Kenyan workers and a Chinese engineer work together on construction of the railway between Mombasa and Nairobi in Kenya. [Photo by Pan Siwei/For China Daily]

Public good

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the grand launch of the Group of Friends eloquently proved that the GDI is widely supported by all parties.

"The active participation in the Group of Friends by high-profile figures from the international community fully shows that the GDI's core concept is based on wide international consensus, its key areas of cooperation are in line with the priority of the parties and that its great potential in promoting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is recognized by all," he said.

"The GDI was put forward by China, but it belongs to the world," Zhao said, adding that going forward, China will continue to hold various activities under the framework of the Group of Friends to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, further build international consensus and chart a course for practical cooperation.

Speaking at the virtual session of the 2022 World Economic Forum in January, Xi said the GDI is a public good that is open to the whole world and aims to form synergy with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and boost common development across the world.

"China stands ready to work with all partners to jointly translate the initiative into concrete actions and make sure that no country is left behind in this process," he said.

As Xi stressed when he put forward the initiative, the GDI should care about the special needs of developing countries, particularly vulnerable ones that face exceptional difficulties.

According to the UN, three groups of countries – namely the 46 least-developed countries, 32 landlocked developing countries and 38 small island developing states – are particularly vulnerable to external shocks, given their limited means to respond.

Chen, from East China Normal University, said: "An important element of the GDI is that it should stay committed to benefits for all, but with an emphasis on developing countries. This is the only way to bridge the developmental divide and revitalize global development."

He said the three groups of vulnerable countries are increasingly likely to be left behind amid the pandemic, but "China has not simply put forward the initiative, but has implemented the GDI with actions prioritizing these countries".

On Oct 21, the first meeting of foreign ministers from China and Pacific Island Countries was held via video link. During the meeting, representatives of the Pacific Island countries expressed their support for the GDI and their hope for strengthened exchanges on governance with China, deeper cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative and enhanced solidarity in fighting COVID-19, the Foreign Ministry said.

African countries' support for the GDI was stated in the Dakar Declaration and the FOCAC Dakar Action Plan, two documents released after the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Dakar, Senegal, in November.

In an interview, Jean-Claude Gakosso, foreign minister of The Republic of the Congo, said China is a country that "has always had a listening ear for its friends" and expressed his appreciation for "the promptness that China has shown in the distribution of vaccines against COVID-19".