injects stability and positive energy into a fluid and tumultuous world. With its “six upholds”， eight cooperation areas and pragmatic measures， the GDI offers working principles and guides to action for China’s international development cooperation. The Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping have further enriched the idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind， forging great synergy for countries around the world to seek development， ensure security， and enrich civilizations.

To pursue Belt and Road cooperation is an important task for China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation. As an important initiative of General Secretary Xi Jinping to promote win-win cooperation and seek common development among nations， the Belt and Road Initiative （BRI） has extended the topic of development to the global stage and made connectivity an idea embraced by the international community. The BRI has become a popular global public good featuring openness， inclusiveness， equality， mutual benefit， and win-win cooperation and an important platform for practice in building a community with a shared future for mankind. Taking upon itself the task of serving high-quality Belt and Road cooperation， China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation have focused on both signature projects and “small but beautiful projects”， which have gone a long way in improving the wellbeing of partner countries and consolidating the social foundation of people-to-people connectivity.

To pursue not only shared interests but also the greater good is the guiding value of China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation， which reflects both the essence of traditional Chinese culture and the spirit of internationalism. As pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping， China’s foreign assistance should reflect and pursue not only shared interests， but also uphold justice and the greater good. Adhering to the principle of sincerity， real results， amity， and good faith and pursuing both shared interests and the greater good， while offering assistance to fellow developing countries to the best of our ability， China has always respected the sovereignty of other countries， never interfered in the internal affairs of other countries or attached any political strings. Upholding the greater good while pursuing shared interests， we have combined assistance with mutually-beneficial cooperation by aligning with the development strategies of recipient countries， thus realizing economic complementarity and win-win development.

South-South cooperation is the fundamental characterization of China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation. As the largest developing country in the world， China is a natural member of the Global South. China’s foreign assistance belongs to mutual assistance among developing countries， which falls into the category of South-South cooperation and sets itself apart from North-South cooperation. As a staunch supporter of， active participant in and important contributor to South-South cooperation， China stands firmly with the great number of developing countries and prioritizes cooperation with them. It takes upon itself international obligations commensurate with our development stages and capabilities to seek common development and common revitalization.

Innovation in Practice of China’s Foreign Assistance and International Development Cooperation in the New Era

Great times give birth to great thinking， which guides great endeavors. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era， under the personal instructions and care of General Secretary Xi Jinping， we have kept abreast with the times in upgrading foreign assistance to international development cooperation. First， with mutual benefit as the goal， the traditional approach of one-way assistance has been transformed to a two-way development-generating approach. Second， giving full play to the initiatives of various players， the role of the central government is now complemented by diversified players including local governments， civil society organizations and international organizations. Third， with innovations in financing models， on top of the traditional foreign assistance resources such as grants， zero-interest loans， and preferential loans， we have also made explorations to “turn debts into development”， combine assistance with trade and investment and form synergies between government financing， social funds， business funds， and international financing.

Fully implementing the GDI. As of now， over 80 countries have joined the “Group of Friends of the GDI”. Over 70 countries as well as regional and international organizations have joined the Global Development Promotion Center Network， and over 40 countries and international organizations have signed MoUs with China. The UN has established a special working group promoting the GDI. The China-Africa （Ethiopia） - UN （UNIDO） Center of Excellence has been officially launched. The Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund has been upgraded with more financing. The number of projects in the Global Development Project Pool has exceeded 1，000， with its special fund reaching $14 billion. We have launched the Young Leaders Home for Global Development and innovation training bases and built partnerships with renowned international development foundations. Two sessions of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development have been held， which received congratulatory messages from General Secretary Xi Jinping， building a strong momentum for sustainable development.

High-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Dovetailing with the development strategies and plans of various countries， we have pressed ahead with a series of signature projects as well as “small but beautiful” livelihood projects. From notable progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor， the commencement of the China-Laos Railway， and the smooth running of the Jakarta-Bandung Railway， to the roads， airports and port upgrading of numerous African and Latin American countries， the perseverance and hard work of us working for China’s foreign assistance is seen everywhere. “Small but beautiful” brands such as fungal grass technology， hybrid rice， artemisinin， and “Brightness Action” have won wide acclaim. China has established 33 Luban Workshops in 29 countries in Asia， Africa and Latin America， which help train local technical personnel， thus greatly boosting local industrial development. In October 2023， the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was successfully held. The list of outcomes of the Forum includes “implementing 1，000 small-scale livelihood enhancement projects”. Notable progress has been made in this regard.

Effective humanitarian assistance. Whenever countries suffer from humanitarian crises， China is always among the first to extend a helping hand. Over the past 10-plus years， China has provided over 1，000 emergency assistance to more than 70 countries. Facing the once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic， China carried out the largest-scale humanitarian assistance of the longest duration to 153 countries and 15 international organizations with large amounts of anti-pandemic supplies and vaccines. Since the latest escalation of tensions between Israel and Palestine， to ease the humanitarian situation in Gaza， China has provided multiple batches of emergency humanitarian assistance. At the opening ceremony of the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum， General Secretary Xi Jinping announced that， on top of the RMB 100 million yuan assistance， China will offer another RMB 500 million yuan to help ease the humanitarian situation in Gaza and for post-conflict reconstruction. Since 2023， China has provided emergency food assistance to over 30 countries in Asia， Africa and Latin America， benefiting tens of millions of people in disaster-stricken regions.

