Wang Yi attends opening ceremony of Exhibition of Achievements on China International Development Cooperation

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the Exhibition of Achievements on China International Development Cooperation on April 26.

Wang said that over the past seven-plus decades, China has gone through a momentous journey in conducting foreign assistance and international development cooperation. Through foreign assistance and development cooperation, China and other developing countries have helped each other and progressed together. To date, China has provided assistance of various kinds to more than 160 developing countries, implemented several thousand assistance projects, including complete ones and material supplies, carried out more than 10,000 programs on technological cooperation and human resources development, and trained over 400,000 professionals in various fields for other developing countries.

Wang said since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), under the strong commitment and able leadership of the CPC Central Committee, China, building on existing gains, has ushered in new prospects and made new achievements in international development cooperation. The philosophy underlining China's international development cooperation has been constantly upgraded, its supporting mechanism has gradually been improved and its contributions have been growing.

China has put forth major initiatives including building a community with a shared future for mankind and promoting Belt and Road cooperation and has laid out the principles that donor countries must pursue the greater good and shared interests, and uphold sincerity, real results, amity, good faith, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. All this has provided strategic direction and guidance for China in pursuing international development cooperation in the new era.

Three years ago, the Chinese government announced the establishment of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), providing important institutional safeguards for upgrading China's development cooperation with the world. China has also put in place the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund and established the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development to help other developing countries speed up capacity building for self-generated development, said Wang.

To contain the COVID-19 pandemic, China carried out the largest global emergency humanitarian assistance operation in its history and sent urgently needed supplies to more than 160 countries and international organizations. Despite surging domestic demands, we are now providing much needed vaccines to 80-plus countries and four international organizations, said Wang.

He stressed that China has kept to its approach and principle on foreign assistance and development cooperation.

First, China always pursues equality and win-win cooperation. China never uses assistance and development cooperation as a leverage to interfere in others' internal affairs, never attaches any political strings, and never lectures on others. The country always pursues mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual benefit.

Second, China always honors its word and pursues real results. China always honors its commitments, and absolutely does not make "empty promises". China always tries its best, as much as its capacity permits, to match words with concrete actions for real results. For every promise China makes, it will do its utmost to deliver against all odds.

Third, China always aims at development and focuses on "how to fish". China stays attentive to the actual needs of recipient countries, and works to align assistance with their development plans. A consistent theme of China's foreign assistance and international development cooperation is to improve the livelihoods of local communities and to build up local capacity for independent development.

Fourth, China is always committed to openness, inclusiveness and mutual learning. China is always ready to increase exchanges with developed countries and international organizations to explore third-party cooperation which, as a matter of principle, should be initiated, agreed to, and led by the recipient country.

Wang said that the world is undergoing profound changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century and we need to advocate solidarity and cooperation to tide over this trying time.

China will take health as a priority and vigorously support international cooperation against COVID-19. China will focus on green growth and work steadily to meet the sustainable development goals and focus on people's livelihoods and actively contribute to global economic recovery. It will follow multilateralism and promote global governance in development cooperation.

China will continue to work toward a community with a shared future for mankind, and align the country's development with that of other developing countries. It will continue to deepen international development cooperation, and contribute to common development and prosperity of the world.

Khek M. Caimealy, dean of the diplomatic corps and ambassador of Cambodia to China, and Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nation's resident coordinator in China, delivered speeches at the ceremony, in which they spoke highly of China's achievements in foreign aid and international development cooperation. They congratulated China on the third anniversary of the establishment of the CIDCA, and expressed their willingness to continue to strengthen international development cooperation with China and jointly implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Wang, together with diplomatic envoys from various countries and representatives of international organizations, visited the achievement exhibition.

Sponsored by the CIDCA, the exhibition showcases China's fruitful achievements in foreign aid and international development cooperation since 1950.