Xi's speech at 25th SPIEF promotes global solidarity, prosperity, experts say

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping on Friday addressed the plenary session of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in virtual format, in which he put forward four proposals to advance global solidarity for sustainable development.

Experts and scholars from many countries believe that at a time when the world is facing multiple challenges, Xi's remarks inject positive energy into the world's joint making of a peaceful, prosperous and bright future.

Amadou Diop, a Senegalese expert on China, said Xi's speech once again demonstrated China's commitment to international solidarity and the country's willingness to promote common prosperity and maintain world peace.

Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar, said Xi's address reflects the aspirations of many developing countries around the world. He called on countries in the Global South to heed Xi's call for closer coordination and jointly find sustainable solutions to the prevailing challenges.

"Beijing's readiness to promote high-quality development, expand high-standard opening-up, as well as sustain the Belt and Road momentum affirms China's resolve to foot its international responsibilities," the scholar added.

Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, said Xi's remarks truly reflected China's unwavering commitment to upholding multilateralism and win-win cooperation, as well as promoting global economic recovery and common development.

As a global economic stabilizer, China has been playing a key role in helping remove trade barriers and keep global industrial and supply chains stable, Matthews noted.

Muhammad Asif Noor, director of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies in Pakistan, said Xi's proposals are very fair to solve the common challenges such as uncertainty, poverty, inequality and financial crises facing the global community.

He called for global efforts to strengthen development partnerships and increase assistance for other countries in development projects.

Andrei Ostrovsky, head of the Center for China Socio-Economic Research at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences, said China has been committed to helping build an open world economy, adding that under the current conditions, the Belt and Road Initiative is of particular importance.

Ahmed Kandil, an Egyptian expert on Asian affairs and head of the International Studies Unit at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said he completely agrees with Xi's proposal to cooperate on innovation and make the fruits of innovation shared by all, adding that China's voice is important as it speaks up for the developing countries.

"It calls for continuous dialogues and exchanges among thinkers, scientists, research centers to lead to creating new technologies that help the progress of humanity and overcoming the challenges and threats facing the world today," the expert said.