Photo: HUAN JINGWEN/PHOTOSHOT/PICTURE ALLIANCE / Deutsche Welle
The president of China, Xi Jinping, today proposed a new initiative to “promote security throughout the world” that “respects both the sovereignty of all States and the path of development that each one chooses for their countries”.
Xi delivered a speech today during the opening of the Boao Forum, nicknamed the “Asian Davos”, which is taking place these days on the island tropical Hainan (south of the country) with hardly any international presence due to the restrictions imposed by China in the face of the covid-pandemic 19.
“We respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. We adhere to non-interference in the internal affairs of others and equally respect the path of development that each one chooses for his country,” Xi said during his speech.
According to the president, China remains “committed to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations” and opposes “mentalities of its own from the cold war, to unilateralism and to the confrontation of blocs”, affirmations that the politicians of the Asian country usually use when referring to the United States to criticize its foreign policy.
“We take the legitimate security concerns of all countries very seriously and seek a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture, and not each one seeking its own security at the expense of others,” Xi added.
The president was referring to the ambiguous Chinese position regarding the war in Ukraine, from which he has asked that the territorial integrity of all countries be respected. ses and in which he has avoided using the word “invasion” to refer to the Russian offensive, while reiterating his opposition to sanctions against Moscow.
“Differences and disputes must be resolved through dialogue. China supports all efforts leading to a peaceful settlement of crises while opposing the imposition of unilateral sanctions,” Xi said.
“Great dynamism”
Xi also spoke about COVID-19 at a time when China is going through a wave of outbreaks attributed to the omicron variant that is causing record numbers of infections not seen since the start of the pandemic in the first half of 2020.
“Health and safety are necessary for human progress and development, and we must uphold them. In the face of challenges, we must not lose confidence, hesitate or back down. We must reaffirm our confidence and move forward against all odds”, he said.
“More efforts are needed so that humanity can achieve victory against the pandemic. It is essential that countries support each other and better coordinate their actions. We must improve global health governance and form synergies in the fight against covid,” he added.
Xi also assured that China will provide “great dynamism” to the recovery global economy with “more market opportunities for all countries”, asserting that the Chinese economy remains “strong, resilient, sustainable in the long term, with enormous potential and room for manoeuvre”.
“Efforts are necessary to keep economic globalization afloat and, for this, we must all better coordinate our macroeconomic policies. You have to resort to science and technology to get new impulses of growth”, he pointed out.
Xi stressed “keeping global supply chains stable” and “avoiding negative effects in the adjustments made by some countries”, in apparent reference to the next meeting of the Federal Reserve (Fed) next May 4, in a context of high inflationary pressures.
mg (efe, Reuters)