UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended China's pivotal role in advancing global development during a high-level meeting on the Global Development Initiative (GDI) held alongside the UN General Assembly. The event, hosted by China, focused on reigniting multilateral cooperation amid economic turbulence and climate challenges.
Guterres emphasized the GDI's potential to accelerate progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, stating: "We gather as economic uncertainty deepens a fragile outlook… The GDI can be an important mechanism to help accelerate progress." He specifically acknowledged Chinese Premier Li Qiang's commitments to enhance the initiative's global impact.
Premier Li announced China's plan to launch 2,000 "small and beautiful" livelihood projects in developing nations over the next five years. He reaffirmed China's position as a "responsible major developing country" that will not seek special treatment in future World Trade Organization negotiations.
The meeting underscored China's growing influence in shaping development agendas while addressing concerns about fiscal constraints and geopolitical fragmentation. Analysts suggest this collaboration could set new benchmarks for South-South cooperation and climate-resilient infrastructure investment.
