Xi makes proposals for post-COVID international order, global governance

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping put forward a set of proposals for the G20's role in the post-COVID international order and global governance, when he addressed the G20 Riyadh Summit via video link on Saturday.

Stressing the need to strengthen the UN-centered international system, Xi said the UN is the core institution for addressing international affairs through cooperation, and all countries should firmly support the UN's authority and standing, follow the purposes and principles of its Charter, and uphold the international order underpinned by international law.

Stressing the need to improve the governance architecture for economic globalization, Xi called for efforts to firmly safeguard the rules-based multilateral trading system that is transparent, nondiscriminatory, open and inclusive, and support the reform of the World Trade Organization to enhance its effectiveness and authority.

The Chinese president also stressed promoting free trade, opposing unilateralism and protectionism, upholding fair competition, and protecting the development rights, interests and space of developing countries.

On the digital economy, Xi proposed adopting people-centered and facts-based policies to encourage innovation and build trust, supporting the UN's leadership role in this field, and working together to foster an open, fair, just and nondiscriminatory environment for building the digital economy.

Highlighting the importance of building up capacities for tackling global challenges, Xi said the most pressing task of the moment is to shore up the global public health system and contain COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

He also called for efforts to scale up international cooperation on ecology and environment to protect the planet Earth, and further curtail the production and use of non-essential, disposable plastic goods.

China calls for a complete ban on illegal trade of wildlife and for stronger exchanges and cooperation on the protection of wild fauna and flora, Xi said.