Medical workers Yang Jie, Zhang Zhijun, Li Fei, Tang Jianwei and Chen Jun from the medical team of Jiangsu Province cheer for each other before entering a temporary hospital converted from Wuhan Sports Center in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)
"We hope that the G20 members will help each other and cooperate closely to jointly safeguard international public health," said Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu.
BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- China hopes the upcoming G20 extraordinary virtual leaders' summit on COVID-19 will reinforce solidarity, cooperation and coordination, and boost the confidence as the world is grappling with the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu made the remarks here on Wednesday when briefing on President Xi Jinping's attendance at the virtual summit in Beijing on Thursday. The summit will be hosted via video by Saudi Arabia, which holds the presidency of the G20 this year.
"This will be the first summit via video in the history of G20 and also the first major multilateral event attended by President Xi since the outbreak of the COVID-19," said Ma.
"The extraordinary summit on COVID-19 at this critical moment will be of great significance for communication and coordination on tackling the spread of the epidemic and stabilizing the world economy," he said.
Xi's attendance at the summit shows China's firm determination and sense of responsibility as a major country in enhancing the global fight against the COVID-19, as well as its attitude for supporting the G20 to strengthen coordination and cooperation and stabilize the world economy, said Ma.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has caused serious political, economic and social impacts worldwide. The international community urgently needs to join hands to fight the virus, he said.
The G20 is an important platform for global crisis response and economic governance, bringing together major developed economies and emerging market economies. It played an important role in responding to the 2008 international financial crisis, said Ma.
"China is willing to work with other members of the G20 to facilitate positive results of this extraordinary summit," he said.
"The virus knows no borders, and no country can be immune from it," Ma said, adding that China expects further solidarity within the international community to send a powerful message of collaboration and boost the confidence.
"Only by working together can the world secure a victory in the fight against the epidemic, stabilize the economy and restore order," Ma said.
Medical supplies, including masks, gloves and protective suits, donated to Italy by Lishui City, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 1, 2020. (Xinhua)
Stressing the significance of international cooperation, Ma said China, while consolidating the COVID-19 prevention and control at home, would provide timely help to countries in need by sharing experiences, jointly strengthening capacity building, providing urgently needed medical supplies, and facilitating other countries' purchases of supplies in China.
"We hope that the G20 members will help each other and cooperate closely to jointly safeguard international public health," he said.
As the pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to the global economy, China's resumption of production is playing an important role in stabilizing the global industrial chain and supply chain, Ma said.
China hopes all parties will enhance macroeconomic policy coordination, adopt necessary fiscal, monetary and structural policies, promote market opening-up, ensure an open, stable, secure and smooth global supply chain, and play a constructive role in boosting market confidence, he said.
"People should avoid being narrow-minded and politicizing the epidemic and must work to establish determination and consensus to grapple with challenges together," Cui Hongjian, a senior research fellow with the China Institute of International Studies, told Xinhua in an interview.
Cui hoped the summit will develop plans or principles for countries to better coordinate medical supplies worldwide. Countries are also expected to better coordinate with each other when introducing individual fiscal and financial policies after the summit.
The leaders of G20 members will be joined by their counterparts from some invited countries, including Spain, Jordan, Singapore and Switzerland, as well as the United Nations, the World Bank and other international organizations, and the chairing states of some regional organizations. ■
