Cambodian academic says China-proposed initiatives essential to global governance

Aerial photo taken on July 16, 2022 shows the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway project in Preah Sihanouk Province, Cambodia.(Photo by Li Zhen/Xinhua)

"Both the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative are very important to ensure global peace and sustainable development for all, especially for small and poor countries," a Cambodian academic has said.

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China-proposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative are crucial to building a more just and equitable global governance system toward a community with a shared future for mankind, a Cambodian academic has said.

"Both the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative are very important to ensure global peace and sustainable development for all, especially for small and poor countries," Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, told Xinhua.

"The two initiatives are also key to reinforcing multilateralism, international cooperation and solidarity in order to address global challenges and concerns," he said. "Both initiatives are public goods that China provides to the rest of the world in addition to the Belt and Road Initiative."

For the Global Development Initiative, Matthews said it will help developing countries swiftly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, reduce poverty, and improve food security.

He said the Global Development Initiative has set out a blueprint for the development of countries and international development cooperation.

Photo taken on April 5, 2022 shows the Angkor Wat Temple in the Angkor Archeological Park in Siem Reap province, Cambodia.(Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua)

"It embraces the people-centered core concept, which will help promote global prosperity, steering global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth," he said.

The professor added that it responds to the dynamics and urgent needs of global development, as it has identified priority areas including poverty alleviation, food security, COVID-19 and vaccines, financing for development, climate change and green development, industrialization, digital economy, and connectivity.

"The Global Development Initiative advocates the spirit of open and inclusive partnership, and I believe that it will inject a new impetus into the implementation of the 2030 sustainable development goals of the United Nations," he said.

For the Global Security Initiative, Matthews said it will importantly contribute to tackling the world's most vexing and complicated security challenges for the sake of global peace, security and stability.

"Security is a prerequisite for development and it is the aspirations of all nations and peoples, so I believe that the Global Security Initiative will help build a global indivisible, just and equitable security community," he said.

The professor said China has always played a leading role in safeguarding global peace and security, adding that the initiative will foster a new type of security that replaces confrontation, alliance and a zero-sum approach with dialogue, partnership, and win-win results.

"The initiative carries forward the spirit of the United Nations Charter and provides a fundamental solution to eliminating the peace deficit," he said. "It will help countries respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of others, uphold non-interference in internal affairs, reject the Cold War mentality, and oppose unilateralism."