In this essay, the author contends that China has established its own model of international development cooperation, rooted in its historical experience and traditional values. This model aligns more closely with South-South cooperation frameworks, emphasizing mutual knowledge exchange and culturally compatible economic collaboration. Two highlight initiatives are the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Global Development Initiative (GDI). China’s new international development initiatives and platforms significantly amplify the need for synergy between development studies and country and area studies, which can promote a deep and nuanced understanding of the dynamics, complexities, unique characteristics and the root causes of a particular country or region.