Official welcomes initiative, forum as development opportunity

Countries in the region welcomed the Global Development Initiative, saying it was another important global public good following the Belt and Road Initiative, a senior diplomat said on Friday.

Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu made the remarks at a briefing while sharing positive results of the third Minister's Meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.

Ma said President Xi Jinping delivered a video speech to the activity, charting the direction of high-quality development of relations between China and Latin American countries (LAC).

President Xi welcomed LAC to actively join the Global Development Initiative to build a global community of development with a shared future, as both sides face new tasks in the post-pandemic era, Ma said.

Xi proposed the initiative at the 76th general debate of United Nations General Assembly in September and called on the international community to accelerate the UN 2030 Agenda and bolster cooperation in eight major areas, including poverty reduction, food security and vaccination.

Countries in the region hailed the Initiative as an important global public good, adding it would provide new opportunities to developing countries including LAC to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As a cooperation mechanism established and developed under the guidance of Xi, Ma said the president thought highly of the China-CELAC Forum.

Ma quoted Xi's remarks as saying the forum has become a major platform for pursuing mutual benefit in the spirit of solidarity, coordination and promoting South-South cooperation, and has taken China-LAC relations into a new era featuring equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and benefits for the people.

Calling it a grand gathering to seek common development and create a future between China and LAC, Ma said the meeting had practical significance.

It has passed two documents, he said, namely the Declaration of the Third Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum and the China-CELAC Joint Action Plan for Cooperation in Key Areas (2022-2024).

Ma said both documents showed clear willingness by the two sides to jointly respond to challenges and build a China-LAC community with a shared future, Ma said.

With cooperation between the two sides featuring openness and inclusiveness and taking development as a priority, Ma said it focused on development, put people first and conformed to people's will.

Looking forward, China stands ready to work with LAC to draw a development blueprint for China-LAC relations and make new contributions to advancing the well-being of peoples of the two sides and the cause of human progress, he said.