This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative (GDI). Over the past five years, the initiative's people-centered development philosophy has seen increasing popularity, cooperation mechanisms across various fields have steadily improved, and practical collaboration continues to yield fruitful outcomes. It has provided strong support for developing countries in the Global South to enhance their self-driven development capabilities and injected significant momentum into the implementation of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said no matter how difficult and complex the international situation, China has always firmly supported multilateralism, supported the UN cause, and promoted international cooperation, setting an example for the world.

Over the past five years, the cooperation areas within the framework of the GDI have continuously expanded, and the cooperation content has been continuously deepened. This has provided an important platform for the international community to refocus on development issues and build a global development partnership, accelerating the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Gerd Müller, director general of the UN Industrial Development Organization, said. Promoting sustainable development is related to the common destiny of all and is the key to addressing global challenges, he added.

From Asia to Africa, from Latin America to the Middle East, the outcomes of the GDI cover a wide range of areas such as poverty reduction, food security, public health, development financing, green transformation, digital economy and connectivity, bringing tangible benefits to the people of many countries.

Andrey Kortunov, former director-general of the Russian International Affairs Council, said if the sustainable development agenda is not properly implemented, everything, including international security, will lose its solid foundation. China's proposal of the GDI showcases the overall perspective of global development cooperation and reflects the common expectations of all countries for development and stability.

Today, more than 130 countries and international organizations support the GDI. Nearly 100 countries, international and regional organizations have signed cooperation documents with China on this initiative. The Group of Friends of the GDI has expanded to 88 countries. The international community has demonstrated with concrete actions that the concepts of putting development as top priority and win-win cooperation advocated by China have gained deep roots and wide recognition.

Serik Korzhumbayev, editor-in-chief of the Kazakh newspaper Delovoy Kazakhstan, said since the GDI was proposed, its achievements have been reflected in the scale of cooperation mechanisms and projects, and in the efforts to actively help the international community to once again place development at the center of the global agenda.

At the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, China called for putting development first and opening up the prospects for shared prosperity. At the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, China called on BRICS countries to be pioneers in advancing innovation-driven development. Together, the two high-profile international gatherings helped build momentum for common and cooperative development.

As the world is increasingly dominated by geopolitical conflicts, economic competition and a series of continuous crisis events, the GDI conveys a significant message: Development should not be overlooked; instead, it should continue to be a priority that the international community jointly focuses on. Promoting development means promoting stability, peace and the future, Essam Sharaf, former prime minister of Egypt, said.