China’s voice important in global sustainable development

Intro: China will join the UN’s post-2015 development agenda, and to share its own experience with the world.

Leaders from more than 100 countries will gather at the UN headquarters in New York on Sept. 25 – 27 seeking agreement on “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” and to discuss strategies for global sustainable development.

The UN Sustainable Development Summit will be of the largest scale and the highest level since the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were set in 2000, and thus has far-reaching implications for achieving of the development agenda.

As China is celebrating the 66th anniversary of the PRC’s founding next week, it has much to offer based on its rich experiences accumulated during its impressive development process. Therefore, the world needs China’s voice in setting a new development strategy and this will be enunciated by President Xi Jinping.

The first aspect is to pursue scientific and comprehensive development. The post- 2015 development agenda should represent the first time that people from a wide range of countries have been able to establish a contemporary development mode with great emphasis on the social inclusion, sustainable development and environmental protection.

Entering the new century, the Chinese people realized the importance and have been striving hard to achieve coordinated development involving the economy, society, resources and environment. Ecological civilization has become an organic part of China’s comprehensive development.

The second issue is to promote development through reform. Reform has played a prominent and indispensable role in China’s rapid development. The government has carried out widespread social reforms while the market has become the basic means of resource allocation. The reforms in the social field ensure public participation and the equal sharing of political rights that form the foundation for continuous economic development.

The third aspect is to promote development with equality. China is witnessing strong momentum in the pursuit of sustainable development, thanks to the central government’s policies that stimulate the enthusiasm of the overwhelming majority of people, and meet their needs and desires. These ensure all of the people benefit from economic development. The government has also provided vulnerable groups with equal access to poverty alleviation, living allowances, healthcare and education programs.

China will join the post-2015 development agenda, and to share its own experience with the world. It is estimated that President Xi will stress “common but differentiated responsibilities” and diversity in the development mode. In other words, each country should voluntarily adopt strategies and modes according to its own conditions.

China will offer ideas on improving the global development cooperation framework, in a bid to advance North-South and South-South cooperation, and to establish innovative financing mechanisms. It will also require a sounder voice for developing countries in global economic governance.

The implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda needs stronger international cooperation. It is undeniable that the agenda still cannot escape the impact of the existing development process of the developed countries and their past practices in development aid.

Although the development agenda has set up a series of new goals, it still lacks a well-organized mechanism and deliberate strategic thinking on achieving these goals, as well as how to strengthen global cooperation. China will continue to seek reform of global economic governance, to improve mechanisms in terms of international trade, finance and development, in order to better achieve the development goals.

With global vision and responsibility in mind, President Xi will further elaborate a fair, open, comprehensive and innovative development mode based on China’s past experiences, and offer new proposals to strengthen global cooperation. The world will surely listen carefully to China’s suggestions as it can offer unique and important contributions to fulfil the global new development targets.

 

Tong Zhihui is a researcher at the National Academy of Development and Strategy of Renmin University of China.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

Translated by Fan Anqi.