Toward a Better Future Through Development Cooperation

2019/09/25
Statement by H.E. Wang Yi
Special Representative of President Xi Jinping,
State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs
At the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
Under the auspices of the General Assembly (SDG Summit)
UN Headquarters, 25 September 2019

Mr Chairman,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Development is mankind’s eternal pursuit. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has opened a new chapter in development cooperation around the world. Leaving No One Behind is our shared responsibility.

To achieve the SDGs, we must take to heart the concerns of developing countries, and ensure coordinated economic, ecological and social development; we must uphold multilateralism and support the central role of the United Nations in the international system; and we must take effective measures to deepen a global partnership for development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Hence a new starting point for China’s development.

We are committed to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects next year, and make China a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the centenary of the People’s Republic.

This is what we have been doing:

— Putting the people’s well-being front and center, and embracing a new development philosophy featuring high-quality development that is innovative, coordinated, green and open for the benefit of all;

— Identifying sustainable development as a fundamental state policy, and taking comprehensive measures to implement the 2030 Agenda;

— Staying determined to win our fight against poverty. Over 13 million people are getting out of poverty on an annual average in China for six years in a row, and the total number accounts for over 70% of poverty reduction worldwide in the same period. China is on track to eradicate absolute poverty next year and meet the first SDG 10 years ahead of schedule;

— Developing education as a priority. Take the year 2017 as an example. While globally close to 20% of children and teenagers dropped out of school, almost all the students finished their studies in China’s primary and junior high schools;

— Implementing the Healthy China initiative at a faster pace, and extending medical insurance to the whole population. In 2018, the neonatal and under-5 mortality dropped to 6.1 per 1,000 live births and the maternal mortality ratio was lowered to 1.83 deaths per 10,000 live births, which means that we have attained the relevant SDG targets ahead of schedule;

— Promoting afforestation across the country. Since 2012, close to 70,000 square kilometers of forests have been planted and over 30,000 square kilometers of desertified land restored each year on average. Between 2000 and 2017, the new afforestation in China accounted for 25% of the global total.

Even with these achievements, we are keenly aware that China is still a developing country that faces a big challenge of uneven and inadequate development and lags far behind developed countries.

We must, therefore, remain focused on running our own affairs well. After all, a better life for the 1.4 billion Chinese will be, in itself, China’s biggest contribution to global development.

At the same time, we will continue to pursue Belt and Road cooperation and scale up South-South cooperation. Our aim is to promote development for all through greater openness and cooperation and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The 2030 Agenda represents a dream for a better future for the world. In this sense, it has a lot in common with the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. China will work tirelessly with the rest of the international community to realize the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and bring a better future to all.

Thank you.