On May 20, 2022, Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the virtual seminar on Global Development Initiative (GDI) Cooperation at the Jakarta Forum on ASEAN-China Relations. Permanent Secretary and Senior Official of ASEAN of the Foreign Ministry of Myanmar U Chan Aye, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia Kung Phoak, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Chulamanee Chartsuwan, Ambassador of Indonesia Foster Gultom, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Ekkaphab Phanthavong and others attended and addressed the opening ceremony.

Wu Jianghao said, the GDI put forward by President Xi Jinping at the United Nations General Assembly has been actively supported by ASEAN countries, with many of them becoming members of the Group of Friends of GDI. The GDI is highly aligned with the philosophy and purposes of ASEAN Community Vision 2025. Against the backdrop of the sluggish global economic recovery and the continuous widening development gap, the discussion on integrated cooperation has a solid foundation and is at the right time. At the ASEAN-China Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, President Xi Jinping proposed to build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home together, with the aim of realizing the common development of a combined two billion Chinese and ASEAN people. China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to firmly advocate global development, advance development cooperation with concrete actions, promote in-depth cooperation on the GDI and ASEAN Community building, and help implement the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Wu Jianghao put forward four suggestions. First, seek greater synergy among strategies and jointly promote GDI cooperation in key areas of ASEAN Community Vision and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, reflect the cooperation consensus in the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Action Plan and the leaders' consensus documents, and make operational plans for development cooperation. Second, promote exchanges and mutual learning, and make good use of channels such as China-ASEAN cooperation, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, China-East ASEAN Growth Area cooperation and bilateral cooperation between China and ASEAN countries to share experience and strengthen exchanges in a diversified and flexible manner. Third, promote early harvest, and explore the establishment of a China-ASEAN GDI cooperation project database, which focuses on the eight priority areas of the GDI and the key directions of sustainable development of ASEAN Community building and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Fourth, stay committed to openness, inclusiveness, equality and mutual benefit, actively pool strengths of international and regional organizations, and explore tripartite and multi-party cooperation, so as to form synergy for development cooperation.

All participating parties highly appreciated the GDI put forward by China, and are ready to take the opportunity of implementing the outcomes and consensus of the ASEAN-China Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations to actively seek greater synergy between and conduct cooperation on the GDI and ASEAN Community building. All parties are expected to invest more resources, promote pragmatic results in cooperation, enrich the connotations of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, help improve the economic and social resilience and people's well-being of regional countries, and promote sustainable development.

This forum is co-hosted by the Mission of the People's Republic of China to ASEAN and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to ASEAN. Myanmar is the current coordinator country for China-ASEAN relations. It is the first GDI-themed seminar for regional organizations held by China. Officials from the Committee of Permanent Representatives of ASEAN and UN agencies, experts and scholars from various countries, and others attended the forum.