China's Wang Yi pushes Global Development Initiative at Beijing summit

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended a high‑level meeting on the Global Development Initiative (IDG) in Beijing on 28 July 2026. He said the IDG, launched by President Xi Jinping five years ago, now involves more than 130 countries and organisations, with around 100 cooperation agreements signed, and aligns with the United Nations' post‑2030 development agenda.

The Chinese Politburo outlined economic priorities for the second half of the year, aiming to boost domestic demand, consolidate growth and guard against risks, and announced the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee for October in Beijing. Beijing condemned the U.S. Department of Defense's decision to sanction several Chinese scientific institutions and criticised what it called discriminatory security measures.

China and the European Union advanced their trade and investment dialogue, agreeing to define their relationship as a "stable and balanced key commercial partnership" and to hold a follow‑up meeting in the autumn. Meanwhile, the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command carried out routine air and naval patrols in the South China Sea, warning the Philippines against joint operations with extra‑regional partners.