Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 18 - Any special significance special period, chaired by President Xi Jinping this special summit: questions?
Xinhua News Agency reporter
On the evening of June 17, President Xi Jinping hosted the Special Summit on China-Africa Solidarity and Anti-epidemic in Beijing and delivered a keynote speech entitled "Unity and Anti-epidemic and Overcoming Difficulties". The summit was co-sponsored by China and the African Union’s rotating chairmanship, South Africa, and the China-Africa Cooperation Forum Senegal, and was co-chaired by video. Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Jingwen
A summit named after "Unity"-China-Africa Solidarity Special Anti-epidemic Summit, was held on the evening of June 17, Beijing time by video. Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted and delivered a keynote speech entitled "Unite in Fighting against Epidemic Diseases and Overcoming Difficulties" in Beijing.
This is another important multilateral "cloud diplomacy" carried out by President Xi Jinping since the outbreak of the new coronary pneumonia.
Unlike March 26, when he attended the G20 Leaders’ Special Summit as a member state leader and was invited to address the opening ceremony of the World Health Assembly on May 18, this special summit was jointly initiated by China and African countries South Africa and Senegal. It is an important home diplomatic activity.
Why should China propose such a summit? What important messages did President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the summit convey? Xinhua News Agency interviewed experts and scholars on this.
On the evening of June 17, President Xi Jinping hosted the Special Summit on China-Africa Solidarity and Anti-epidemic in Beijing and delivered a keynote speech entitled "Unity and Anti-epidemic and Overcoming Difficulties". The summit was co-sponsored by China and the African Union’s rotating chairmanship, South Africa, and the China-Africa Cooperation Forum Senegal, and was co-chaired by video. Xinhua News Agency reporter Ding Haitao
(One)
"Currently, the epidemic is still spreading globally. Both China and Africa are faced with the arduous task of fighting the epidemic, stabilizing the economy and protecting people's livelihood."
This is President Xi Jinping's judgment on the situation in his speech.
Li Wentao, deputy director of the African Research Institute of the China Institute of Modern International Relations, said that both China and Africa have achieved results in the fight against the epidemic, but the uncertainty of the epidemic is obvious, and the global victory over the epidemic will be a protracted war. Responding to the impact of the epidemic is still a major issue before China and Africa.
It is the right time to hold this special summit. In his speech, President Xi Jinping proposed four "unswerving", and the top is "unswervingly fighting against the epidemic."
In fact, since the outbreak, China and Africa have always supported each other and fought side by side. From African countries sending valuable support to China in difficult times, to China delivering medical aid to more than 50 African countries and the African Union, and sending 7 medical expert groups, the two sides showed the world what "brotherhood, their "Short gold".
In a speech at the opening ceremony of the World Health Assembly last month, President Xi Jinping specifically proposed "increasing support for African countries"; at this special summit, he also announced a series of actions to support anti-epidemic in Africa, including "starting construction in advance of the year Headquarters of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "After the new crown vaccine has been developed and put into use, it is willing to benefit African countries first" and so on.
"As the most concentrated continent in the developing world, Africa is a weak link in the global public health system." Li Wentao said that China advocates the supremacy of the people and the supremacy of life, and helps the African brothers to build a line of defense to protect the safety and health of the people. The meaning of non-fate community.
(two)
The second "unswerving" proposed by President Xi Jinping is "unswervingly advancing China-Africa cooperation."
He said that in order to overcome the impact of the epidemic, we must strengthen the cooperation in the construction of the “Belt and Road”, accelerate the implementation of the outcome of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and focus our cooperation on health, rehabilitation and production, and improvement of people's livelihood.
Focusing on the practical difficulties faced by African countries, China has proposed a series of down-to-earth measures and initiatives-
Under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, forgive the interest-free loan debts of African countries due to China by the end of 2020; work with the international community to increase support for African countries with particularly severe epidemics and pressure; support free trade on the African continent District construction; support Africa to strengthen interconnection and ensure the supply chain construction of the industrial chain; jointly expand cooperation in new formats such as the digital economy, smart cities, clean energy, and 5G...
Liu Haifang, director of the Center for African Studies at Peking University, said that the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2018 decided to implement the "Eight Major Actions", which outlined a roadmap for advancing China-Africa cooperation and promoting the development and revitalization of Africa. In response to the impact of the epidemic, China also announced a package of new actions that took into account the urgent needs of anti-epidemic affairs and post-epidemic development, fully demonstrating that China’s policy toward Africa is genuine, sincere and consistent.
"The global epidemic situation is severe and complex, and challenges and difficulties cannot be underestimated." Li Wentao said that Africa's development is closely related to China. Under the epidemic, the economic development of both sides is facing considerable pressure. This special summit conveyed confidence to Africa: China will firmly support Africa’s orderly resumption of production and economic recovery, economic development, and improvement of people’s livelihood.
(three)
The other two "unswerving" are "unswervingly practicing multilateralism" and "unswervingly advancing China-Africa friendship."
"This special summit held in a special period highlights China's foreign policy." Liu Haifang said that when the epidemic profoundly affects the international order, the convening of the special summit itself shows that China, as always, firmly supports multilateralism and works with developing countries. Stand tight together.
This is also reflected in the list of attending the special summit-in addition to the leaders of China and more than a dozen African countries, the chairman of the African Union Commission, there are also two special guests from multilateral international organizations: UN Secretary General Gute Luis, Director General of the World Health Organization Tan Desai.
In his speech, President Xi Jinping made it clear that China is willing to work with Africa to maintain the global governance system with the United Nations at its core and support WHO to make greater contributions to the global fight against epidemics.
Zhang Lili, director of the Center for Contemporary China Diplomacy Studies at the School of Diplomacy, said that in the face of the common enemy of humanity, the international community should have been united, but politicians in individual Western countries have unreasonably discredited China and relevant international organizations. At a critical moment, African countries have given China valuable understanding and tremendous support.
The meeting issued the "Joint Statement of the China-Africa Solidarity Anti-epidemic Special Summit", reiterated its opposition to politicizing the epidemic and labeling the virus, and called on the international community to jointly prevent discrimination and stigmatization. In addition, it also clearly stated that they should continue to support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns.
"Political mutual support has always been a bright background for China-Africa friendship." Li Wentao said that against the backdrop of the rise of unilateralism and the global anti-epidemic situation, the largest developing country and the most concentrated continent declared by developing countries Solidarity and cooperation will inject greater confidence for all humankind to overcome difficulties. (Reporters Yang Yijun, Wu Yue, Zou Duowei, Luo Xin)