Help each other to overcome the epidemic and work together to promote cooperation

——Speech at the Twelfth Meeting of BRICS Leaders

(November 17, 2020, Beijing)

President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping

Dear President Putin,

Dear Prime Minister Modi,

Dear President Ramaphosa,

Dear President Bolsonaro:

First of all, I would like to thank President Putin and the Russian government for their meticulous arrangements for the BRICS leaders' meeting. At present, the epidemic of the century and the changes of the century are intertwined, and the international situation is undergoing profound changes. At such an important moment, it is of special significance for us to hold this meeting to jointly discuss the plan for anti-epidemic cooperation and draw up the blueprint for the development of the BRICS.

Looking around the world, the epidemic has posed a huge threat to the lives and health of people in all countries. The global public health system is facing a severe test. Human society is experiencing the most serious infectious disease pandemic in a century. International trade and investment have shrunk sharply, the flow of people and goods has been severely hindered, and unstable and uncertain factors are emerging one after another. The world economy is experiencing the worst recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s. Unilateralism, protectionism, and bullying have intensified, and deficits in governance, trust, development, and peace have continued unabated.

At the same time, we firmly believe that the theme of the times of peace and development has not changed, and the trend of the times of world multi-polarization and economic globalization cannot be reversed. We must consider the well-being of the people, uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, and take practical actions to make due contributions to building a better world.

——We must uphold multilateralism and maintain world peace and stability. History has shown us that if we abide by multilateralism and pursue fairness and justice, wars and conflicts can be avoided; if we engage in unilateralism and power politics, disputes and confrontations will intensify. If rules and the rule of law are ignored, unilateral bullying and "withdrawal from groups and contracts" will not only go against the common aspirations of the people of the world, but also trample on the legitimate rights and dignity of all countries.

In the face of conflicts between multilateralism and unilateralism, fairness and hegemony, the BRICS countries must firmly uphold international fairness and justice, hold high the banner of multilateralism, defend the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, and uphold the international system based on international law. international order. Countries should go beyond ideology and respect each other's social systems, economic models, and development paths chosen according to their own national conditions. We should advocate a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, resolve differences through consultation and negotiation, oppose interference in internal affairs, unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction", and jointly create a peaceful and stable development environment.

——We must persist in solidarity and cooperation, and work together to overcome the challenges of the epidemic. At present, the virus is still raging around the world, and the epidemic is still repeated. It still takes hard work to win the global victory against the epidemic. After nearly a year of fighting against the epidemic, many countries have accumulated valuable experience in epidemic prevention and control, and have made remarkable progress in the research and development of drugs and vaccines. The anti-epidemic practice in the past year has proved that as long as there is unity and scientific prevention and control, the spread of the virus can be controlled and the impact of the epidemic can be overcome.

We must uphold the supremacy of the people and life, mobilize all resources, and make every effort to protect people's life safety and health. It is necessary to strengthen international joint prevention and control, share epidemic information, exchange anti-epidemic experience, and curb the spread of the virus. We must support the World Health Organization in playing a key leadership role. Chinese companies are cooperating with Russian and Brazilian partners to carry out phase III clinical trials of vaccines, and we are also willing to carry out related cooperation with South Africa and India. China has joined the "New Coronary Pneumonia Vaccine Implementation Plan", and will share vaccines with other countries, especially other developing countries on this platform. We will actively consider providing vaccines to BRICS countries where there is a need. In order to promote the construction of the BRICS vaccine research and development center, China has established a vaccine research and development center in China, and is willing to promote the joint research and development and testing of vaccines, cooperative factory construction, authorized production, and mutual recognition of standards among the five countries through a combination of online and offline methods. I propose that the five countries hold a seminar on traditional medicine to explore the role of traditional medicine in the prevention and treatment of new coronary pneumonia, and add powerful weapons to the global epidemic prevention and control.

Facts have proved that politicizing and stigmatizing the epidemic, "throwing the pot" and shifting blame have disrupted the overall situation of global cooperation in the fight against the epidemic. We must replace differences with unity, eliminate prejudice with rationality, wipe out the "political virus", and gather the greatest joint efforts of all countries to fight the epidemic.

