China strengthens solidarity with other developing countries to make pie of cooperation bigger

By He Yin, People’s Daily

“The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway has shown remarkable achievements in the areas of operation, maintenance and capacity building, and become an example of the ever-flourishing Sino-African relations,” said an Ethiopian official during a celebration ceremony of the railway’s fifth anniversary of operations recently.

The project has effectively promoted the sustainable development of local communities and bettered people’s wellbeing. It mirrors the tangible achievements of the cooperation between China and other developing countries.

Since Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the principles of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith 10 years ago, China, with concrete actions, has enhanced its cooperation with other developing countries and set a good example in helping them achieve common development.

The tangible achievements come from China’s efforts to promote win-win cooperation.

China continues to place its own development in the coordinate system of human development, seeing that its future is closely connected with that of the rest of the world and the interests of the Chinese people are integrated with the common interests of the peoples of other countries.

China actively responds to the priority needs of developing countries for social and economic progress, aiming to improve people’s wellbeing and provide them with tangible gains.

China takes an open and inclusive approach to cooperation. It strives for long-term development of its cooperation with other developing countries, which is in line with the common interests of relevant parties and the general trend of global development.

The tangible achievements come from how China has practiced the spirit of win-win results.

Over the past 10 years, the country has constantly deepened its cooperation with Africa, drafting and implementing ten cooperation plans, eight major initiatives and nine programs.

Over the past 10 years, the country’s Belt and Road Initiative has drawn nearly $1 trillion of investment, built over 3,000 cooperation projects, created 420,000 jobs and lifted nearly 40 million people out of poverty in participating countries.

Over the past 10 years, China has provided a series of international public products that significantly promoted the common development of developing countries.

During the summits commemorating the UN’s 70th anniversary in September 2015, China announced to build “six 100 projects” for other developing countries – 100 poverty reduction projects, 100 agricultural cooperation projects, 100 aid for trade projects, 100 ecological conservation and climate change response projects, 100 hospitals and clinics, and 100 schools and vocational training centers. It also vowed to set up an assistance fund for South-South cooperation, establish an institute of South-South cooperation and development and a center for international knowledge on development.

At the High-level Dialogue on Global Development held in June 2022, China announced important measures to implement the Global Development Initiative, including upgrading the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, increasing input to the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund, and setting up a global development promotion center and a global knowledge network for development.

China always keeps in mind the difficulties faced by developing countries and accommodates their concerns.

“This fully indicates China’s ceaseless efforts to make sure that no country or individual is left behind,” said Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe.

The tangible achievements come from China’s efforts to enhance their capacity for self-development.

Fully considering the resources, development level and needs of other developing countries, China shares unreservedly its experience and technologies with them by various means, and trains local talent and technicians for them, so as to empower them to tap their own potential for diversified, independent and sustainable development.

The Juncao technology, which refers to planting a grass named Juncao with strong adaptability to the environment and rich nutrition while using processed Juncao grass to cultivate edible and medicinal fungi and raise poultry and livestock, is a typical example.

China has launched Juncao programs in over 100 countries, making the grass a “grass of happiness and prosperity.”

Kaul Gena, Pro-Vice-Chancellor administration of Papua New Guinea (PNG) University of Technology, noted that Juncao has been planted in 16 districts of eight provinces in PNG, lifting tens of thousands of people out of poverty, adding that China’s sincere assistance is well appreciated by the people in PNG.

The tangible achievements come from China sincerity in helping other developing countries cope with challenges.

The country has set up a South-South cooperation fund on climate change, set up 10 pilot low-carbon industrial parks, launched 100 mitigation and adaptation programs, provided 1,000 training opportunities on climate change cooperation in developing countries, and established the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center.

China has provided emergency assistance to Tonga, Afghanistan and Pakistan after they were hit by severe natural disasters. Facing the global spread of COVID-19, it has announced to give $2 billion of international aid over two years to countries hard hit by Covid-19, especially developing countries, in supporting their fight against the virus and their efforts to resume economic and social development.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commented that when it comes to helping developing countries realize common development, China’s efforts have been unmatched.

Today, the global development process has hit major roadblocks, the momentum of international development cooperation is being weakened, and development gap between the North and the South keeps widening.

The international community needs to take more concrete actions to fulfill its promises to help with the development of developing countries.

China will keep strengthening solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries, take concrete measures to make the pie of cooperation bigger and make greater contributions to improving the wellbeing of mankind.