High-Level Dialogue Held by CDB with UNDP

CDB and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) held a high-level dialogue in Beijing today featuring discussions on the “One Belt, One Road” initiative to promote sustainable development and jointly work towards the fulfillment of what President Xi Jinping and the UN Secretary-General António Guterres have stressed in their keynote speeches from the perspectives of infrastructure investment, financing mechanism and policy coordination.

The dialogue was attended by Zheng Zhijie, President of CDB, Wang Yongsheng, Executive Vice President of CDB, Liu Yong, Chief Economist and Head of the Center for Financial Research&Development of CDB, Tegegnework Gettu, Associate Administrator of UNDP, and Nicholas Rosellini, UNDP Resident Representative in China.

The two sides had in-depth discussions on the scope of cooperation and strategic partnership, regional focuses and leveraged finance opportunities, policy implementation and coordination, and agreed that the “One Belt, One Road” initiative would not only become a powerful platform for economic growth and regional cooperation, but also a strong driver for achieving the sustainable development goals. The two sides will promote investment and sustainable development, expand international and regional cooperation opportunities and join hands in setting up an innovative development center for the “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

A joint statement on building strategic partnership was signed following the dialogue. Moving forward, the two sides will continue to enhance communication on policies, strategic coordination, and cooperation on economic development analysis on economies along the Belt and Road, strategic inclusive economic growth model, promoting sustainable development and innovative investment model, selecting and implementing cooperation projects and creating best practices.

It is reported that this partnership has been included in the Action Plan for Cooperation on the “One Belt, One Road” initiative signed between UNDP and the Chinese government, for which CDB has been designated by the Chinese government as one of the action plan execution partners. The Report on the Economic Development of Belt and Road Countries jointly developed by CDB, UNDP and Peking University prior to this dialogue represented one of the early achievements made under the action plan.