International cooperation crucial in promoting global development: report

BEIJING -- Strengthening international cooperation and global governance are extremely important measures for bringing global development back on track as the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, said a research report.

The global development report 2023, which was released by the Center for International Knowledge on Development on Tuesday, comprehensively analyzed and evaluated the current situation and major trends of global development, and proposed measures to tackle challenges.

The report is aimed at offering suggestions on bringing global development back on track, uniting efforts to bridge the global development deficit, and accelerating the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Underlining the backlash against economic globalization and increased uncertainty and instability of global development, the report called for efforts to promote common and sustainable development of all countries on the basis of win-win cooperation and building a global community of development.

Work should be done under the principles of giving priority to development, putting people first, upholding universal benefit and inclusiveness, following innovation-driven and action-oriented approaches, living in harmony with nature, and adhering to genuine multilateralism, said the report.

The report highlighted China's role in driving growth. The country's average annual GDP growth rate was 9.1 percent from 1978 to 2022, and the Belt and Road Initiative proposed a decade ago has created 420,000 jobs for countries along the route and helped nearly 40 million people get out of poverty.

The China-proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI) has received increasingly positive responses and extensive participation from the international community, said Long Guoqiang, deputy head of the Development Research Center of the State Council.

Nearly 70 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI. To support the implementation of the GDI, China announced 32 concrete actions in 2022, half of which have been either accomplished or achieved tangible results, Long said.