Xi set to attend G20 summit on virus response

Videoconference expected to help countries join hands to fight disease, stabilize economy

China expects to enhance unity, cooperation and coordination with the international community to fight the novel coronavirus pneumonia pandemic and stabilize the global economy at the G20 special summit to be attended by President Xi Jinping, a senior diplomat said on Wednesday.

Ma Zhaoxu, vice-minister of foreign affairs, said China would like to make joint efforts with other members of the Group of 20 to promote more positive outcomes from the special summit on responding to COVID-19.

The summit on Thursday, in the form of a videoconference, will be hosted by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, which holds the G20 presidency this year. Xi will participate in the summit in Beijing.

It will be the first time that G20 leaders will attend a video summit, and it also will be the first major multilateral event attended by Xi since the outbreak of the disease.

Novel coronavirus pneumonia is breaking out in many parts of the world and spreading rapidly, which has serious political, economic and social effects, Ma said, adding that there is an urgent need for the international community to join hands to fight the disease.

The G20, an important platform for global crisis response and economic governance, played a key role in dealing with the 2008 international financial crisis, and it is of great significance for the G20 to hold a special summit on disease control at this crucial time, Ma said.

Xi's participation in the G20 special summit demonstrates China's firm determination to join hands with the international community to fight the disease and the country's positive gesture in enhancing coordination with other G20 members to stabilize the global economy, he said.

China calls on all G20 members to enhance unity, send a strong signal of jointly facing the challenge and boost the confidence of the international community, he said.

Ma said China has provided help for countries that have found themselves in difficulty. China is helping with disease prevention and control and has shared its experience with other nations, in addition to providing medical materials and conveniences for other countries to make purchases in China.

The vice-minister said the disease has had a grave impact on the global economy, and China's resumption of economic production has played an important role in stabilizing the global industrial and supply chains.

China expects other nations to enhance coordination on macroeconomic policy, take necessary fiscal, monetary and structural policy steps, and promote the openness of markets to ensure the stability, safety and smooth operation of the global supply chain, he said.

Jin Yong, a professor of international relations at Communication University of China, said the G20 special summit is expected to help major countries set aside their disagreements and join hands to deal with the disease together.

It has great significance for the G20 members, which contribute 85 percent of global GDP, to make joint efforts to prevent a global economic recession, Jin said.

The leaders of G20 nations will be joined by their counterparts from some invited countries, including Spain, Jordan, Singapore and Switzerland, as well as major international organizations, including the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Health Organization.

On Monday, G20 finance ministers and central bank governors convened in a virtual meeting, during which they agreed on measures to reduce the impacts of the disease on the global economy.

Xi said on Wednesday during a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that China is willing to bolster coordination and cooperation with all other parties to send out voices of solidarity and unity in fighting COVID-19 and to shore up global confidence.

He urged more coordinated macroeconomic policies between countries to stabilize markets, growth and employment and to guarantee public well-being.

Merkel said G20 members should step up coordination and cooperation, support each other and take up a leading role in conquering the crisis and stabilizing the global economy.

Germany hopes to cooperate with China in the research of vaccines and pharmaceuticals and set an example of uniting to fight the pandemic, she said.

On Tuesday night, Xi held telephone conversations with the presidents of Brazil, Kazakhstan and Poland.

During the conversations with the leaders, Xi reiterated China's vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and the need for a united global coronavirus response.

He also highlighted China's dedication to working together with different countries in safeguarding global public health security and contributing its efforts to curb the global spread of the virus.

He also pledged China's firm support and help to the three countries in fighting COVID-19.

The response to the global public health crisis has further amplified the urgency and importance of building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said while speaking with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Viruses know no borders, and epidemics do not discriminate between races, he said, adding that only through unity, coordination and a joint response can the international community conquer the pandemic and safeguard the common home of human beings.

The pandemic is only temporary, but cooperation is everlasting, Xi said, adding that while COVID-19 has posed challenges to China-Kazakhstan cooperation, it has also spawned new opportunities.

He called on both nations to expand cooperation in sectors such as the digital economy and healthcare and to foster new sources of growth for bilateral ties.

Tokayev said the Chinese people, under the wise leadership of Xi, have accomplished outstanding achievements in epidemic containment, which also has given confidence and hope to people around the world.

The world has witnessed the remarkable level of China's healthcare system and the high level of professionalism among its medical workers, and China has again showcased its highly efficient governance capacities in dealing with complex difficulties and challenges, he said.

During the conversation with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Xi hailed the people as the true heroes in serving as the source of strength and confidence for China to fight the virus. Xi said the 1.4 billion Chinese people have put up a tenacious fight with great solidarity and steadfast resolve.

Duda praised China's timely, decisive and rigorous epidemic containment measures and expressed his admiration for the Chinese people and medical workers.

Noting that China has a solid economic foundation, Duda said he is fully confident that China will overcome the epidemic and achieve better development.

Xi told Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro that the international community has already reached a consensus that China made enormous sacrifices in the fight against COVID-19 and bought precious time for the world.

Bolsonaro said the Brazil-China friendship and the two nations' comprehensive strategic partnership are unbreakable.

Contact the writers at anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn