The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), representing the consensus of 193 member states, conveys a common vision of eliminating extreme poverty, building a peaceful and prosperous world and saving the planet through global cooperation. It is central to global development efforts. China proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) in September 2021 to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for stronger, greener and healthier global development. In recent years, the development disparity between the North and the South, affected by factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and escalating geopolitical tensions, has been widening, dealing a severe blow to the global development process. Though the 2030 Agenda faces great challenges in meeting its deadline, people of all nations continue to pursue world peace and development.