Xi to address Davos Agenda

▶ US’ allies- based multilateralism ‘ not inclusive’

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Davos Agenda of the World Economic Forum ( WEF) and deliver a speech via video link on January 25, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday, marking the first major diplomatic event of the new year for the Chinese president at a critical time when the world remains engulfed in a COVID- 19 pandemic and lasting disruptions to global cooperation from unilateralism orchestrated by the US.

Xi’s speech will likely focus on sharing the country’s experience in the anti- epidemic battle, calling for more global efforts in overcoming the public health crisis while also reiterating China’s continued commitment to an inclusive multilateral approach to address pressing global issues, Chinese analysts said.

The Davos Agenda 2021 will be held virtually from January 25 to 29 under the theme of a crucial year to rebuild trust, the Swiss- based WEF announced on Monday.

The pressing challenges facing world leaders include the COVID- 19 pandemic, which has killed over two million people, a teetering global economy, which is expected to contract by 4.3 percent in 2020, a global vaccine distribution effort that has been described by the WHO chief as facing the risk of a “catastrophic moral failure,” as well as persistent geopolitical and trade tensions.

Against that backdrop, Xi will likely present China’s stance on addressing those issues, according to Chen Fengying, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. “Focus will be on building a community of shared future for mankind to address all issues through consultation and cooperation,” Chen said.

The Chinese president also made similar calls in a speech at the Davos forum in 2017, during which he offered a staunch repudiation of rising anti- globalization and protectionism pushed by US President Donald Trump.

About four years later, many of the global challenges have been further complicated and exacerbated by the COVID- 19. And while Trump is set to leave office, the damage his “America First” policies have done to the global multilateral system will persist and cannot be repaired overnight by Joe Biden, who appears to be seeking to rejoin the multilateral system, analysts noted.

While Biden has promised to embrace multilateralism again, which could offer many areas of cooperation between China and the US, Biden’s vision for multilateral cooperation will be different from what China is promoting, according to Wang Yiwei, director of the institute of international affairs at Renmin University of China.

“China emphasized the enhanced regional partnership under globalism which would be inclusive, and won’t exclude other countries… Also, it won’t be led by any single country, like the multilateralism led by the US government,” Wang said.

Chen also added that China’s inclusive approach to multilateralism would be different from Biden’s likely allies- based multilateralism. “If you still choose who to cooperate with, then that’s not inclusive,” she said.

China’s inclusive approach to multilateralism would be different from Biden’s likely allies- based multilateralism: expert