On the evening of November 21, the 15th summit of the leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) opened the fourth major international conference this month. President Xi Jinping attended the first phase of the meeting by video and delivered an important speech.
In view of how the G20 can play a greater leading role in global governance in the post-epidemic era, President Xi clearly put forward China’s proposition
The 15th Summit under the Crisis
When G20 leaders held their first summit in 2008, their mission was to save the world economy in the worst international financial crisis in a century.
In November this year, G20 leaders ushered in their 15th summit, and a more serious crisis was ahead of them. President Xi said in his speech on the 21st: “In the coming year, mankind has experienced the worst infectious disease pandemic in a hundred years, losing more than one million lives, the world economy in recession, and people’s livelihood, which has affected more than the international financial crisis in 2008.“
In response to unprecedented challenges, the G20 held its first special summit in history on March 26 this year. President Xi made a speech entitled “Working together to fight against the epidemic and overcome difficulties” at the summit. This summit brings confidence to the world and leads the way for global anti-epidemic cooperation.
Nearly eight months later, the 15th summit of G20 leaders was held again by video. The global epidemic is still spreading, some countries are facing a second threat of the epidemic, and the international pattern has accelerated its evolution. Against this background, the world pays attention to the G20, the main forum for international economic cooperation, and to this important economic sector.
On the evening of November 21, President Xi, who attended the G20 summit for the eighth consecutive year, delivered a speech entitled “Fight against the epidemic and create the future together” at the first phase of the summit, which not only put forward a road map for fighting the epidemic, stabilizing the economy and protecting people’s livelihood, but also called on the G20 to play a greater leading role in global governance.
From “building walls” and “connecting veins” to “contactless economy”:
How does the G20 work?
While doing a good job in normal epidemic prevention and control, we should strive to stabilize and restore the economy, which is an urgent task under the epidemic. In his speech that night, President Xi suggested that the G20 should make further efforts in four aspects.
Build a global anti-epidemic firewall
President Xi focused on vaccines. In May this year, in his speech at the opening ceremony of the video conference of the 73rd World Health Assembly, he promised that China’s coronavirus vaccine will be used as a global public product after the research and development of China’s coronavirus vaccine is completed and put into use. In his speech on the 21st, President Xi said that we will fulfill our commitment to provide help and support to other developing countries in our efforts to make vaccines a public good that is affordable and affordable for people of all countries.
Unblock the context of the world economy
President Xi stressed that under the premise of epidemic prevention and control, we should restore the safe and smooth operation of the global industrial chain and supply chain, build a “fast channel” to facilitate the orderly exchange of personnel.
At the 27th informal meeting of APEC leaders the day before, President Xi proposed that we should promote the mutual recognition of international epidemic prevention and health information.
On the evening of the 21st, he further said that China proposed to establish an international mutual recognition mechanism for health codes based on nucleic acid detection results and in the form of internationally accepted QR codes, hoping that more countries would participate.
This is a good way to unblock the context with science.
△ German Chancellor Merkel and federal governors held a “coronavirus summit” on the 16th of this month. At a post-summit press conference, Merkel called on the public to “minimize social contact as much as possible”.
Play the driving role of the digital economy
The epidemic is both a crisis and an opportunity. The key is to take the initiative to respond and turn the crisis into an opportunity. President Xi pointed out that the epidemic has inspired the vigorous rise of new technologies
New formats and platforms, and the “non-contact economy” has accelerated in an all-round way, providing a new path for economic development. In particular, he stressed the need to create a level playing field for technology enterprises in various countries.
Achieve more inclusive development
The extraordinary summit of G20 leaders held in March this year proposed to alleviate the debt burden of developing countries. According to the person in charge of China’s Ministry of Finance, China is the country with the largest amount of debt relief among G20 members.
In his speech on the evening of the 21st, President Xi said that China supports the decision to extend the debt relief initiative and will continue to work with all parties to implement it. The G20 should also make further efforts in helping women get rid of the impact of the epidemic and pay attention to the challenge of food security.
Xi Jinping: The G20 should be in global governance
Play a greater leading role
The COVID-19 epidemic is a major challenge, highlighting the shortcomings of global governance. In his speech that night, President Xi Jinping stressed that the G20 should play a greater leading role in the international order and global governance in the post-epidemic era.
Strengthening the international system with the United Nations at its core
“Global threats and challenges require a strong global response.” At the 75th anniversary summit of the founding of the United Nations held in September this year
President Xi put forward the “three firm safeguardes”: we should firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, firmly safeguard the international order based on international law, and firmly safeguard the central role of the United Nations in international affairs. In his speech on the 21s
once again stressed that the United Nations is the core mechanism for cooperation in handling international affairs.
We support the United Nations to more effectively build global consensus, mobilize global resources and coordinate global action.
Improve the governance structure of economic globalization
President Xi stressed that we should firmly safeguard a rules-based, transparent, non-discriminatory, open and inclusive multilateral trading system, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, face the challenges of economic globalization, and make economic globalization develop in a more open, inclusive, inclusive, balanced and win-win direction.
Promote the healthy development of the digital economy
In his speech on the 21st, President Xi stressed that we should work together to create an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory digital development environment. At the international seminar “Seizing Digital Opportunities and Seeking Cooperation for Development” held on September 8 this year, China proposed the Global Data Security Initiative. President Xi said that we are willing to explore and formulate global digital governance rules with all parties on the basis of this initiative.
Improve the ability to respond to global challenges
President Xi pointed out that the most urgent task at present is to strengthen the global public health system and prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic and other infectious diseases. At the same time, we should also strengthen international cooperation in the field of ecological environment to protect the earth, our common home for survival.
As President Xi said at the 12th meeting of BRICS leaders on the 17th of this month, “Global warming will not stop due to the epidemic, and we cannot relax in dealing with climate change for a moment.”
In today’s world, the darkest moment is still not over, and the road to war against the epidemic has a long way to go. President Xi Jinping concluded his speech by quoting Liu Yuxi’s poem in the Tang Dynasty
“Thousands of sails pass by the side of the sunken boat, and thousands of trees in front of the sick tree”. He said: “The world in the post-epidemic era will certainly be like a phoenix nirvana and rejuvenate.”
