Chinese President Xi Jinping in a Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021 on Tuesday called for more equitable management of global affairs and, in an implicit rejection of U.S. dominance, saying governments shouldn’t impose rules on others.
Reiterating China’s position on strengthening multilateralism, President Xi Jinping said there is a “need for justice, not hegemony” and big countries should “behave in a manner befitting their status.”
In a speech to the annual Boao Forum for Asia, Xi said some countries wanted to “build barriers and decouple works against economic and market principles”, actions with few benefits that would only hurt other nations.
“The world wants justice, not hegemony,” he said. “A big country should look like a big country by showing that it is shouldering more responsibility.” Global governance, Xi added, should be “a community with a shared future for mankind”, Reuters reported.
The Boao Forum is the first major international conference held mainly on-site this year. Its great significance lies in providing the world with an opportunity to reflect and discuss where humanity should head.
“The world wants justice, not hegemony,” Xi said in remarks broadcast to the forum.
While Xi did not specifically name any country, Chinese officials have referred to U.S. “hegemony” in recent public criticisms of Washington’s global projection of power in trade and geopolitics.
Xi’s comments reflect Beijing’s desire for global influence to match China’s status as the second-largest economy and frustration at what party leaders see as U.S. efforts to block its ambitions.
Xi said “rules made by one or more countries should not be forced upon others”.
“China calls on all countries in Asia and beyond to answer the call of our times, defeat the pandemic through solidarity, strengthen global governance, and keep pursuing a community with a shared future for mankind,” he said.
He said post-pandemic times require “consultation on an equal footing to create a future of shared benefits.”
China will, he added, continue to carry out anti-COVID cooperation with the World Health Organization and assured to make “vaccines a global public good.”
“Global governance should reflect the evolving political and economic landscape in the world, conform to the historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation, and meet the practical needs in addressing global challenges,” said the Chinese president.
“We need to follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, uphold true multilateralism, and make the global governance system more fair and equitable.”
He called for support and safeguard of the UN-centered international system, Xi said the international order should be preserved while the multilateral trading system “should be upheld with the World Trade Organization at its core.”
“We must not let the rules set by one or a few countries be imposed on others, or allow unilateralism pursued by certain countries to set the pace for the whole world,” he added.
“We need commitment to justice to create a future of mutual respect and mutual learning. Diversity is what defines our world and makes human civilization fascinating,” he said.
Xi also called on stronger global cooperation on coronavirus vaccines.
He said China will build a closer partnership in health and said it has already started joint vaccine production in BRI participating countries such as Indonesia, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Turkey.
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