Where is global development heading? On September 21, 2021, in response to this question of our times, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, injecting strong impetus into the revitalization of the global development cause. Over the past five years, the GDI has been widely implemented, with cooperation projects under the initiative taking root and yielding outcomes in more than 120 countries, writing a new chapter of common development and win-win cooperation.
First, upholding development as a priority to rally broader consensus. Entering the third decade of the 21st century, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has seen serious delays, the North-South gap continues to widen, and developing countries is facing growing structural challenges in areas such as debt, food security, energy and digital transformation. The GDI emphasizes placing development at the center of the international agenda and is committed to implementing the UN 2030 Agenda, offering a common ground for cooperation among countries with different systems and at different stages of development. Over the past five years, more than 130 countries and international organizations have voiced their support for the GDI and participated in its cooperation, nearly 100 countries and international and regional organizations have signed GDI cooperation documents with China, and 88 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI. Guided by the principle of prioritizing development, the GDI is grounded in the shared interests of all countries, transcends geopolitical differences, and has gradually grown from a Chinese proposal into a widely accepted international consensus.
Second, maintaining an action-oriented approach to ensure tangible outcomes. To promote the implementation of the GDI, China has launched more than 30 cooperation mechanisms and platforms, including the Global Development Promotion Center and the Global Shared Development Action Forum, to coordinate project cooperation and strengthen policy dialogue. At the same time, China has increased its contribution to the China-UN Peace and Development Fund. China established the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund and increased its total capitalization to 4 billion USD, which implemented more than 200 projects in over 70 countries, benefiting more than 40 million people. Over the past five years, the GDI has mobilized more than 23 billion USD in funding and carried out more than 1,800 projects, covering key cooperation areas such as poverty alleviation, food security, public health, development financing, green transition, the digital economy and connectivity, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, bringing tangible benefits to the people of more than 120 countries. From conceptual consensus to practical action, this GDI has demonstrated vigorous vitality.
Third, upholding inclusiveness and benefits for all to deepening China-Africa and China-Sierra Leone cooperation. The GDI is highly aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda, the AU Agenda 2063, and the Big Five Game Changers proposed by H.E. President Julius Maada Bio to drive sustainable economic growth and social progress for Sierra Leone’s transformational development. Since May 1 this year, China has fully implemented its zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, making it easier for African products to enter the Chinese market. Sierra Leone has officially enjoyed zero-tariff treatment for exports to China since December 2024, and Sierra Leone’s wild aquatic products entered the Chinese market as early as 2025. Since the beginning of this year, more than 130 Sierra Leonean students have obtained various Chinese government scholarships to pursue further studies in China, and around 750 Sierra Leonean professionals and individuals have traveled to China to participate in short-term training programs. In January, the “Excellence Skills Academy” was established through collaboration between China Railway Seventh Engineering Group Sierra Leone Company Limited, Zhengzhou Railway Technician College, and Freetown Polytechnic. In July, the China-Sierra Leone Nursing Training Center led by the 27th China Medical Team to Sierra Leone, was officially inaugurated at the China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital in Freetown. Both are helping Sierra Leone strengthen capacity building and cultivate high-quality technical talent systematically. In addition, the projects named “Accelerating Newborn and Child Health in Sierra Leone for Improved Survival and Well‑being” and “Improved Public Educational Service Facilities for Youth In Sierra Leone”, funded by the China Government’s Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund and implemented by the UN Funds and Programs, are committed to providing reliable support for Sierra Leone in improving public services such as education and health.
On September 25, 2026, a high-level dialogue marking the fifth anniversary of the GDI was held at the UN Headquarters in New York. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the dialogue, reaffirming China’s firm support for the global development. Hon. Kenyeh Barlay, Minister of Planning and Economic Development of Sierra Leone, described this congratulatory letter as encouraging. The Minister also said that the GDI has made extensive contributions over the past five years to promoting the development of developing countries in agriculture, technology and other fields, and that countries and people will continue to benefit from this cooperation and further advance the global development cause. Indeed, from the rice paddies with increased yields in Kangahun Village to the Julius Maada Bio Industrial Fishing Port under construction in the Black Johnson Village; from Sierra Leone’s steadily growing aquatic product exports to China to the increasingly close people-to-people exchanges between China and Sierra Leone — China’s visions and propositions on development are not empty talk, they have already yielded multiple visible and concrete outcomes.
As President Xi Jingpin has stated, “development is the eternal theme of human society and is key to promoting the well-being of humankind”. China stands ready to work with all parties, including Sierra Leone, to uphold a people-centered development philosophy, jointly advance the GDI, turn the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals into a reality that is tangible and accessible to all, and make new and greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity.
