On January 27, 2021, Chinese Ambassador to Costa Rica Mr. Tang Heng published on Diario Extraan article entitled “Upholding the Banner of Multilateralism and Jointly Building a Community of a Shared Future for Mankind”, in which the ambassador expounded on the great significance of the special address of President Xi Jinping at the “Davos Agenda” virtual event. It was pointed out in the article that China unswervingly upholds multilateralism and is committed to the vision of a community of a shared future for mankind in tackling global problems. China stands ready to work with all countries, Costa Rica included, in building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world with lasting peace, universal security, and shared prosperity. The full article runs as follows:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mankind is suffering the worst economic recession since the end of the Second World War. The gap between the North and the South is to widen further and may become entrenched. Challenges bearing on the future of mankind have been on the rise such as global public health governance, tackling climate change, and promoting sustainable development. On January 25, President Xi Jinping delivered a special address at the “Davos Agenda” virtual event entitled “Let the Torch of Multilateralism Light up Humanity’s Way Forward”, in which President Xi stressed that the only way to solve global problems is to safeguard and practice multilateralism and promote the building of a community of a shared future for mankind, pointing the way forward for the world in the shadow of the pandemic amid uncertainties of global economic recovery.
President Xi pointed out that we need to address four major tasks facing people of our times.
The first is to step up macroeconomic policy coordination and jointly promote strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of the world economy.
The second is to abandon ideological prejudice and jointly follow a path of peaceful coexistence, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
The third is to close the divide between developed and developing countries and jointly bring about growth and prosperity for all.
The fourth is to come together against global challenges and jointly create a better future for humanity.
It has always been our conviction that when it comes to tackle the current crisis or create a better future, no country can go it alone. We need global action, global response and global cooperation. No history, culture, or social system is superior than that of others. Differences are not to be afraid of. What is terrible is arrogance, prejudice, hatred and the practice of imposing one’s history, culture, or social system on others.
We firmly believe that facing the global pandemic, solidarity and cooperation is the most potent weapon. China has provided medical assistance to over 150 countries and 13 international organizations. The Chinese government at various levels, civil society organizations and Chinese diaspora in Costa Rica have provided medical assistance to Costa Rica at the latter’s request, making China its largest source of medical assistance. China will continue to provide assistance to the best of its ability to countries and regions with insufficient capabilities of epidemic response and will promote the affordability and accessibility of vaccines in developing countries.
We firmly believe that looking into the future, we should stick to openness and inclusiveness instead of closeness and exclusion; we should uphold the international law instead of centering on oneself; we should stick to consultation and confrontation instead of conflict and confrontation; we should follow the trend of the times instead of being complacent. We should take the resolve to transform the drivers of economic growth, change the mode of production and readjust the economic structure so that the world economy will return to the track of long-term, sound and steady development. We should give full play to the role of the WHO and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. We should promote the reform of the WTO and the international financial and monetary system, promote the growth of the world economy and ensure the rights and room for the development of developing countries. With human-centered and fact-based policies, we should discuss formulating the rules of global digital governance. We should implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and promote green development. We should give top priority to development, implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and ensure that all countries, developing countries in particular, can share in the fruits of global development.
As a responsible major country, China will proceed from the new development stage, implement the new development vision, and foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulation reinforcing each other. We will continue to implement an opening up strategy of win-win results, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, provide more opportunities for cooperation and inject new vigor and vitality for world economic recovery and growth. China will continue to promote sustainable development, strive to peak its CO2 emissions by 2030 and realize carbon neutrality by 2060. We will continue to facilitate scientific and technological innovation, accelerate the translation of scientific outcomes into productivity, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights and work with other countries to build an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for scientific development. We will continue to build a new type of international relations, uphold the independent foreign policy of peace and carry out friendly relations of cooperation with other countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit. We will deepen South-South cooperation and contribute to the efforts of developing countries to eliminate poverty, ease debt burdens and realize economic growth.
Both China and Costa Rica are staunch supporters of multilateralism. China is ready to work with other countries, Costa Rica included, to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.
