Common but differentiated commitments: China’s engagement with the 2030 agenda global partnership

Abstract

Since the basic framework of the United Nations 2030 agenda for sustainable development goals (SDGs) was created, the focal point of relevant discussions has been shifted to global partnership and implementation. As a key component of this development initiative, global partnership has the potential to determine the means of implementation and follow-up implementation of the 2030 agenda, to which China is expected to make greater contributions. China’s participation in global partnership will definitely generate benefits and incur costs. On one hand, the continuing rise of China could lead to future shrinkage of physical gains, leaving enormous potential for augmenting non-physical gains. On the other hand, the rest of the world expects China to contribute more global public goods in physical terms but not necessarily intellectual ones. With regard to cost-benefit balance, the costs of China’s involvement in global partnership will be greater than the benefits it generates, while its non-physical gains will be hard to assess due to many uncertainties. For China, as a developing country, to contribute further to global partnership for the 2030 agenda, it should make clear strategic commitments on multilateral platforms, promise concrete material assistance at bilateral (collective) forums, and deepen its comprehensive domestic reforms.