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Global action forum held in Beijing, calling for joint efforts on development

China

China

China

Global action forum held in Beijing, calling for joint efforts on development

2026-04-22 21:01 Last Updated At:23:17

The Third High‑Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development was held in Beijing from Tuesday to Wednesday, calling on the international community to take joint action to play a constructive role in addressing global challenges and promoting world development.

Representatives from more than 140 countries, international and regional organizations, and specialized agencies attended the opening ceremony.

This year's event featured three sub-forums focused on digital economy, climate change and green development, and development financing, to facilitate in-depth exchanges on building development consensus, pooling development resources, and enhancing sustainable development capacity.

Participants jointly explored solutions and practical pathways for promoting the building of a global community of development with a shared future.

Additionally, the event featured a "Digital South" experience space, integrating technology showcases, scenario-based experiences, and business negotiations to help Global South countries improve their digital and intelligent development levels and self-development capabilities.

"China plays a very important role. One of them is the digital empowerment. We believe that China can play an important role in embracing digital technology, especially in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and digital economy to accelerate developing progress. China will hopefully continue to strengthen cooperation and partnership among developing countries and is a key player for global economic growth," said Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, Vice-Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, and Minister for Tourism and Environment of Timor-Leste.

Over the past five years since the Global Development Initiative was proposed, more than 80 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative, a mechanism launched by China at the UN in January 2022 to accelerate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and over 1,800 cooperation projects have been launched.

Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has implemented more than 100 trilateral projects in collaboration with over 20 international organizations in more than 50 countries, and has trained more than 200,000 professionals for developing countries.

Global action forum held in Beijing, calling for joint efforts on development

Global action forum held in Beijing, calling for joint efforts on development

China's inbound tourism is seeing strong growth, fueled by cultural offerings and easier visa policies, with viral attractions drawing international visitors ahead of the May Day holiday.

In Shanghai's North Bund, a glass elevator has gone viral overseas for its striking design. Nicknamed the ‘Silver Egg,’ the mirror‑finished capsule opens to a panoramic view of Pudong, with the Oriental Pearl Tower framed at center stage.

"It's very beautiful. We love it," said a tourist from Azerbaijan

"China in general is very good. It's very well organized, very clean, easy to travel, so we like it," said another tourist from Azerbaijan.

In Suifenhe, a border city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the China-Russia mutual visa-free policy implemented last year, has given cross-border travel a sustained boost, leading to a marked increase in Russian tour group bookings for the upcoming May Day holiday.

"I've been here four times and I loved every visit. I really want to come again. Look, this city is so beautiful and amazing," said Yulia, a Russian tourist.

Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, believes that travel today has extended well beyond traditional sightseeing, but is more about cultural immersion.

"Inbound tourism today is no longer just about sightseeing -- mountains, rivers, and scenic spots. It's more about immersive and all-around experiences of a beautiful way of life, involving shopping, culture, and entertainment," said Dai.

China now offers unilateral visa exemption to 50 countries, and 240-hour transit privileges to travelers from 55 countries.

As a result, inbound visits under visa‑free programs reached 30.08 million in 2025, up 49.5 percent year on year and accounting for nearly 73 percent of all foreign arrivals.

China inbound travel climbs as viral attractions, visa policies boost appeal

China inbound travel climbs as viral attractions, visa policies boost appeal

China inbound travel climbs as viral attractions, visa policies boost appeal

China inbound travel climbs as viral attractions, visa policies boost appeal

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