Xi proposes pandemic 'firewall,' free trade for world economic recovery

FIGHTING PANDEMIC

Xi called on the G20 members to make concerted efforts in fighting "the most serious pandemic in a century" as the rising toll entails a coordinated response.

"We should speed up action and support the World Health Organization (WHO) in mobilizing and consolidating resources and distributing vaccines fairly and efficiently," Xi said.

The helmsman of the world's second largest economy said China stands ready to step up cooperation with other countries on research and development, production and distribution of vaccines for COVID-19.

"We will honor our commitment of giving assistance and support to other developing countries, and work to make vaccines a global public good accessible and affordable to people around the world," Xi pledged.

"China's message is clear -- vaccines should be a global public good and so should its vision of a stronger community with a shared future," Feng Zhongping, vice president of China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told Xinhua.

In March, Xi called for a resolute all-out global war against the COVID-19 outbreak as leaders of the G20 convened an extraordinary online summit to coordinate multilateral response to the pandemic.

It was the first time for G20 leaders to hold a summit virtually ever since the mechanism, which used to only gather finance ministers and central bankers, was elevated to be the world's premier platform for international economic cooperation in 2008.