​CIDCA holds Q3 2026 press conference (full text)

Tang Ying: Good morning, friends from the media. Welcome to the regular press conference of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) in the third quarter of 2026. First, we will release the eighth issue of the report series, International Development Cooperation: China's Practice - Blue Economy.

In recent years, the CIDCA has launched the International Development Cooperation: China's Practice report series, comprehensively presenting policies, philosophy, practices, outcomes and prospects of China's foreign assistance and international development cooperation. By reading these reports, friends from all sectors across the world can gain deeper insight into China's work in this area. Seven issues have been released to date. Today, we are officially releasing the eighth issue of the report — International Development Cooperation: China's Practice - Blue Economy. It stands as another reflection of China's richer and more diverse foreign assistance practices.

The ocean is a strategic space for global sustainable development, and the blue economy serves as a bond connecting all nations to achieve common prosperity. In 2019, President Xi Jinping put forward the vision of "a maritime community with a shared future", a concept for global maritime governance. In 2021, the United Nations officially launched the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development to advance sustainable ocean development. China has extensively engaged in pragmatic cooperation with all parties on the blue economy and sustainable development, jointly advancing maritime development cooperation and consolidating the foundation for a green maritime ecological civilization. China has contributed its own proposals and wisdom to global maritime governance and delivered tangible results.

The report on "Blue Economy" fully showcases China's active participation in global maritime governance and its practical efforts to help developing countries build capacity for sustainable development in the blue economy. It also sets out prospects for supporting international development cooperation on the blue economy. Featuring detailed texts, authoritative data and a rich collection of vivid images, the report paints a panoramic picture of how China's international development cooperation facilitates the development of the blue economy.

Printed copies of the report in both Chinese and English are available here for journalists to pick up. The full Chinese and English texts will also be published on the CIDCA's official websites. An infographic providing a visual overview of the report will be rolled out simultaneously on the CIDCA's Chinese website and official WeChat account. We welcome media friends' support in publicizing the report.

People's Daily: Earlier this month, President Xi attended the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit and visited Kyrgyzstan and Egypt. Could you brief us on the outcomes related to foreign assistance and international development cooperation from this visit?

Tang Ying: At the end of August and early September, President Xi attended the Bishkek Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and paid successful state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt. During the visits, the heads of state of China and Kyrgyzstan and of China and Egypt reached multiple consensuses respectively, charting new blueprints for deeper development cooperation and mutually beneficial, win-win cooperation between China and the two countries.

Kyrgyzstan is China's western neighbor and a comprehensive strategic partner in the new era. During the visit, witnessed by the two heads of state, Chinese and Kyrgyz officials signed exchanges of notes on China's assistance in building infrastructure at Bedel Port, alongside documents on human resources development cooperation. Bedel Port is a new link connecting China with Kyrgyzstan and the wider Central Asian region. Together with existing ports along the China-Kyrgyzstan border, it creates a more comprehensive border port network. Upon completion, it will effectively facilitate customs clearance, regional trade and economic cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. It will cut road transport distances from parts of China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, lowering logistics costs and benefiting the people of both countries.

Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic ties with China, and the two nations have enjoyed time-honored friendship. During the visit, witnessed by the two heads of state, Chinese and Egyptian officials signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement. Moving forward, both sides will further engage in cooperation in healthcare, smart education, aerospace, agriculture and other fields.

Guided by head-of-state diplomacy, China's foreign assistance and international development cooperation will continue to strengthen alignment of development strategies, translate cooperation blueprints into actions, and pursue shared prosperity and win-win cooperation, making steady advancement in the building of China-Kyrgyzstan and China-Egypt communities with a shared future.

Shenzhen TV: President Xi announced at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in July that China would offer 5,000 opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) training and seminars for developing countries. Previously, the Third High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development hosted by the CIDCA also discussed topics such as the "Digital South". From the perspective of international development cooperation, how will China support global AI development?

Tang Ying: Global AI innovation is currently more vibrant than ever before. At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, President Xi stressed the need to help Global South countries with capacity building to bridge the AI and digital divides, ensuring that AI is an important driver for shared prosperity and common security.

