Advance Global Development Initiative Together for a New Chapter of China-Sudan Cooperation
القائم باعمال سفارة الصين بالسودان شو جيان
Written by Mr Xu Jian,Charge d’Affaires of Chinese Embassy in Sudan
A couple of weeks ago, a high-level meeting marking the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) was held in Beijing China. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the event that, “This year, the GDI launched by President Xi Jinping turns five. Five years ago, addressing the topical question of where the global development cause is headed, President Xi Jinping put forward the GDI which provided China’s insight and contribution to reinvigorating global development.” In just five years, it has turned from a conceptual proposition into concrete actions, and from a Chinese proposal into a global consensus, injecting much-needed development dynamism into the turbulent world.
Five years on, the GDI has played a greater role in driving global development. President Xi Jinping presided over a High-Level Dialogue on Global Development. China has held high-level meetings on the GDI during four consecutive UNGA sessions, and launched the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development. These follow-up actions have enabled more policy dialogues and exchange of ideas. To date, more than 130 countries and international organizations have expressed support for the GDI and participated in its cooperation, and nearly 100 countries and international and regional organizations have signed GDI cooperation documents with China. 88 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI, and more than 20 development agencies have actively participated in the U.N. Task Force on Leveraging Partnerships Toward the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda. To complement these efforts, China has launched more than 30 cooperation mechanisms and platforms to support Global South countries in enhancing their development capability. As the philosophy of putting development first has found wider support, and the global partnership for development has gained stronger momentum, the GDI has become a widely supported global public good.
Five years on, the GDI has delivered a steady stream of cooperation outcomes. Through the China-U.N. Peace and Development Fund, the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and other funding initiatives, more than US$23 billion has been mobilized, supporting the implementation of over 1,800 “small and beautiful” livelihood projects, and providing training for more than 200,000 people in different professions. From juncao that contributes to global poverty reduction, to the Sustainable Development Science Satellite 1 (SDGSAT-1) that enables synchronized data sharing, and to the MAZU platform that helps Global South countries with meteorological warning and disaster prevention and mitigation, the GDI has brought tangible benefits to ordinary people in more than 120 countries. Focus on small projects that deliver quick results to improve the well-being of the people and commitment to translating ambitious development goals into people’s sense of fulfillment, happiness and security reflect its defining feature of placing the people front and center.
Five years on, the GDI has provided a continued boost to Sudan’s development. By implementing the GDI through multiple approaches, China has made important contributions to Sudan’s efforts in ensuring food security, improving people’s life and strengthening development momentum. Since the outbreak of the armed conflict in Sudan in April 2023, China has provided Sudan with over 2,000 tons of emergency food assistance and a large number of medical, anti-epidemic, and shelter supplies, which helped ensure the basic needs of tens of thousands of local households. China has also continuously provided government scholarships and various training opportunities to Sudan to assist with its human resources development. Effective from May 1, 2026, China has granted zero-tariff treatment to 53 African countries having diplomatic relations with China, including Sudan. On June 28, 2026, China and Sudan signed a protocol on cancelling part of Sudan’s debt. Additionally, China has collaborated with the U.N. and other international multilateral agencies on multiple projects in Sudan to support its development, including the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health project and the Poverty Alleviation and Agriculture Assistance in Red Sea State Sudan project.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed at the High-level Meeting on the GDI that for the sake of our shared future, we should continue to underscore the imperative of development and align the GDI with the U.N. development agenda. This year marks the beginning of the second decade of China-Sudan strategic partnership. At this important juncture, China stands ready to join hands with Sudan to follow the guidance of the important common understandings between the two heads of state, and keep advancing the implementation of the GDI, boosting our practical cooperation in various fields and enriching China-Sudan strategic partnership, so as to deliver greater benefits to the two peoples and make new contributions to the building of a China-Sudan community with a shared future.
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