APEC 2021 :Xi Jinping

Cooperation, open trade, technological innovations, and a green transition is the foundation for humanity to recover from the global pandemic, says China President Xi Jinping.

Addressing the global audience of the CEO Summit, a business conference running alongside the concluding week of the year’s APEC meetings, President Xi said the world was at a historical juncture.

The pandemic and recovering from it was a difficult, tortuous journey. Working together with solidarity and keeping a steady ‘hand on the tiller’ would be crucial to meet the challenges of this ‘once in a century test’, said President Xi.

He also warned New Zealand and other Asia-Pacific countries against “relapsing into the confrontation and division of the Cold War era”, in comments directed at recent efforts by the US and others to counter Chinese influence in the region.

He acknowledged the importance of an open, fair, and non-discriminatory trade architecture to bring people out of poverty and enhance their well-being, and the positive benefits offered by scientific and technological research and advancement.

“Innovation is an important force driving human progress. A country or region cannot prosper without innovation, or even with slow innovation.”

The Asia-Pacific has distinctive intellectual resources, and a long tradition of innovation having created many new technologies, new industries, and new mechanisms.

“Today, the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is well under way.

Information technology, biotechnology, and manufacturing technology are developing rapidly.

This has positioned us well to promote economic growth and respond to challenges of major disease, climate change, and natural disasters.”

President Xi also mentioned China's desire to join the CPTPP trade deal, saying the country was “committed to building a high-standard market system” and will continue reforms in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, among other areas.

“We treat all types of market entities on an equal basis, and we are working to develop a unified, open, competitive and orderly market system.” he said.

He also touched on the need for cooperation on ecological conservation and measures to reduce climate change.

“We need to promote green transition...a sound eco-environment, is the most basic public good that benefits all.

We in the Asia-Pacific should make this post-pandemic recovery a green one and take the lead in making a science-based response to climate change.”

- Asia Media Centre