Dear Editor,
This week in Beijing we celebrated the opening of the International Media Youth Training Program on the Global Development Initiative (GDI). As participants from across the Global South gathered, one message was clear: development must be a shared endeavor, not the work of any single country.
Five years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the GDI. Today, it stands alongside the Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and Global Governance Initiative as part of China’s contribution to addressing common challenges facing humanity. Together, they aim to advance a community with a shared future for mankind.
As the first of these initiatives, the GDI is aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It prioritizes practical cooperation. Over the past five years, more than 90 countries and international organizations have signed cooperation agreements under the GDI. To date, 83 countries and regions have implemented some 1,800 projects across eight priority areas, including poverty reduction, food security, and pandemic response. These efforts have produced tangible results and given strong momentum to the progress and revitalization of Global South countries.
This training programme is part of that work. Organised under the framework of the GDI by the Global Development Promotion Center of CIDCA, it brings together young officials and media professionals to exchange ideas, learn from China’s development experience, and strengthen communication among the Global South. Over the next 10 days, participants will engage with Chinese universities, institutions, and communities to gain a firsthand understanding of China’s achievements in digital governance, modernization, and international cooperation.
As media professionals, we carry a special responsibility. We are bridges and storytellers. The world needs more balanced, authentic narratives about development, especially from the perspective of the Global South. Through this programme, we hope to sharpen our skills in digital communication and content creation, and to tell more stories of cooperation that deliver real benefits to people.
China’s media institutions, including CGTN and CCTV+, are committed to this mission. With platforms reaching audiences in 85 languages and partnerships with more than 7,500 media organizations in over 180 countries, we seek to amplify the aspirations of people worldwide and document how the GDI is being translated from vision into action.
The programme will also include visits to China Agricultural University, technology enterprises, and to Hainan to observe ecological development and cultural preservation. We have been encouraged to reflect on what we learn and to consider how these experiences can inform development paths in our own countries.
At a time when the world faces complex challenges, the GDI offers a cooperative approach centered on development as the “master key.” For young journalists and communicators, the task now is to help ensure those stories are told accurately, so that understanding and solidarity can grow.
We thank the Government of the People’s Republic of China, CIDCA, CGTN, and CCTV+ for hosting this initiative, and we look forward to the partnerships and insights that will emerge from it.
Sincerely,
Bekai Njie in Beijing, China
July 2026
