Hosted by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), the Third High-level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development was held in Beijing on April 22.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping to boost global efforts to achieve the UN sustainable development goals. The attendees shared their thoughts on climate change and green development, and digital economy, which are among the eight prioritized cooperation areas of the GDI.

As global climate change intensifies, extreme weather events are having a significant impact on people's lives and economic activities.

Zhang Xingying, director-general of the Department of International Cooperation of China Meteorological Administration (CMA), noted that the "MAZU" early warning system — a Chinese cloud-based meteorological system designed to help countries better broadcast extreme weather — has been deployed in seven countries since its launch in July 2025, including Pakistan and Djibouti. More than 40 other countries are using its cloud-based service.

During the meteorology sub-forum, the CMA launched the new-generation public cloud version of the MAZU system, and officially handed over customized MAZU systems to Sri Lanka and Jordan on site.

Ra'ed Ahmad Subhi Rafid, director of Jordan Meteorological Department, pointed out that extreme weather events such as sandstorms, dusty storms and heat waves are increasingly affecting Jordan. The customized MAZU system integrates AI and satellite data models, supporting forecasters and decision makers in their work.

Athula Kumara Karunanayake, director general of the Department of Meteorology of Sri Lanka, said the customized MAZU system enables forecasts of varying lead times — from one day to three months — tailored to different sectors. With precise forecasts, relevant agencies such as the water authorities can take timely and necessary actions.

"This will bring more benefit. We can minimize our people's death and economic damage, and that is good for our nation," Karunanayake said.

"China is committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind, and making the global early warning system under the framework of meteorological disaster prevention and mitigation benefit more developing countries, especially those in the Global South," Zhang said.

The sub-forum also announced that CIDCA, CMA and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) signed a memorandum of understanding on promoting the implementation of the GDI.

Celeste Saulo, WMO secretary-general, said in her address at the opening ceremony that China has demonstrated strong leadership in early warning. By working with other developing countries across regions and with WMO support, China is helping to provide early warning systems as a global public good. "These are exactly the types of partnerships we need."

China has also been advancing international cooperation under the GDI framework in the digital sector.

Zhao Fengtao, vice chairman of CIDCA, said at another parallel sub-forum, development cooperation projects — ranging from fiber-optic backbone networks, e-government systems, and data centers to smart transportation — have been launched in nearly 20 countries and regions to strengthen digital infrastructure.

"These initiatives have injected new momentum into the economic and social development of the participating nations."

In digital sectors such as information and communications, intelligent manufacturing, and green development, over 500 human resources training programs have been conducted. These efforts have cultivated more than 15,000 professionals for developing countries, helping to alleviate talent bottlenecks in the digital field.

Sengdeun Sayasone, executive vice chairman of the Laos-China Cooperation Committee of Laos, said digital empowerment is not merely a technical issue, but a transformation of development models. Laos and China will deepen digital cooperation, utilizing digital technologies to drive industrial upgrading and promote the synergistic development of digitalization and green initiatives, thereby achieving sustainable development.

Alioune Sall, minister of communication, telecommunications and digital affairs of Senegal, said, China's digital development model possesses distinct advantages and offers Senegal significant insights. The partnership between Senegal and China is robust and development-oriented, and the bilateral cooperation is both close and pragmatic.

Senegal will host the 4th Youth Olympic Games in October-November, the first Olympic event on the African continent. "In our preparations, many Chinese companies are collaborating with Senegal — for instance, Alibaba is providing extensive cloud services for the event," Sall said.

Adrian Thomas, minister of tourism, creative economy and culture of Grenada, emphasized that for developing countries like Grenada, and indeed the entire Caribbean region, digital empowerment is particularly crucial for high-quality development. He commended China's contributions to the development of the Caribbean and the Global South, and China's provision of technical training and assistance in infrastructure construction.

Quoting the proverb, "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together," Thomas called for unity and cooperation within the Global South to jointly accomplish the digital transformation.

Themed "Action-Oriented: Building a Global Community of Development for All," the conference also held a parallel sub-forum to discuss how to coordinate policy and financial resources through multilateral cooperation in order to enhance capacity building and ensure the successful implementation of projects.