Pakistan has reaffirmed its strong support for China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), with Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi calling for greater international cooperation, preventive diplomacy, and sustainable development during a high-level meeting marking the fifth anniversary of the initiative’s launch.
Pakistan reaffirms support for China’s Global Development Initiative at Beijing Forum
BEIJING, July 29 (APP)::Pakistan has reaffirmed its strong support for China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), with Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi calling for greater international cooperation, preventive diplomacy, and sustainable development during a high-level meeting marking the fifth anniversary of the initiative’s launch.
The event, held in Beijing, brought together diplomatic envoys, United Nations agencies, think tanks, and academic experts.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered the keynote address.
In his remarks, Ambassador Hashmi recalled the global circumstances surrounding the launch of the GDI by Chinese President Xi Jinping and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to China’s vision of placing development at the center of global governance. He said the initiative aligns with the principles of the UN Charter and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Hashmi noted that, through the GDI, China has provided more than US$23 billion in financial assistance for approximately 1,800 development projects worldwide.
He added that the initiative has received support from more than 100 countries and international organizations, including the United Nations.
Highlighting the close relationship between peace and development, the ambassador emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue, mediation, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
He called for increased international investment in preventive diplomacy while advocating an open, fair, and international law-based global economic order.
The ambassador also pointed to Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate dialogue between the United States and Iran. He said Islamabad had supported diplomatic engagement through the Islamabad Talks, which resulted in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and established a framework for a ceasefire and continued negotiations on outstanding issues.
Looking ahead, Hashmi outlined five priorities to strengthen the Global Development Initiative. These include promoting a stable, peaceful, and open international environment for development; revitalizing multilateralism and global partnerships; narrowing the technology and artificial intelligence divide; expanding industrial cooperation by combining developing countries’ strengths with China’s technological capabilities and investment; and enhancing collaboration in marine geology, water resource management, climate action, and biodiversity conservation.
The ambassador said these areas of cooperation would help advance inclusive and sustainable development while reinforcing international partnerships to address shared global challenges.