From advancing concepts to expanding practical cooperation, China has actively worked to deliver new progress in AI international development cooperation. The high-level conferences of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development hosted by the CIDCA have featured sub-forums on digital development for three consecutive editions, where Chinese and foreign participants engaged in policy dialogue and exchanged experience on empowering sustainable development through digital and intelligent technologies. At the third high-level conference this year, the cloud-based public version of the new-generation Mazu meteorological early warning system was released, leveraging AI technology to support global disaster prevention and mitigation. Under the framework of the Global Development Initiative (GDI), China has built the "Digital South" brand and set up a special fund for digital capacity building under the Global Development Fund. China has mobilized diverse domestic and international funding to carry out cooperation projects that boost agricultural productivity, advance pharmaceutical research and development, promote inclusive education and improve disaster early warning through digital and intelligent technologies. Through human resources development cooperation, China has run multiple training workshops covering digital economy, AI development, AI-enabled logistics and transport, medical AI and other areas, nurturing AI professionals for other countries and sharing the fruits of AI development.

Committed to openness and win-win cooperation, China will fulfill the commitment to providing 5,000 opportunities for AI training made by President Xi, and strengthen capacity building to foster connectivity in the digital age. China will step up cooperation with relevant UN agencies, the World AI Cooperation Organization and other bodies, fostering an ecosystem for international development cooperation on AI with broad participation and complementary strengths from diverse parties. Together, we will work to build a more just and equitable global AI governance system.

China Central Television: We noted that China co-hosted the high-level dialogue marking the 5th anniversary of the GDI at the UN headquarters in New York last week. Could you outline the outcomes of the GDI over the past five years? What key messages regarding future cooperation were conveyed in President Xi's congratulatory letter to the dialogue and Vice-President Han Zheng's remarks at the event?

Tang Ying: On September 25, China held the high-level dialogue marking the 5th anniversary of the GDI at the UN headquarters in New York. President Xi sent a congratulatory letter to the event, stressing that China stands ready to work with all parties to further advance the GDI and turn the inspiring vision of sustainable development goals into tangible realities. Over the past five years, under the personal guidance of President Xi, the GDI has grown from a Chinese proposition on development into an international public good, injecting strong impetus into revitalizing global development.

As an advanced concept of our times, the GDI has built broad international consensus on development. Highlighting the priority of development, the GDI leads the consensus of putting development first and responds to the most urgent and fundamental needs of numerous countries. Over 130 countries and international organizations have supported and participated in the initiative, and nearly 90 countries have joined the GDI Group of Friends. China has consecutively hosted the High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development in Beijing, and held high-level meetings for the initiative at the UN headquarters in New York during the UN General Assembly sessions, providing an international platform for in-depth dialogue on ideas and policy alignment among the Global North and South countries.

The GDI guides development actions and continuously pools global development momentum. More than 90 countries and international institutions have signed cooperation documents with China to implement the GDI. Fifty-three African countries plus the African Union have jointly issued a joint statement with China on deepening GDI cooperation. China has mobilized over $20 billion from governments, enterprises and financial institutions to deliver more than 2,000 projects. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, it has carried out over 220 triangular cooperation projects with nearly 30 international organizations across more than 70 countries, benefiting over 40 million people. Through human resources development cooperation, China has trained more than 200,000 professionals for developing countries.

The GDI has established long-term development mechanisms and boosted confidence in future development. Upholding multilateralism, China has kept refining its development cooperation structure. The UN has set up a working group to systematically advance the GDI, opening new horizons for South-South and triangular cooperation. The CIDCA has founded the Global Development Promotion Center and has built a center network together with over 80 countries and regional and international organizations.

We have also jointly established the China-Africa-UNIDO Center of Excellence and the Global Center for Women's Capacity Building, providing systematic support for GDI implementation.

Going forward, China will firmly uphold and strengthen the role of the UN, press ahead with the four major global initiatives in an integrated manner, and advance the building of a more just and equitable global governance system. It will deepen pragmatic cooperation in crucial areas, such as poverty alleviation and food security, to actively deliver people-centered development. It will expand cooperation in emerging sectors, including digital connectivity and AI, to accelerate development driven by digital and intelligent technologies. It will strengthen partnerships to continuously advance all-round international development cooperation. China's own high-quality development will open new space and deliver new opportunities for the common development around the world.

