Xi stresses key role of G20

China will offer as much assistance as possible in global battle against virus

Members of the G20 should enhance their coordination in macroeconomic policies to prevent a global recession resulting from the novel coronavirus outbreak, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

Xi made the remark while delivering a speech during the G20 Extraordinary Leaders' Summit on COVID-19. The summit, in the form of a videoconference, is the first of its kind under the G20 framework.

Noting that novel coronavirus pneumonia is spreading around the world, Xi said that the international community should boost its confidence, make joint efforts and enhance international cooperation to strive for victory in mankind's battle against the pandemic.

The G20 countries should implement powerful and effective fiscal and monetary policies, enhance coordination on financial supervision and jointly maintain the stability of the global industrial chain, he said.

Xi pledged that China will make greater efforts to supply medicine, daily necessities and disease prevention materials to the global market.

In order to make a contribution to stabilizing the global economy, he said, China will continue to carry out a proactive fiscal policy and stable monetary policy, promote reform and opening-up steadily, ease market access, improve the business environment, increase imports and expand outbound investment.

The president called on G20 members to take joint measures, including reducing tariffs, removing trade barriers and promoting free trade, to send a strong signal to boost the global economy.

China, which upholds the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, would like to share its experience in disease prevention and control with other countries, launch joint research and development of medicines and vaccines, and offer as much assistance as possible to countries that are affected by the disease, Xi said.

The virus knows no borders and the epidemic is the common enemy of all, Xi said, adding that the international community should join forces to build a joint prevention and control network.

China has established an online knowledge center on the prevention and control of novel coronavirus pneumonia, and the center is open to all countries, he added.

China supports the World Health Organization playing a leading role in setting scientific prevention and control measures and preventing the cross-border spread of the disease, Xi said.

The G20 members should enhance the sharing of information on disease prevention and control, promote comprehensive and effective methods for disease prevention and control and hold high-level meetings on global public health, he said.

Xi said that China will remember and cherish the friendship shown when it was in difficulty and some other countries offered sincere help and support.

Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China, said that the special summit is the most important multilateral event since the outbreak of the disease because the pandemic has led to a global public health crisis unprecedented in the past century.