Chinese premier calls for not politicizing economic issues

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 7, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

JAKARTA -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Thursday that the world should jointly resist the practice of overstretching the concept of security and politicizing economic issues.

Li made the remarks when meeting with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation held in Jakarta, namely the 26th China-ASEAN Summit, the 26th ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit.

The current international landscape is marked by change and disorder, and the grimmer the situation is, the more the international community needs to unite and work together to meet the challenges, said the Chinese premier.

Li called on the international community to adopt the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and uphold the philosophy of open and inclusive development.

Li said it is important to step up the reform of the global economic governance system and effectively increase the representation and voice of developing countries in international financial institutions.

The Chinese premier urged the international community to actively yet prudently address the debt issue of developing countries based on the principle of joint action and fair burden-sharing.

The international community should stick to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, and steadily advance international cooperation on climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, said Li.

Li pointed out that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In recent years, the Chinese president has successively put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, providing Chinese solutions for global development and governance, Li said.

Li noted that China will continue to firmly support the UN in playing a central role in international affairs, and is ready to work with the UN to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

In the face of various challenges, Guterres said, countries should unite as one, enhance mutual trust, prevent the fragmentation of the world economy, and jointly cope with global challenges.

Noting that China plays an important role in advancing global agenda, the UN secretary-general said the UN is ready to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with China, promote reform of the international economic governance system, help developing countries obtain sufficient resources to meet challenges such as food security, public health and climate change, and contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Wu Zhenglong, among others, was present at the meeting.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 7, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]