The East Asia Forum published on 29 December 2023 a commentary titled "Can China's GDI Navigate Geopolitics and Deliver Results?" by Sen Gong, Zhejiang University.
As of August 2023, more than 200 "small and beautiful" (Beijing's new development mantra) projects had been carried out in the name of China's Global Development Initiative (GDI). The author points out the challenges for GDI in navigating a complex geopolitical environment but is generally optimistic about its future.