The 20th G20 summit in Johannesburg, chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, kicked off on Saturday with a focus on inclusive and sustainable growth. During the opening session, the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, delivered a powerful message: solidarity and free trade are the engines of global growth 🌍🤝.
Why it matters? As global recovery continues to sputter, unilateralism and protectionism are roadblocks on the path to prosperity. Drawing on lessons from the 17th G20 summit – when President Xi Jinping said "solidarity is strength, but division leads nowhere" – Li called on member economies to:
- Uphold free trade and open markets 💼
- Strengthen multilateralism and reform key institutions like the World Bank, IMF, and WTO 🏛️
- Enhance the voice of developing countries and build a fairer trade order ⚖️
- Support industrialization in Africa and least developed countries via China's new action plan 🌱
- Reduce debt burdens in developing countries and back Africa's modernization with South Africa 🤝
He stressed that equal-footed dialogue is key to resolving disputes and bringing parties back to the cooperation track. Looking ahead, he unveiled an action plan for African industrialization, urged debt relief for developing countries, and announced the upcoming Institute of Global Development to boost collaboration across regions.
For Li, an open world economy isn't just an ideal – it's a shared journey. "Working together is the only way forward," he reminded leaders as the summit moves into its next phase this weekend.
Reference(s):
Premier Li urges G20 to uphold free trade, build open world economy
cgtn.com
