Photo taken on May 13, 2017 shows the "Golden Bridge on Silk Road" structure in front of China National Convention Center in Beijing. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING - China on Sunday issued a white paper on the country's international development cooperation.

The white paper, titled "China's International Development Cooperation in the New Era," was released by the State Council Information Office.

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Consisting of eight chapters, a preface and a conclusion, the white paper expounds on China's views on international development cooperation in the new era, the actions it has taken, and its plans for the future. 

Consisting of eight chapters, a preface and a conclusion, the white paper expounds on China's views on international development cooperation in the new era, the actions it has taken, and its plans for the future

China's international development cooperation in the new era has been guided by the vision of a global community of shared future, according to the white paper.

China has continued a steady increase in the scale of its international development cooperation, giving high priority to the least developed countries in Asia and Africa and developing countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, according to the paper.

From 2013 to 2018, China allocated a total of 270.2 billion yuan for foreign assistance in three categories - grants, interest-free loans, and concessional loans, according to the paper.

FULL TEXT: China's International Development Cooperation in the New Era

Grants of 127.8 billion yuan, accounting for 47.3 percent of the total, mainly went to help other developing countries build small and medium-sized social welfare projects and to fund projects for cooperation in human resources development, technical cooperation, material assistance, and emergency humanitarian assistance, as well as projects under the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund.

Interest-free loans were 11.3 billion yuan, constituting 4.18 percent of the total, while concessional loans of 131.1 billion yuan made up 48.52 percent of the total, according to the white paper.

To better adapt to the new circumstances, China has reformed its foreign aid systems and mechanisms to improve management and promote international development cooperation in the new era, according to the white paper.

In addition to undertaking complete projects, providing goods and materials, and conducting technical cooperation, China set up the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund in 2015 to launch development cooperation programs, and continues to explore new models and methods of foreign aid, it said.

To better adapt to the new circumstances, China has reformed its foreign aid systems and mechanisms to improve management and promote international development cooperation in the new era, according to the white paper.

Since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed, China has carried out development cooperation and contributed to policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity based on the needs of individual countries, creating space and opportunities to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, according to the white paper.

As an active contributor to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, China has been assisting other developing countries to reduce poverty, boost agricultural progress, support equal access to education, improve infrastructure, and speed up industrialization, according to the paper.

China's medical supplies for 18 African countries arrive at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, April 6, 2020. (XU ZHENG/XINHUA)

China always renders assistance to the best of its ability to countries in need, and contributes its strength to tackling major global challenges and improving the global governance system, according to the white paper.

China has increased targeted assistance to developing countries through human resources development and technical cooperation to share its experience and approach. It has also held dialogues and exchanges with international institutions and bilateral donors to explore and conduct tripartite cooperation with an open and pragmatic attitude, according to the white paper, noting this has injected new impetus into international development cooperation.

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Looking into the future, China will continue to uphold the vision of a global community of shared future, and follow the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests to "do everything within its means" to promote international development cooperation and inject Chinese strength into global development.