RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters): Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a raft of measures designed to support the “Global South” at a gathering of leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies in Rio de Janeiro, China’s state television CCTV reported on Monday.
In his first remarks at the G20 Summit, Xi said China would support global development with eight actions, including building a “high quality” Belt and Road Initiative, his signature foreign policy plan that directs large Chinese investments to infrastructure projects in the developing world.
He also announced that China, along with Brazil, South Africa and the African Union, were launching an “Open Science International Cooperation Initiative” designed to funnel scientific and technological innovations to the Global South.
“China supports the G20 in carrying out practical cooperation for the benefit of the Global South,” Xi said, according to state news agency Xinhua, adding that China’s imports from developing countries are expected to top $8 trillion between now and 2030.
“China has always been a member of the ‘Global South’, a reliable and long-term partner of developing countries, and an activist and doer in support of global development,” Xi added.
“China does not seek to be a single player, but rather hopes that 100 flowers will blossom and that it will work hand in hand with the vast number of developing countries to achieve modernization.”
Xi’s focus on the Global South comes as Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his peers from developing economies push for a more central role in multilateral talks. The two leaders will meet in Brasilia on Wednesday, as Xi wraps up his stay in Brazil with a state visit.
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