Xis Europe, LatAm Trip Boosts Ties, Steers Governance on Right Path
From November 27 to December 5, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid state visits to Spain, Argentina, Panama, and Portugal, and attended the 13th Group of 20 (G20) summit in Buenos Aires. Xis trip to Europe and Latin America boosted Chinas ties with cooperation partners and steered global economic governance on the right path, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.
One of the highlights of Xis trip was his attendance at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, 10 years after the first G20 summit was convened by the worlds major economies to jointly tackle common challenges.
At the closely-watched summit, Xi suggested the group steer the world economy responsibly, stay committed to openness and cooperation, and play a leading political role in nurturing favorable conditions for international trade and fighting climate change.
On the sidelines of the summit, Xi and Trump had in-depth discussions in a friendly and candid atmosphere and charted the course for the two countries to properly resolve their exist- ing problems and push forward bilateral relations.
Xi also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other world leaders for bilateral and multilateral talks, and attended an informal leaders meeting of the emergingeconomy bloc of BRICS.
Xis state visits to Spain and Portugal ushered in a new era in Chinas bilateral ties with the two countries and infused fresh vigor into China-EU relations, said Wang.
Both Spain and Portugal are actively involved in international cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and China will work with them to further synergize development strategies and create new space for practical cooperation, Wang said.
Xis state visits to Argentina and Panama, Wang said, not only enriched Chinas relations with the two countries but also strengthened the overall cooperation between China and Latin America.
In Argentina, the two sides agreed to jointly usher in a new era of their comprehensive strategic partnership, and signed a joint action plan for the next five years and some 30 cooperation documents.
In Panama, which established diplomatic relations with China in June 2018, Xis visit further fortified the basis of bilateral ties.
China and Argentina agreed to extend their comprehensive strategic partnership to cover BRI cooperation, and China and Panama vowed to synergize the BRI and the National Logistics Strategy of Panama 2030.
On Chinas foreign policy, Xi reiterated that China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a guardian of the international order.
China, Germany Pledge to Jointly Protect Free Trade, World Order
China and Germany on December 10, 2018 agreed to join hands to safeguard free trade and the international order.
The agreement was made between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is about to wrap up his 6-day visit to China starting from December 5.
“China and Germany, as major world economies, are important cooperation partners,” Li said.
The Chinese premier noted that with continued efforts in opening-up and implementation of new measures, German enterprises in the areas of automobiles, chemical industry, and finance have become the first batch of beneficiaries. Stressing the importance of protecting multilateralism and the rule-based international order, Li called on both sides to stimulate vitality of global development and jointly push forward the worlds economic and social progress.
For his part, Steinmeier said he has felt the tremendous vitality of Chinas economic development, as well as the increasingly closer people-to-people exchanges between Germany and China.
In the past few decades, as relations with China grew ever faster, Germany benefitted from Chinas reform and opening-up, Steinmeier said, adding that his country stands ready to further expand trade and investment in China, boost bilateral dialogue, and jointly safeguard free trade and the existing international order.
“China has been consistent in its attitude towards multilateral process of global climate, and always committed to strengthening global climate governance and carrying out in-depth South-South cooperation in climate change. Through joint construction of the green Belt and Road Initiative, China has deepened cooperation in low carbon development with all parties for ecological progress. The Chinese side is willing to, together with the French side and the UN, take firm steps forward and promote the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Katowice for comprehensive, balanced, and positive outcomes, in a bid to make greater contributions to the building of a clean and beautiful world and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.”
On November 30, 2018, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks at a trilateral meeting on climate change with Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian of France and Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the G20 Buenos Aires Summit.