At UN, a call for efforts on trade, SDGs

China's permanent representative to the United Nations said that unilateralism and protectionism are a threat to global growth.

"China stands against unilateralism and trade investment protectionism," Ma Zhaoxu said at UN headquarters in New York on Monday. "We believe trade disputes and frictions should be resolved in a reasonable manner.

"China will work with all parties to uphold free trade and multilateral trade system and maintain a common interest of all countries in the world," he said.

Ma made the comments on trade while speaking at a meeting to address obstacles to achieving the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The event was jointly organized by China's Permanent Mission to the UN, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

"Unbalanced and inadequate development is a common challenge facing countries around the world to achieve shared prosperity," Ma said. "Countries need to work together to pursue fair, open, comprehensive and innovative development."

In recent decades, the world has made significant achievements in socioeconomic development. However, that progress has been unbalanced and inadequate, the event organizers said in a background statement.

"Economic growth and urbanization while reducing poverty have also created problems such as massive wealth inequality and severe pollution, which in turn have fueled social discontent and resentment," the statement said.

Ma said President Xi Jinping has led a series of initiatives such as the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund, which aims to promote scientific and technological innovation in the developing world and contribute to the work of the UN and multilateralism.

The Chinese government pledged $200 million over a 10-year period, and the fund has supported 46 projects totaling $41 million since its inception in 2016.

In 2017, the UNDP and UN-DESA, sponsored by the fund, forged a partnership to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Asia-Pacific region.

"It's an example of how the UN system and the international development partnerships can engage to strengthen efforts for mainstreaming implementation of SDGs," said Liu Zhenmin, administrator of UN-DESA.

Achim Steiner, administrator of the UNDP, said the SDGs are crucial to UNDP's strategic plan.

"For us, this is our business of thinking about development, of helping countries to frame their response, and above all, to accompany them in the implementation of their national strategies for addressing SDGs," said Steiner. "We know that in China, SDGs is not something that simply sits on the bookshelf."

Liu said that "the 2030 agenda is transformative and universal, which is applicable to all countries and takes into account different nationalities, capacities and levels of development. It's guided by the vision to leave no one behind."

"China has committed to contributing its part to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda — the Belt and Road Initiative has been considered as an effort that provides China's solution," Ma said.

Ma said that China will continue to work with the rest of the world on development.

"With stronger partnerships, we can create a better environment for more balanced and adequate development," Ma said. "Together, we will make the goal of the 2030 agenda and a community with a shared future for mankind a reality."