The Global Development Initiative: The Key to Prosperity | Article by the Chinese Ambassador to Turkmenistan
Development is the key to resolving all problems and the shared aspiration of people everywhere. Five years ago, responding to the question of the times about the path forward for global development, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. This initiative outlined practical guidelines for all countries to achieve development based on mutual benefit.
In doing so, China proposed its own solution to the challenge of injecting new impetus into global development and contributed to this common cause. The GDI has become an important and vibrant practical embodiment of efforts to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
The GDI consists of six pillars: prioritizing development, adhering to the principle of "People First," adhering to the principle of accessibility and inclusiveness, pursuing an innovative approach, striving for the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, and focusing on practical action. The initiative provides a systemic response to a number of critical theoretical and practical questions of global development: for whom is development undertaken, on whom does it rely, what kind of development should be pursued, and how to achieve it.
Over the past five years, the GDI has evolved from a Chinese proposal into an international consensus, and its implementation has expanded beyond the agreement on goals to encompass a variety of practical activities. More than 130 countries and international organizations have supported the Initiative and are participating in cooperation. In total, over $23 billion has been mobilized, over 1,800 "small but beautiful" cooperation projects benefiting people have been implemented, and over 200,000 specialists in various fields have been trained.
All of this has brought tangible benefits to the people of more than 120 countries. Whether it's grass-based mushroom cultivation that helps alleviate poverty, a sustainable development satellite that enables data sharing, or the Matsu platform that strengthens disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities—one after another, these wonderful ideas are being translated into visible and tangible development results.
China and Turkmenistan's approaches to peace and development are deeply aligned. Both sides consistently work together to achieve universal security and shared prosperity. Since its commissioning over a decade ago, Lines A, B, and C of the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline have been operating reliably and effectively.
Practical cooperation between China and Turkmenistan in various fields, including gas, serves as a shining example of equal and mutually beneficial interaction, as well as innovative and sustainable development. With the launch of the fourth phase of the Galkynysh field development, energy cooperation between the two countries has entered a new stage. At the same time, cooperation between the two sides in non-resource sectors, including agriculture and transportation, is rapidly developing, while cultural and humanitarian ties have filled many gaps in bilateral relations.
China and Turkmenistan are comprehensive strategic partners and companions on the path to development and prosperity. China stands ready to work with Turkmenistan, guided by the Belt and Road Initiative, to deepen the alignment of high-quality joint construction within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative with the "Revival of the Great Silk Road" strategy, to promote higher-level development through high-quality cooperation, and to advance the building of a closer China-Turkmen community with a shared future. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Turkmenistan Ji Shumin
