Despite recent economic problems and structural barriers to increasing domestic consumption, Chinese President Xi Jinping still has ambitions to present China as an alternative model to the rest of the world. In 2021, close to his speeches on common prosperity, Xi announced the Global Development Initiative, or GDI. Although the GDI focuses on some of the goals of the Belt and Road Initiative to promote development in the Global South, it has been de-emphasized from the BRI’s massive infrastructure projects, which have proven economically and politically difficult. to finish.
Xi has portrayed the reduction as a curiosity „Small but beautiful” projects. However, the ideological aims of the GDI are broader than the BRI, especially when combined with Xi’s Global Security Initiative and other recent announcements of the Global Civilization Initiative. As a set, they represent Beijing’s vision of an alternative to American hegemony, with China’s role front and center. as Atlantic Council noted this summer that these efforts are „China’s 'blueprint’ for changing the global order.”
Xi’s announcements of global growth and domestic general prosperity in 2021 are no coincidence, as he appears confident that by then China will be able to emerge victorious from the pandemic and use this boost to its international reputation to chart a new global path. About China’s conquests. But even as China’s post-pandemic rescue freezes and Russia’s war against Ukraine drags on, Xi’s encouragement of these efforts has not waned. Instead, they featured prominently at the end Brix At the summit in South Africa, Xi announced new funding to support GDI initiatives in poverty alleviation and food security.