Actively sharing governance experience. Chinese modernization has provided a new alternative for realizing modernization. Combining “hard assistance” with “soft assistance”， we have enhanced the sharing of governance experience to help developing countries explore the path to sustainable development in line with their national conditions and to realize the modernization of their governance capabilities. Attention has been paid to “teach people how to fish” to share the dividends of Chinese modernization. Over the past seven decades， through human resources development， China has helped train over 400，000 professionals and technical personnel for more than 180 countries and regions. The Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development， the establishment of which was announced by General Secretary Xi Jinping， has cultivated over 400 graduates with master degrees and PhDs for over 70 countries in the past eight years， who have become pioneers in their respective countries to apply the experience of Chinese modernization in their specific national contexts. In the coming five years， China will continue to provide 100，000 training positions to Global South countries， with tailor-made programs. It will also send experts abroad for large scale audiences.

Trilateral and multilateral cooperation. Entering into the new era， while continuing promoting bilateral cooperation， China has also put value on trilateral and multilateral cooperation. In cooperation with the UN Development Agency and other international organizations in poverty reduction， food security， public health， climate change， and environmental protection， we have launched over 140 projects in nearly 60 countries， benefiting over 30 million people. Committed to South-North dialogue and South-South cooperation， we hold an open attitude towards cooperation with both developed countries and emerging economies. We have collaborated with the European Union and Japan in dialogues on assistance transparency and supervision and assessment. With the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank， the Gates Foundation， and the Rockefeller Foundation， we have carried out trilateral cooperation.

Promoting High-Quality Development of China’s Foreign Assistance and International Development Cooperation

The international situation is fraught with changes and chaos. With the Ukraine crisis and the Gaza conflict prolonged， lackluster recovery of the global economy， aggravated food supplies and the humanitarian crisis， challenges such as cyber security and climate change keep growing， making the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development even harder to reach. At the same time， the North-South competition in the field of development cooperation has heated up. With the collective rise of emerging markets， they have a greater desire to seek common development with a bigger say in international rules-setting.

Facing new circumstances and new challenges， China International Development Cooperation Agency will continue to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era， follow through on the strategic guidance of the CPC Central Committee on deepening reforms of the mechanisms related to foreign assistance and its full-chain management. Upholding the fundamental principles while forging ahead with great enterprise， we will strive for new development and new prospects in China’s foreign assistance and international development cooperation.

We will spare no efforts in serving head-of-state diplomacy and the overall diplomatic strategy. As the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party， General Secretary Xi Jinping is the top architect of China’s foreign relations. We will earnestly implement the solemn commitment of General Secretary Xi Jinping to increase input into international development cooperation， as well as the major measures on foreign assistance announced by General Secretary Xi Jinping on bilateral and multilateral occasions to press ahead with high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and the implementation of the GDI. Transforming from the past practice of doing more and saying less， we will also better communicate China’s stories of foreign assistance， and its policy propositions so that the world will have a better understanding of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the essence and relevance of Chinese modernization to the world.

Promoting common development of the Global South. At the event marking the 70th anniversary of the release of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence， General Secretary Xi Jinping announced the eight measures China will take to support South-South cooperation， which demonstrate the commitment of China to sharing weal and woe with the Global South and its firm determination to revitalize the Global South. As a natural member of the Global South， China firmly stands with developing countries. We will align with the development strategies of different countries and regions， and share our experience of modernization to help developing countries improve their capabilities for independent development. Making good use of the Global Development Project Pool， the fund pool and specialized funds， we will continue to increase input into the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development， guide global development cooperation， and facilitate the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

We will continue to guide international development cooperation. With firm commitment， we will never slacken in our efforts. Upholding true multilateralism， we will further align our work with the UN and other multilateral agencies， participate in rules-making for international development cooperation， and promote reforms of the global development governance system by focusing on the two bottlenecks concerning projects and funding. Using the GDI as a platform for cooperation， we will work with countries around the world to accelerate the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with concrete measures and promote a new development guideline for “post-2030”. The GDI is open to both South and North countries. All countries are welcome to participate. We will continue to promote South-North dialogue and call on developed countries to take the lead in fulfilling their commitment to development assistance and climate financing and provide more effective and targeted support for developing countries.

We will speed up the upgrading of international development cooperation. When everyone pitches in to build a fire， the fire will get bigger. From mainly government-led and unilateral assistance， we will upgrade to international development cooperation featuring both bilateral and multilateral cooperation， the participation of multiple players， and the input of multiple sources of resources. With more diversified channels of development financing， foreign assistance will be reinforced with investment and trade. We will continue to pool the strength of the business community， the academic community and multiple players of the civil society to build the most extensive and sustainable driving force for development. We will improve governance capabilities on foreign assistance and international development cooperation， facilitate a balanced network of global development partnerships featuring solidarity， equality， and universal benefit， and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

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Luo Zhaohui is Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group and Chairman of China International Development Cooperation Agency