Pakistan not invited to dialogue held in China

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been ignored by China as not being invited for the High Level Dialogue on Global Development (HLDGD) concluded a day earlier in Beijing.

The event was hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and among others India, Iran, Egypt, Fiji, Algeria, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and two CAS were the participants of the dialogue.

Russian President Putin also attended it. The Foreign Office and its spokesman are mum about the adverse development. Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired the dialogue of 19 countries and addressed it via a video link concluded on Friday. He delivered important speech titled “Forging High-quality Partnership for a New Era of Global Development.”

According to the media reports focusing on the theme “Foster a Global Development Partnership for the New Era to Jointly Implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” the leaders of all the countries had in-depth exchange of views on such major issues as strengthening international development cooperation and accelerating the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They also discussed ways to promote development cooperation and reached wide and important common understandings.

President Xi Jinping pointed out that development is a timeless theme for humanity, adding that only through the continuous development, the people’s dream for a better life and social stability can be realised.

“Over the years, the developing countries have worked unremittingly to explore development paths suited to their national realities and to pursue economic and social development. Such efforts have produced remarkable outcomes,” he said.

“Today, the emerging markets and developing countries account for half of the world economy, and notable progress has been made in science and technology, education, social development, culture and many other areas,” the president said.

“We are meeting at a time, when the Covid-19 pandemic is eroding decades of gains in global development as the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is encountering difficulties, the North-South gap keeps widening, and crises are emerging in food and energy security,” he said.

“At the same time, the people in all the countries are keener about pursuing peace, development and cooperation and the emerging markets and developing countries are more resolved to seek strength through unity, and the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is bringing more opportunities to the countries around the world,” he said.

President Xi Jinping stressed that this is an age rife with challenges, but it is also an age full of hope, adding: “We must get a good grasp of the overarching development trend in the world, firm up confidence, and act in unison and with great motivation to promote global development and foster a development paradigm featuring benefits for all, balance, coordination, inclusiveness, win-win situation and common prosperity.”

“First, we need to jointly build international consensus on promoting development. When the people all over the world will live better lives, the prosperity can be sustained, security safeguarded and human rights solidly grounded. It is important that we put development front and centre on the international agenda, deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and build political consensus to ensure everyone values development and all the countries pursue cooperation together,” the Chinese president said.

“Second, we need to jointly create an enabling internatio­nal environment for development. Protectionist moves will boomerang; anyone attempting to form exclusive blocs will end up isolating himself; maximum sanctions serve nobody’s interest, and practices of decoupling and supply disruption are neither feasible nor sustainable. It is important that we pursue development in real earnest and promote development in concert, build an open world economy, and shape a global governance system and institutional environment that are more just and equitable,” he said.

“Third, we need to jointly foster new drivers for global development. It is important that we promote scientific, technological and institutional innovation, speed up technology transfer and knowledge sharing, boost the development of modern industries, close the digital divide and accelerate low-carbon transition, with a view to achieving stronger, greener and healthier global development,” he said.

“Fourth, we need to jointly forge a global development partnership. Only by working together, we can accomplish big and great things with a far-reaching impact. The developed countries need to fulfill obligations, the developing countries need to deepen cooperation, and the North and the South need to work in the same direction to forge a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership.”

In this process, he said, no country or individual should be left behind, adding that it is important that we support the UN in steering and coordinating global development cooperation, and encouraging business communities, social groups, the media and think tanks to take part in such cooperation.

President Xi stressed that China has always been a member of the big family of the developing countries, adding that the country will take pragmatic steps to give continued support to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“China will allocate more resources for the global development cooperation. We will upgrade the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund. We will also increase input to the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund. Such efforts will further support and cooperation under the Global Development Initiative (GDI), he said.

“China will work with all sides to advance cooperation in priority areas and mobilise resources for development to deepen global cooperation on poverty reduction and eradication, build capacity for food production and supply, and promote clean energy partnerships; step up innovation, research and development and joint production of vaccines; work on the conservation and sustainable use of land and marine ecology; and raise digital literacy and skills of the public, transform and upgrade the path to industrialisation at a faster pace, and enhance connectivity in the digital era to inject new impetus into the development of all the countries,” he said.

President Xi pointed out that as an ancient Chinese adage goes, “With one heart and one mind, we can accomplish everything we aspire for.” “Let us firm up confidence, stride forward in pursuit of high-quality partnership, and usher in a new era of prosperity and development.”

Leaders attending the Dialogue delivered remarks respectively. They thanked China for initiating and hosting the dialogue and commended President Xi’s insights into global development cooperation.

They said the emerging markets and developing countries are a crucial force in building a more equitable and balanced international order and promoting peace, security, equality and development. They need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and work with the international community to put the issue of development front and center and build a better world that meets the needs and expectations of most developing countries, they added.

They said the Dialogue is most opportune and relevant as it helps the parties to reach new understandings on international development cooperation, safeguard common interests of developing countries, and inject new impetus into maintaining world peace and promoting common development.

The leaders applauded and supported the GDI and the Global Security Initiative proposed by China. They all agreed that development is the foundation of security and security is the prerequisite for development.

They believed that China’s initiatives address the concerns and meet the needs of developing countries, and are conducive to forging international consensus, mobilising development resources and expediting the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

They expressed the hope to step up cooperation in such areas as poverty alleviation, epidemic prevention and control, food security and energy security and create more synergy between the GDI and regional development plans to jointly tackle poverty, inequality and development challenges.

The parties raised serious concerns over the negative spillover of unilateral sanctions and the heavy toll they have taken on vulnerable developing countries and stressed the need to practice true multilateralism, defend the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold fairness and justice, and advance reforms of the global governance system.

They said the emerging markets and developing countries need to better coordinate and cooperate, strive for greater representation and voice in international affairs, ensure the sound and steady operation of the international economic and financial system, work for the steady recovery and sustainable development of the world economy, and together forge a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership.

The chair’s statement was issued after the Dialogue. It fully outlined the participants’ political consensus on global development and measures for practical cooperation in priority areas under the GDI.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria, President Alberto Fernandez of Argentina, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt, President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi of Iran, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, Vice President Hamilton Mourao of Brazil, Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali of Ethiopia, Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama of Fiji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob of Malaysia, and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of Thailand attended the Dialogue.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and the FO spokesman didn’t respond to the query about Pakistan’s absence from the significant forum.