Xi expected to unveil new plan to boost global economy

Ma Zhaoxu, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva said the international community attaches great importance to President Xi Jinping's visit to Switzerland. [Fu Jing/China Daily]

During 15-18 January, Xi will be paying a state visit to Switzerland to deepen the bilateral relationship. Then he will deliver a keynote speech at the annual meeting of WEF in Davos before visiting the Lausanne-based the International Olympics Committee. Xi will also visit the headquarters of World Health Organization in Geneva, and speak at the high-level conference at the United Nations Office in Geneva before wrapping up his first overseas tour in 2017.

"President Xi's upcoming visit happens against the backdrop that the global economy is deeply restructuring and the international order is experiencing the most complicated changes since the Cold War," said Ma Zhaoxu, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland.

Ma said Xi's Davos visit is attracting a lot of attention worldwide as the international community looks to China to help solve the rising challenges.

In an interview with China Daily, Ma said Xi's plan is aimed at helping accelerate the recovery of the global economy, speed up reform of global governance, strengthen the role of United Nations and bolster multilateralism and international cooperation.

"The international community is looking forward to Xi's outlook on the world and China's economy and his proposals and ideas which could help solve the deep-rooted problems affecting global growth," said Ma, who moved to his present post in Geneva in April last year after being Chinese ambassador to Australia.

Ma said currently the global economy has not totally escaped the shadows of the financial crisis and economic growth still lacks impetus, while global trade and investment have slowed down, and there are frequent fluctuations in the financial markets.

At the same time, Ma said he was concerned about moves towards blocking globalization and the possibility of protectionism, isolationism and populism. In addition there remain the challenges of terrorism, refugee movements and climate change.

"The dazzling changes have made some people worried about the global situation and they are asking what on earth happens to the world and how the world should react," said Ma. "But it is difficult to find answers."

Ma said Xi will respond to the challenges with "China's solution portfolio" but he did not reveal details of the speech.

Ma said Xi will be giving another important speech at a high-level conference calling for increased efforts to build the common destiny of human beings, which will be held at the Palace of Nations in Geneva.

"President Xi will be shedding light on the creation of a community of shared future for the mankind, and the proposals will affect global governance reform," said Ma.

Xi proposed the idea of building on the common destiny of humanity in September 2015 when he attended the seventieth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.

Ma said Xi's speech in Geneva is of great importance because the Swiss city has for decades been one of the most dynamic centers of multilateral diplomacy. In 1954, five years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, then premier Zhou Enlai led a delegation attending the Geneva Conference on Korea and Indo-China, a starting point for the New China to engage with the international community.

"In the past decades, Geneva has witnessed China's role evolve from being a bystander, to participant, contributor and initiator of the international system," said Ma.

Ma also said that Xi will meet Margaret Chan, the Hong Kong-born, Canadian-educated Director-General of the World Health Organization, in Geneva, the first time a highest-ranking Chinese leader has visited the WHO headquarters.

To contact the reporter: fujing@chinadaily.com