Chinese president addresses global health summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the Global Health Summit and delivered a speech via video link in Beijing on Friday.

The summit was co-hosted by Italy, rotating presidency of G20, and the European Commission.

In his speech, Xi urged the international community to put the people and their lives first and demonstrate a great sense of political responsibility and courage, and make extraordinary responses to an extraordinary challenge.

No effort must be spared to attend every case, save every patient, and truly respect the value and dignity of every human life, and it is also important to minimize the potential impact on people's life and maintain general order in our society, Xi said.

Members of the G20 should adopt responsible macroeconomic policies to ensure the safe and smooth operation of the global industrial chain and supply chain, while continuing to support developing countries, he said.

Noting that the pandemic is yet another reminder that humanity rise and fall together with a shared future, Xi said that political manipulation would not serve COVID-19 response, and it would only disrupt international cooperation against the virus and bring greater harm to people around the world.

Calling for countries to abstain from vaccine nationalism, Xi called for the promotion of fair distribution of vaccines and items' accessibility and affordability in developing countries. Major vaccine-developing and producing countries need to take up their responsibility to provide more vaccines to developing countries in urgent need.

It is important to strengthen and leverage the role of the UN and the WHO and uphold the spirit of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, Xi said.

China will provide an additional 3 billion U.S. dollars in international aid over the next three years to support COVID-19 response and economic and social recovery in other developing countries, Xi said.

China will provide still more vaccines to the best of its ability, he said.

China supports its vaccine companies in transferring technologies to other developing countries and carrying out joint production with them, he said.

"Let us join hands and stand shoulder to shoulder with each other to firmly advance international cooperation against COVID-19, build a global community of health for all, and work for a healthier and brighter future for humanity!" said Xi.

Link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qf_v-f-kKF0