Xi's speech at G20 summit offers guidance as world faces challenges: Experts

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping's remarks at the 15th Group of 20 (G20) summit have been constructive and of practical significance, delivering a message of hope and offering solutions to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, experts have said.

Xi put forward a set of proposals for the G20's role in the post-COVID international order and global governance in his speech, delivering "a message of hope" to the G20 meeting, which is hosted by Saudi Arabia via video link on Nov 21-22, said William Jones, Washington bureau chief of the US publication Executive Intelligence Review.

The Chinese president "pointed to the fact that the onset of COVID-19 had clearly demonstrated the flaws in our international mechanisms," and called for a new governance architecture that provides "a more just and equal world order," all of which "allow the world to better deal with such crises that threaten all of mankind," said Jones.

As the world is now facing a number of challenges, with the COVID-19 pandemic among the gravest ones, the responsibilities and actions of the G20 will be even more important, said Abdulaziz Alshaabani, a Saudi journalist and China expert.

In this context, the speech by the Chinese president is of practical significance and can help guide the international community to make concerted efforts in fighting the pandemic effectively, Alshaabani said.

Sonia Bressler, a French writer and sinologist, said Xi's vision of a community with a shared future for mankind "has never had so much importance, so much real meaning for China and also for the West," since it "offers solutions" to major challenges posed by the health crisis.

"What affects some, affects the other," said Bressler. "We must find a way to work together."

Xi's contribution to the G20 is part of a long-term vision of "a fairer, more united, more effective and more sustainable world order," Pierre Defraigne, executive director of the Madariaga-College of Europe Foundation, told Xinhua.

"I believe that President Xi's speech is part of a responsible choice of a great nation, which has shown a lot of credit for its actions in the world," Defraigne said.

B.R. Deepak, a professor and sinologist at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, described Xi's speech at the summit as "constructive," for it not merely proposed approaches to deal with the twin challenges of the pandemic and economic recession, but also "outlined China's thinking on the post pandemic international order and underscored the role of the G20 in reshaping it."

China in recent years has put forward a series of important proposals in terms of international coordination, and the G20 provides a platform to discuss these proposals, said Yaroslav Lissovolik, program director of Russia's think tank Valdai Discussion Club.

Lissovolik added that he looks forward to China's continuous efforts in promoting international coordination within the framework of the G20 to combat the pandemic.