President calls on group to uphold openness, practice true multilateralism

President Xi Jinping spelled out China's solutions and proposals on a host of key issues in a speech at the opening of the Group of 20 Leaders' Summit, which analysts said will bolster the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and inject impetus into global recovery.

Xi made a five-point proposal while addressing leaders of the world's most powerful economies via video link on Saturday, highlighting that it is important for the group to uphold openness and inclusive and win-win cooperation, and practice true multilateralism.

"With the coronavirus ravaging the whole world, none of us can stay safe on our own. Solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapon," he said. "Stigmatization of the virus and politicization of origin-tracing run counter to the spirit of solidarity against the pandemic."

The president proposed a global vaccine cooperation action initiative, which would require steps to provide more vaccines to developing nations and support vaccine makers in conducting joint research, development and production with the developing world.

The initiative also urged the World Trade Organization to make an early decision on waiving the intellectual property rights of COVID-19 vaccines, saying that different vaccines must be treated equally.

Qu Bo, director of the Institute of International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University, said the latest initiative proposed by Xi has touched upon two key aspects of global vaccination efforts: the equal distribution of vaccines among countries and the equal treatment and mutual recognition of vaccines.

"Both of the two aspects are highly significant, as vaccines remain most effective in fighting the pandemic, and international cooperation is essential to bolstering global vaccine supply," he said.

Xi has pledged support for efforts to meet the global vaccination target for 2022 as set by the World Health Organization, which aims to get vaccines to 70 percent of the world's population by the middle of next year.

According to United Nation estimates, only 5 percent of Africa's population is fully vaccinated.

China has provided over 1.6 billion doses of vaccines to more than 100 countries and international organizations, and the total will reach over 2 billion doses this year. The nation is conducting joint vaccine production with 16 countries, with an initial capacity of 700 million doses per year.

To boost the global economic recovery, Xi urged the world's major economies to adopt responsible macroeconomic policies and prevent their measures from entailing rising inflation, mounting debts or causing negative spillovers on developing nations.

The president underlined innovation as a decisive factor in promoting socioeconomic growth and in addressing the common challenges to humanity, urging the G20 to quicken the development of new types of digital infrastructure and help developing nations eliminate the digital divide.

He announced China's decision to apply for joining the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, signed by Chile, New Zealand and Singapore in June 2020 to facilitate digital trade and create a framework for the digital economy.

Cui Fan, an international trade and economics professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said the decision marked China's latest effort in promoting global cooperation and growth in the digital economy.

The president also reiterated China's positions on the nation's and the world's climate actions, with the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP 26, opening on Sunday in Glasgow.

He made an appeal to developed countries to lead by example on emissions cuts, saying that the G20 needs to uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

Developed economies should fully accommodate the special difficulties and concerns of developing countries, deliver on their commitments to climate financing and provide technology, capacity-building and other support for developing countries, Xi said.

Such steps will be crucial to the success of COP 26, he said, adding that China will honor its commitments to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and attain carbon neutrality before 2060.

Qu, the Institute of International Relations' director, said developing nations are in a disadvantageous position in global climate change mitigation efforts, and developed nations must come up with concrete support for them, in terms of finance and technology.

In a media briefing on Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also highlighted the need to uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in light of national circumstances, saying that developed countries must lead the effort.

Xi's speech has drawn wide praise globally from officials and analysts, who hailed the nation's strong commitment to true multilateralism and solidarity with developing nations.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the WTO, said in a meeting with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi that she was "deeply inspired" by Xi's speech.

The WTO attaches great importance to China's strong influence and leading role, and is willing to step up dialogue and coordination with China, she said.

Karori Singh, an emeritus fellow at the University of Rajasthan in India, said Xi's speech to the G20 summit in Rome showed that "China has an abiding commitment to multilateralism, openness and inclusiveness".

"While emphasizing openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation in a multilateral framework, he proposed a detailed strategy for effectively dealing with the pandemic, vaccine production and distribution," Singh said of Xi. "He also highlighted the Chinese role and contribution in making the vaccination accessible and affordable for developing countries."

Imtiaz Gul, the executive director of the Center for Research and Security Studies in Pakistan, said Xi's speech "reflects a very deep concern for the global community".

"The president has expressed the sentiment of most of the developing nations, which have been demanding inclusive development and more support for the developing nations as far as fighting the pandemic is concerned," he said.

"By calling for a global initiative to fight the pandemic and to promote trade, the president has basically underlined the need for sticking together and for pursuing the goals of development together," he added.

Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at the policy and business consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore, said Xi's speech demonstrated that China is playing the role of a good and responsible international citizen.

"This global citizenship encompasses all the things he said－like inclusiveness and solidarity. Every country in the world, regardless of whether developed or developing, has a role to make the world safer, more prosperous and more equitable," he said.

Yuzo Tanaka, a professor of economics at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, said: "President Xi called for multilateralism and vaccine cooperation at the G20 summit. I think these initiatives should be at the top of world leaders' agenda, because they are what the world needs most right now, when almost every country is facing problems in economic recovery.

"When facing global issues like COVID-19, post-pandemic recovery and climate change, people start to understand that multilateral cooperation is the best way, and probably the only way," Tanaka added.

Wang Xu in Tokyo and Prime Sarmiento in Hong Kong contributed to this story.