Xi unveils China's action plan as G20 tackles hunger, economic challenges

RIO DE JANEIRO -- G20 leaders convened on Monday at Rio de Janeiro's Museum of Modern Art, seeking solutions to pressing global crises -- from hunger, economic instability to climate change -- in a pivotal moment marked by deepening international tensions and uncertainty.

Attending the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for building a just world of common development, and outlined China's eight actions. "China has decided to join the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty," Xi announced.

The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty was officially launched at the summit by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Hunger is the biological expression of social ills, said Lula at the summit. "It is the product of political decisions that perpetuate the exclusion of a large part of humanity."

According to the UN's State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, 733 million people faced hunger in 2023.

"Poverty alleviation has always been a priority and a major task I am determined to deliver," Xi said while addressing the summit.

Always concerned about impoverished regions and families in straitened circumstances, Xi has directed the country's battle against poverty in person. Under his leadership, China launched a monumental anti-poverty campaign on a scale unseen anywhere in the world.

In 2021, China declared a "complete victory" in eradicating absolute poverty. "We have lifted 800 million people out of poverty, and met the poverty reduction target of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule," Xi told the summit.

Global observers have noted China's significant role in alleviating poverty and advancing development across the Global South. "China is clearly demonstrating its commitment to the fight against poverty and its real support for the development of countries, especially those in the Global South," said Eduardo Relagado, researcher at the International Policy Research Center of Cuba, following Xi's speech at the G20 summit.

"With the eight initiatives, China demonstrates its responsibility for the international community, for the common destiny and for the fate of developing countries, which have a relevant role in global dynamics," he commented.

Echoing that view, Natasha Pirzada, a senior researcher at the G20 Research Group, told Xinhua that China is making good headway in contributing towards global development especially through funding various initiatives and bilateral development plans.

According to Pirzada, China's approach to debt and development avoids imposing interventions in the domestic policies of recipient countries.

The G20 comprises 19 countries across five continents, along with the European Union and the recently admitted African Union (AU). This year's summit marks the first gathering since AU's inclusion.

China was the main proponent advocating for the AU's full membership in the G20, said Keith Bennett, an international relations consultant based in London, noting that the move has strengthened the group's representation.

"China is at the forefront of promoting the representation and voice of developing countries in the international governance system," Bennett told Xinhua.

The G20 evolved from a meeting of finance ministers in 1999 to a summit of heads of state and government in 2008 in response to the international financial crisis. Today, the group collectively represents approximately 85 percent of global GDP, over 75 percent of international trade, and around two-thirds of the world's population.

In the G20 Rio summit declaration, leaders reaffirmed the role of the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. "Together, we share a collective responsibility for the effective stewardship of the global economy, fostering the conditions for sustainable, resilient and inclusive global growth," it said.

G20 members should keep in mind that mankind lives in a community with a shared future, see each other's development as opportunities rather than challenges, and view each other as partners rather than rivals, Xi said at the summit. He called for building a world economy characterized by cooperation, stability, openness, innovation and eco-friendliness.

"President Xi's appeal prioritizes cooperation over confrontation and emphasizes win-win outcomes instead of zero-sum thinking," said Jiao Hao, director of Department of Digital Economy and Management, Beijing Normal University.

Many of China's initiatives align with these principles and promote inclusive globalization, Jiao said. "For instance, through the Belt and Road Initiative, China has helped enhance regional connectivity in a bid to provide more opportunities for the Global South to integrate into global value chains."

Climate change is also a key issue on the summit agenda. In the summit's declaration, G20 leaders emphasized the group's leadership role and its commitment to tackling climate change by strengthening effective implementation of the Paris Agreement.

As a summit observer, John Kirton, co-author of Reconfiguring the Global Governance of Climate Change, said he still remembers what President Xi said at the G20 Hangzhou Summit: Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.

"The message is clear: it's not about the money; put the natural environment and ecology first," he said. "It is a very impressive approach for all G20 members to follow and to come together to build a common future for mankind."