FM: Solidarity vital in meeting challenges

China will fully implement the measures announced by President Xi Jinping on global cooperation against COVID-19 and make new contributions to global poverty reduction, said State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Speaking at the High-level Video Conference on Poverty Eradication and South-South Cooperation on Saturday night, Wang said that China will stand firm with all developing countries, and remain their reliable friend and true partner.

"No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China will always be a staunch member of the developing world," Wang said.

"Now faced with once-in-a-century changes and COVID-19, we developing countries shall not waver in standing closely together," Wang said.

He pointed out that the international community must take a "development first" approach, and place greater importance on the UN 2030 Agenda.

"We need to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19, and support the UN in galvanizing international efforts to build a new type of global development partnership that is more equal, more balanced, fairer and leaves no one behind," he said.

Noting that the Belt and Road Initiative constitutes the world's largest platform for global cooperation, Wang called on more developing nations to join in Belt and Road cooperation to build up connectivity for high-quality development.

Wang stressed the importance of sharing experience to make effective poverty reduction policies. "Using the master key of development, we could unlock the door toward no poverty," he said.

In the fight against COVID-19, Wang said countries should always follow a people-first approach and put saving lives above all else.

"We need to pool efforts, mobilize resources and do whatever we can to protect people's lives and health," he said, adding that countries should support the World Health Organization's leading role in global response efforts and reject stigmatization or name-calling associated with the virus.

He called on countries to support multilateralism and uphold the UN-centered international system and the WTO-centered multilateral trading system.

The conference, chaired by Wang, was attended by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, UN Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin and UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, as well as the vice-prime minister of Uzbekistan and foreign ministers or representatives from Cambodia, Egypt, Guyana, Kazakhstan, Laos, Myanmar, Niger, Peru, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, South Africa and Uganda.

During the meeting, the senior diplomats had in-depth discussions and reached a consensus on jointly fighting COVID-19 and pursuing the sustainable development goals under the 2030 Agenda, according to a news release.

The senior diplomats applauded the initiatives and measures announced by Xi at the high-level events marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, said the release.