PM Shehbaz Reaffirms Pakistan’s Full Support for China’s Global Development Initiative

September 27, 2026: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), describing the framework as an important platform for strengthening solidarity, advancing South-South cooperation and delivering practical development outcomes for countries across the developing world. The prime minister made the remarks while addressing a high-level GDI meeting hosted by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Why the initiative matters

Highlighting the relevance of the initiative to the challenges confronting developing countries, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said the GDI had emerged as a timely framework for strengthening international cooperation at a period marked by growing development financing gaps, climate-related disasters, rising food and fuel prices and renewed geopolitical tensions. He maintained that these pressures were threatening to reverse development gains achieved by developing countries over the past several decades and called for stronger multilateral cooperation to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

The prime minister recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the Global Development Initiative in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and said its importance had become increasingly evident as countries continued to confront economic, social and environmental challenges. He said the initiative complemented Pakistan’s own national economic transformation objectives and offered opportunities for developing countries to cooperate on practical projects capable of producing tangible results.

Pakistan-China development cooperation

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif also highlighted the depth of Pakistan-China economic cooperation, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which Pakistan says is now moving into its second phase. He said Islamabad was prepared to deepen cooperation with China and other partners under the GDI by building on successful projects, expanding their scale and exploring new areas of collaboration as countries work towards the 2030 development agenda.

He further stressed that the GDI remained important for accelerating implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, particularly at a time when progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals remained uneven. The prime minister called for development priorities to remain central to international cooperation and said global institutions should be better equipped to respond to the needs of developing countries and translate international commitments into measurable outcomes on the ground.

UNGA address draws responses

Pakistan, he added, would continue working closely with China and fellow members of the GDI’s Group of Friends to advance cooperation and support the broader vision of a community with a shared future for mankind. China’s Vice President Han Zheng, who hosted the high-level meeting, has similarly described the GDI as a framework aimed at supporting implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda and translating development cooperation into practical projects.

Separately, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s address to the 81st UN General Assembly has received positive assessments from several Pakistani diplomats, academics and political figures. Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam said the speech effectively presented Pakistan’s position on major issues, while Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi highlighted the prime minister’s remarks on Palestine, Kashmir and the security and sanctity of Saudi Arabia’s holy sites.

Former University of Peshawar Department of Journalism and Mass Communication chairman Dr Shahjehan Syed described the address as an effective exercise in diplomatic communication and said it offered practical approaches to regional and global challenges, while former ambassador Manzoor-ul-Haq said the speech comprehensively articulated Pakistan’s position on major international and regional issues. These assessments were reported by Pakistani state media and reflect the views of the individuals quoted.

Pakistan's development priorities

During his UNGA address, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif also addressed broader international and regional concerns, including conflicts in the Middle East, the importance of dialogue and diplomacy, the situation in Palestine and Kashmir, and the need to keep major international maritime routes open. His remarks came as world leaders gathered in New York amid continuing geopolitical and economic pressures.

The prime minister’s reaffirmation of support for the GDI further underlines Pakistan’s stated interest in strengthening development cooperation with China and other developing countries, particularly in areas linked to sustainable development, economic transformation and implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda. Islamabad has indicated that it intends to continue using existing bilateral and multilateral partnerships to pursue development priorities while expanding cooperation under initiatives such as the GDI and CPEC.