China has called for a renewed global commitment to sustainable development, urging countries to strengthen multilateral cooperation, increase development financing and embrace innovation to address widening inequalities and accelerate progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the appeal while addressing the High-Level Meeting on the Global Development Initiative (GDI), held to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping during the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The meeting, jointly organised by China and UN agencies, brought together representatives to assess the progress of the initiative and discuss strategies for advancing global development amid mounting economic and geopolitical challenges.

Wang said the Global Development Initiative has evolved into a broad international cooperation platform over the past five years, attracting widespread participation from countries and international organisations.

According to him, more than 130 countries and international organisations have expressed support for the initiative, while nearly 100 countries and regional organisations have entered into cooperation agreements with China under the framework.

He said the initiative has also established a growing network of institutions dedicated to advancing development cooperation. These include the Group of Friends of the GDI, which now has 88 member states, and a UN task force involving more than 20 development agencies working to support implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Wang highlighted China’s financial contributions to global development, noting that more than US$23 billion has been mobilised through development funds, including the China-UN Peace and Development Fund and the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund.

He said the resources have supported more than 1,800 community-based projects focused on improving livelihoods and have provided vocational and professional training opportunities for over 200,000 people.

The Chinese foreign minister cited several flagship programmes under the initiative, including China’s juncao technology for poverty reduction, the Sustainable Development Science Satellite-1 (SDGSAT-1), and the MAZU platform, which provides meteorological data and disaster early-warning services to developing countries.

He said these projects have benefited communities across more than 120 countries.

Despite these achievements, Wang warned that the global development agenda is facing increasing pressure as conflicts, economic instability and the growing development gap between developed and developing countries continue to undermine implementation of the SDGs.

He stressed that restoring development as a central priority of international cooperation is essential to securing long-term global peace and prosperity.

To that end, Wang outlined four areas requiring collective action. He called for stronger international solidarity to preserve peace and stability, increased investment and cooperation to accelerate sustainable development, expanded collaboration in science and technology to narrow digital and artificial intelligence divides, and reforms to global economic governance to better reflect the interests of developing countries.

On technological cooperation, Wang pointed to the recent establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), launched by China alongside 28 other countries, as a platform designed to promote inclusive AI governance and expand access to emerging technologies for developing nations.

He also urged developed countries to fulfil their commitments on development financing and called for closer international coordination as preparations begin for discussions on the post-2030 global development framework.

Turning to China’s domestic economy, Wang said the country’s steady growth demonstrates resilience despite a difficult international environment.

He noted that China’s gross domestic product expanded by 4.7 per cent during the first half of 2026, despite the impact of global energy shortages and disruptions to international industrial and supply chains.

Wang said China would continue to integrate its own development with global progress, deepen partnerships with countries across the Global South and contribute to building a more inclusive and equitable international development system.

He reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to implementing the Global Development Initiative and sharing development opportunities with countries around the world as part of its broader vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity.