Xi's remarks at G20 summit build consensus for, inject momentum into global inclusive, sustainable development

ROME, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks at the Group of 20 (G20) summit have built consensus for and injected strong momentum into the realization of global inclusive and sustainable development, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

Xi attended the 16th G20 Leaders' Summit via video link on Saturday and Sunday, during which he delivered a key speech themed "Acting in Solidarity for a Shared Future."

Following the end of the summit, Wang received an interview with Chinese central media outlets, during which he introduced Xi's attendance at the summit, and elaborated on the major initiatives and proposals brought out by Xi as well as their significance and influence.

The summit is another important multilateral event that Xi attended following the recent general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference, Wang said.

It is a major diplomatic action for China to deeply participate in global economic cooperation and promote the improvement of global economic governance, Wang said.

When humanity is standing at an important crossroads, Xi, in light of the profound changes unseen in a century and holding high the banner of building a community with a shared future for mankind, has systematically proposed the right direction to work in solidarity to combat COVID-19, feasible measures to revitalize the world economy, and long-term strategies to improve global governance, all in line with the mission and responsibility of the G20, Wang said.

Xi's remarks have fully demonstrated his vision and responsibility as the leader of a major country, Wang added.

PROMOTING GLOBAL ANTI-PANDEMIC FIGHT

Wang said Xi's speech has collected global consensus on pushing forward and deepening global anti-pandemic cooperation.

Xi, the first to call for COVID-19 vaccines to be made a global public good, has announced China's commitment to promoting fair distribution and accessibility of vaccines, Wang said.

China has honored the solemn pledge with a series of solid actions, Wang said, adding that the country has provided over 1.6 billion doses of vaccines to countries across the world, and will provide over 2 billion doses for the world in the course of this year.

As a country that has offered the most COVID-19 vaccines to the outside world, China has made crucial contributions to building a global line of defense through vaccination, Wang said.

During the G20 summit, Xi further proposed a Global Vaccine Cooperation Action Initiative, which includes supporting vaccine companies in conducting joint R&D and production with developing countries, providing more vaccines to developing countries, supporting the World Trade Organization in making an early decision on waiving intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines, scaling up cross-border trade cooperation in vaccines and related raw and auxiliary materials, Wang said.

The initiative also includes advancing mutual recognition of vaccines in accordance with the World Health Organization's Emergency Use Listing, and providing financial support for developing countries to access vaccines, Wang added.

Wang said the initiative, which has fully shown China's firm will to stick together through thick and thin with countries around the world, will vigorously promote global vaccine cooperation, and inject confidence and momentum into an early victory over the pandemic.

BOOSTING GLOBAL STEADY RECOVERY

Wang said Xi's speech insists on addressing both symptoms and root causes of the problems to boost steady recovery of the world economy.

In terms of the complex impact of COVID-19 on the world economy, President Xi pointed out that the G20 should play its role as the premier forum for international economic cooperation, step up macroeconomic policy coordination among major economies, and avoid negative spillovers on developing countries, Wang said.

Xi also urged the G20 member countries to make infrastructure development play an important role in propelling economic growth, and deliver more fruitful outcomes from high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Wang added.

Wang said a fairer, more just and rational global economic governance system is a strong guarantee for the world economy to return to the track of growth and achieve medium- and long-term stable development.

Xi's speech is not only based on the present, but has a long-term perspective, as the Chinese president has made it clear that while taking measures to deal with the impact of the pandemic, the G20 needs to further improve the global economic governance system and rules, and make up for the increasing governance deficit, Wang noted.

In addition, Xi announced that China stands ready to lend the new allocation of Special Drawing Rights to low-income countries that are seriously affected by COVID-19, Wang said, noting it once again demonstrates China's consistent position of weathering difficulties together with the vast number of developing countries, and will provide strong support for developing nations to pool resources to combat the pandemic and pursue economic recovery.

ADVANCING GLOBAL COMMON DEVELOPMENT

Wang said Xi's speech has advocated common development and building a global community of development with a shared future.

Development is a master key to addressing all problems, and also the common will of people in worldwide countries, Wang said.

Xi proposed a Global Development Initiative at the United Nations in September, Wang said, noting that Xi has further expounded at the G20 Rome Summit the Global Development Initiative's core philosophy of putting people at the center, and stressed the need to improve people's well-being and realize people's all-round development, and strive to make global development more equitable, effective and inclusive, so that no country will be left behind.

Wang said President Xi's important proposal has been welcomed and echoed by many countries and international organizations including the United Nations.

They believe the Global Development Initiative has outlined a blueprint of cooperation for the world community to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promote economic recovery, and is highly consistent with the G20's goal and priority of advancing global development, Wang said.

The initiative will also help forge global joint forces, steer global development towards a new stage featuring balance, coordination and inclusiveness, and help achieve the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development faster, Wang added.

IMPROVING GLOBAL DIGITAL GOVERNANCE

Wang said Xi's speech helps improve digital governance and promote the healthy development of global digital economy.

The new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation has profoundly reshaped human society, with innovations of technologies such as the internet, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and blockchain accelerating, and new technologies and businesses flourishing against the backdrop of the pandemic, Wang said.

At the same time, individual countries are building high walls and imposing blockades on science and technology, which has undermined the atmosphere of international innovation cooperation and impeded the normal development of digital economy, he said.

In this regard, President Xi emphasized that forming exclusive blocs or even drawing ideological lines will only cause division and create more obstacles, which will do no good but only harm to scientific and technological innovation, Wang said.

Xi also urged the G20 to shoulder responsibilities in the digital era, quicken the development of new types of digital infrastructure, promote deeper integration of digital technologies with the real economy, and help developing countries cross the "digital divide," Wang added.

Lack of rules is a prominent challenge in global digital governance, Wang said.

Noting that Xi announced during the summit that China has decided to apply to join the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, Wang said it demonstrates China's constructive stance to actively participate in international cooperation on digital economy and the formulation of relevant rules, and also reflects China's firm determination to expand opening-up and align itself with high-level international rules and standards.

BUILDING CLEANER, GREENER EARTH

Wang said Xi's speech cares for the homeland of the Earth and promotes the construction of a community of life for man and nature.

This summit was convened on the eve of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and President Xi has clearly pointed out the principles and directions of international climate cooperation and global climate governance.

Xi stressed that the G20 needs to uphold the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" and push for the full implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and called on developed countries to lead by example on emissions reduction, fully accommodate the special difficulties and concerns of developing countries, deliver on their commitments of climate financing, and provide technology, capacity-building and other support for developing countries, Wang said.

These important propositions pointed out the key to the success of COP26 and strongly promoted the joint efforts of the international community to tackle climate change, Wang said.

Wang said during the summit, President Xi elaborated on important propositions such as coordinating environmental protection and economic development, taking into account climate change while safeguarding people's livelihood, and profoundly answered the era's questions of how to safeguard the two bottom lines -- ecology and development, and called on the G20 to strengthen cooperation in this regard.

The remarks provide Chinese wisdom for all countries to explore the modernization of the harmonious co-existence of man and nature, and has won extensive support and appreciation from the international community, Wang said.

As the largest developing country, China attaches great importance to the construction of ecological civilization, and has always been a participant, contributor, and leader in global actions to address climate change, Wang said.

During the summit, President Xi introduced China's important measures to peak carbon dioxide emissions, achieve carbon neutrality, and build a "1+N" policy framework, demonstrating China's role as a major country that honors its words with actions, as well as injecting strong positive energy into the global response to climate change, Wang said.