——We must adhere to openness and innovation to promote the recovery of the world economy. According to the forecast of the International Monetary Fund, the world economy will shrink by 4.4% this year, and emerging market countries and developing countries will experience negative growth for the first time in 60 years. It is an urgent task for all countries to prevent the epidemic with one hand and stabilize the economy with the other. Under the premise of ensuring safety, we must actively promote economic recovery, and realize the orderly development of economic and social activities while epidemic prevention and control are normalized. It is necessary to strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination, promote the implementation of the "Initiative on Facilitation of Cross-border Movement of People and Goods", ensure the safety and smoothness of industrial chains and supply chains, and help countries resume work, production, and economic recovery.

Using the epidemic to engage in "de-globalization" and advocating so-called "economic decoupling" and "parallel systems" will only harm the common interests of the country and all countries in the end. Under the current situation, we must unswervingly build an open world economy, maintain the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and oppose the abuse of national security in the name of protectionism. It is necessary to make good use of the new business models and models spawned by the epidemic, strengthen scientific and technological innovation cooperation, create an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment, and jointly achieve higher-quality and more resilient development.

China is willing to work with all parties to speed up the building of the BRICS New Industrial Revolution Partnership. We will establish a BRICS New Industrial Revolution Partnership Innovation Base in Xiamen City, Fujian Province to carry out cooperation in areas such as policy coordination, personnel training, and project development. BRICS countries are welcome to actively participate. Recently, China launched the "Global Data Security Initiative" to promote the joint construction of a peaceful, secure, open, cooperative, and orderly cyberspace, and to promote the healthy development of the digital economy. It is hoped that it will be supported by the BRICS countries.

——We must put people's livelihood first and promote global sustainable development. Development is the master key to solving all problems. Whether it is to eliminate the impact of the epidemic and return to the right track of life, or to quell conflicts and turmoil and resolve humanitarian crises, fundamentally it depends on people-centered development. The World Bank predicts that global per capita income will drop by 3.6% in 2020, and 88 million to 115 million people will fall into extreme poverty due to the epidemic.

We must face the challenge of the epidemic and encourage the international community to put the implementation of the "United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" at the core of international development cooperation, make poverty eradication the primary goal, and allocate more resources to poverty reduction, education, health, and infrastructure construction. Field tilted. It is necessary to support the United Nations in playing an overall and coordinating role in promoting the establishment of a more equal and balanced global development partnership, so that development results can benefit more developing countries and better meet the needs of vulnerable groups.

——We must adhere to green and low-carbon, and promote the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. Global warming will not stop due to the epidemic, and the response to climate change must not be relaxed for a moment. We must implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, abide by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and provide more assistance to developing countries, especially small island countries. China is willing to assume international responsibilities commensurate with its own level of development and continue to make strenuous efforts to address climate change. I announced at the United Nations not long ago that China will increase its nationally determined contributions, adopt stronger policies and measures, strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, and strive to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. We will do what we say!

Dear colleagues!

Not long ago, the Fifth Plenary Session of the Nineteenth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China deliberated and approved the proposal on formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan, proposing that the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects will be achieved as scheduled, and next year China will embark on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. We We will scientifically grasp the new development stage, firmly implement the new development concept, and actively build a new development pattern with the domestic cycle as the main body and the domestic and international dual cycles promoting each other. We will make great efforts to expand domestic demand, comprehensively deepen reform, promote scientific and technological innovation, and add impetus to domestic economic development. China's open door will not be closed, but will only open wider. We will more actively integrate into the global market, deepen foreign cooperation more proactively, and create more opportunities and space for the recovery and development of the world economy.

We're all in the same boat. When the wind is high and the waves are turbulent, we must set the direction, grasp the rhythm, unite and cooperate, ride the wind and waves, go steadily and go far, and sail towards a better tomorrow.

  Thanks.

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 17, 2020)