CGTN: Soon after mudslides hit the China-Nepal border area recently, China provided emergency humanitarian assistance to Nepal. Could you outline the overall situation and latest progress?

Tang Ying: On August 26, massive mudslides struck northern Nepal. Following the disaster, upon Nepal's request, China, while actively carrying out its own emergency rescue work, extended a helping hand without delay and rolled out three rounds of emergency humanitarian assistance in response to the mudslides. Multiple military aircraft were deployed to deliver over 100 tons of urgently needed disaster relief supplies and daily necessities, including drones, rescue equipment and genetic testing kits, together with cash assistance. More than 20 tunnel rescue professionals and forensic experts were dispatched to provide technical support for search and rescue operations and genetic identification. China has continuously shared meteorological, hydrological, geological and other relevant data, and coordinated donations of funds and supplies from local authorities, enterprises and civil organizations. All relevant assistance has been fully delivered as of now. We will also launch training courses on disaster prevention and mitigation soon to cultivate urgently needed professionals in relevant fields for Nepal.

China and Nepal are linked by mountains and rivers, and our peoples share a common destiny. This emergency humanitarian operation has played an important role in supporting the Nepali government and people in emergency disaster response. It once again vividly illustrates President Xi's vision of a community with a shared future for humanity and his neighborhood diplomacy philosophy that embodies amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, winning wide acclaim from all sectors in Nepal and the international community. Going forward, China stands ready to provide assistance within its capacity for post-disaster reconstruction based on Nepal's needs, supporting Nepal in rebuilding its homeland, and consolidating the time-honored trans-Himalayan friendship between China and Nepal through concrete actions.

Tang Ying: We now move to the "One Topic Per Conference" session.

Agricultural development stands as a priority and key theme for China-Africa cooperation. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has consistently identified agriculture as a priority area for cooperation, advancing initiatives including the "Poverty Alleviation and Farmer Benefit Program" and the "Partnership Initiative for Agricultural Prosperity and People's Wellbeing", yielding a host of pragmatic cooperation outcomes. Today we share an exemplary case of China-Tanzania agricultural cooperation: the "Small Beans, Good Nutrition" China-Tanzania Soybean Value Chain Improvement Project. Drawing on golden soybeans, the project helps boost Tanzania's capacity for sustainable agricultural development and improve residents' nutrition, presenting a vivid example of "small yet smart" China-Africa agricultural cooperation.

To help local rural residents take in adequate protein, vitamins and other nutrients, the project has demonstrated and promoted China's maize-soybean intercropping and relay cropping techniques in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania since 2021. While lifting maize yields, it helps local farmers earn extra income from soybean cultivation. The project has taken root in four key demonstration villages, engaging nearly 1,000 farming households in local and surrounding communities. Participating farmers have achieved a soybean yield of over 400 kilograms per mu (666.67 square meters), tripling the output under conventional mono-cropping models.

Alongside crop yield increases, Chinese experts have passed on processing techniques for soybean milk, soybean cake and other soybean products to local communities in a hands-on way, bringing soybeans from farmland to dining tables. Farmers add cardamom to soybean milk to create a popular beverage locally known as "China Drink". Villagers have opened soybean milk shops for commercial sales and built small feed processing workshops to turn soybean cake into animal feed.

Last July, the project officially launched the China-Tanzania Children's Soybean Milk Nutrition Program, offering free daily nutritional meals for local students. Evolving from a single crop planting to integrated operations, the project has, in light of local conditions, created a comprehensive solution that integrates agricultural development, nutrition improvement and poverty reduction. It effectively disseminates China's experience in poverty alleviation and rural development, enabling shared benefits from agricultural growth.

President Xi noted that implementing the GDI aims to deliver inclusive growth opportunities and let people of all countries share the dividends of development. The "Small Beans, Good Nutrition" project is a heartwarming practice of this vision. China will carry out more "small yet smart" livelihood-focused projects in agriculture, poverty alleviation and other fields, deepen friendship between Chinese and African people, and contribute its strength to global poverty reduction efforts.