Executives of international organizations, business leaders, and economists praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos Agenda, which will contribute to the strengthening of multilateral cooperation and confidence in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“President Xi Jinping’s speech was historic. Four years after giving a famous speech in Davos in 2017 where he stressed the need for the world to embrace multilateralism, he returned to this proposition and this notion of multilateralism. at a very crucial time in human history, “GEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab said on Monday.
“After four years of confrontation, we now have the opportunity to reset the pace of global cooperation and enter an era of cooperation,” he said in a video message
For his part, Guy Ryder, Director General of the Geneva-based International Labor Organization (ILO) said he was “very happy that the emphasis has been placed on international cooperation”.
“Multilateralism, international cooperation in terms of vaccine policy, but also employment and financial policy must be at the forefront of political priorities as we begin this new year”, he insisted.
Rudolf Minsch, chief economist of economiesuisse, said the coronavirus crisis had led to more protectionism in many countries.
“The ‘me first’ strategy is dangerous for the future of world trade and would harm all countries in the long run,” he warned, stressing that China “has an important role to play in convincing other countries to drop trade barriers “.
“China will act as a growth engine for the world economy. It will also support the recovery in other markets,” said Minsch.
Adriano Lucatelli, co-founder and managing director of Zurich-based Descartes Finance, said he expects China to continue promoting multilateralism in order to find global solutions for a post-pandemic world.
“I want China to play a leading role in promoting global cooperation as President Xi already explained during his 2017 GEF speech in Davos,” he added.
“Economically, China is getting better and better. With its growing influence comes increased international responsibility. An important step in this direction could be to help immunization efforts in developing countries strengthen their social and economic recovery, “said Patrick Odier, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Banque Lombard Odier.
Francois Savary, chief investment officer of Geneva-based investment management and advisory firm Prime Partners, said China’s contribution to the global recovery will be significant, especially in the first half of this year.
This year’s GEF Davos Agenda runs from January 25-29, under the theme “A Crucial Year to Rebuild Confidence”.
