In a clear warning to the United States (US) in his virtual address at the High-level Dialogue on Global Development on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that those forming exclusive blocs will end up isolating themselves and thus stressed on the need “to forge a united, equal, balanced, and inclusive high-quality global development partnership.”
According to a press release by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Xi said that in order to “foster a development paradigm featuring benefits for all, balance, coordination, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation and common prosperity,” the international community must follow a four-step paradigm. This includes jointly building “international consensus on promoting development,” jointly creating “an enabling international environment for development,” fostering “new drivers for global development,” and forging “a global development partnership.”
State Councilor and FM Wang Yi gave an interview to the Chinese central media about President Xi Jinping's Chairing the 14th BRICS Summit and the High-level Dialogue on Global Development. Pls read the official press release: https://t.co/baz8bXyXV1 pic.twitter.com/Wh2a1Flk4q
— Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) June 26, 2022
To this end, he assured that his administration will offer continued support to the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This will include allocating additional resources for global development cooperation, mobilising resources “for development to deepen global cooperation on poverty reduction and eradication,” and setting up “a platform for experience and knowledge sharing on international development.”
Xi warned that “protectionist moves will boomerang” and that countries “attempting to form exclusive blocs will end up isolating” their own selves in the process. “Maximum sanctions serve nobody’s interest, and practices of decoupling and supply disruption are neither feasible nor sustainable,” he argued. To this end, the Chinese president underscored the importance of “building an open world economy and shaping a global governance system and institutional environment that are more just and equitable.”
“No country or individual should be left behind. It is important that we support the UN in steering and coordinating global development cooperation, and encourage business communities, social groups, the media and think tanks to take part in such cooperation,” Xi argued.
President Tokayev: I commend the vision of the “Community of Common Destiny for Mankind”, as well as the Global Security and Global Development Initiatives put forward by Chairman Xi Jinping.
— President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's Press Office (@AkordaPress) June 24, 2022
The dialogue, which focused on the theme of “Foster a Global Development Partnership for the New Era to Jointly Implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” was attended by heads of states of Algeria, Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Malaysia, and Thailand.
The press release said that participating countries commended Xi’s insights on development cooperation and applauded the Global Security Initiative proposed by China. Participants also agreed that “development is the foundation of security and security is the prerequisite for development” and that “China’s initiatives address the concerns and meet the needs of developing countries, and are conducive to forging international consensus, mobilising development resources and expediting the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
The China-hosted event coincided with the Group of Seven’s (G7) announcement of their $600 billion Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which aims to counter China’s multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), under which China has already signed memorandums of understanding with 147 countries.
We’re wheels down in Germany for the G7.
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 26, 2022
I look forward to conversations around our nations’ shared values and priorities: climate, development infrastructure, global health security, and shaping the rules of the road for the economy and technology for decades to come. pic.twitter.com/M63vwWXyht
In fact, Western nations have proposed a number of investment projects to counter China’s vast global influence. Last December, the European Union (EU) proposed the Global Gateway Initiative (GGI), an investment programme that aims “to establish links, not dependencies.” The bloc calls the programme an upgraded version of BRI that focuses on investments in clean energy, digital sectors, education, health, and research.
Similarly, the United States recently introduced the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) to counter China’s massive investment projects. Washington claims the IPEF will facilitate greater data and information sharing in order to leverage the digital economy. At the same time, it will seek to confront challenges such as online privacy and the “discriminatory and unethical use” of artificial intelligence.
In this regard, Xi’s latest warnings against forming rival blocs appear to slam the West’s competing projects. In fact, he made similar remarks at the BRICS Business Forum last Tuesday, wherein he pushed back against “hegemony, group politics, and bloc confrontation, saying that “zero-sum games” and “power politics” can “only lead to wars and conflicts.”