November 16, the second day of the G20 Bali Summit, was also the closing day of the summit.
On that day, President Xi Jinping attended a number of multilateral and bilateral events in Bali. From continuing to attend the Bali summit to meeting with three foreign leaders, all clearly reflect the same keyword - "cooperation".
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Cooperation makes the "digital economy" come alive
For ten consecutive years, President Xi Jinping has attended the G20 Summit, and in addition to delivering a keynote speech on the opening day, he has continued to attend the meeting and speak on related issues on the second day.
In the last three summits, for example, President Xi spoke on inclusive development on the second day of the Osaka Summit in 2019, and on the second day of the Riyadh Summit in 2020, he focused on sustainable development. On the second day of the Rome Summit last year, he focused on climate change, energy, and sustainable development issues.
This attendance at the Bali Summit was no exception. On the second day of the summit, President Xi spoke during a discussion on digital transformation.
When China hosted the G20 Hangzhou Summit in 2016, it included the digital economy in the G20 agenda for the first time and led the development and release of the world's first digital economy policy document, the G20 Initiative on Digital Economy Development and Cooperation, signed by leaders of multiple countries.
At this Bali Summit, President Xi put forward three propositions for the digital transformation: first, we should adhere to multilateralism and strengthen international cooperation; second, we should adhere to the priority of development and bridge the digital divide; and third, we should adhere to the innovation drive and help the recovery after the epidemic.
Global development cannot be separated from the digital economy, and the digital economy cannot be separated from international cooperation.
China has proposed global development initiatives, and the digital economy is one of the key areas of cooperation. As an important platform for global digital economy exchange and cooperation, China has hosted the World Internet Conference for nine consecutive years.
On the 9th of this month, President Xi pointed out in his congratulatory letter to this year's World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit that in the face of the opportunities and challenges brought by digitalization, the international community should strengthen dialogue and exchange and deepen practical cooperation.
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Together on the "Noah's Ark" of the new era
In the afternoon of the same day, President Xi Jinping met with UN Secretary-General Guterres in Bali.
It was the second time we met after more than nine months. In February this year, Guterres came to China to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics, and President Xi met him at the Great Hall of the People.
In both meetings, "cooperation" was an important keyword.
During the last meeting, President Xi told Guterres that human beings live in the same global village and their destinies are closely intertwined. In the face of pressing global challenges, mankind will have a better tomorrow by strengthening solidarity and cooperation and riding together on the "Noah's Ark" of the new era.
Guterres said at the time that the world could not afford to be divided and confrontational, and that only by adhering to multilateralism and unity and cooperation could we effectively deal with various risks and challenges.
During this meeting, President Xi said that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with the United Nations and jointly promote global development initiatives and global security initiatives to achieve tangible results. He noted that we should put development at the center of the international agenda and let the fruits of development benefit every country and every person in a greater and fairer way. In this regard, countries should do what they say they will do and do more with their report cards rather than chanting slogans.
Guterres said that China's efforts to help developing countries develop together are unparalleled. The UN is ready to continue to work closely with China.
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"This is a symbol of strategic cooperation between the two countries"
In the evening, President Xi Jinping held talks with Indonesian President Joko, the leader of the host country of this G20 summit, and attended a series of events together.
Just over three months ago, President Joko chose China as the first stop on his first trip to East Asia since the outbreak. He was also the first foreign head of state to visit China after the Beijing Winter Olympics. During their meeting, the two heads of state clarified the general direction of building a community of destiny between China and Indonesia, which became the most important political outcome of that visit.
At this meeting in Bali, the two heads of state reached an important consensus on building a community of destiny between China and Indonesia, and agreed to take the 10th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Indonesia next year as an opportunity to build a new pattern of high-level cooperation.
In the evening, there was a special arrangement for the two heads of state to jointly video-view the test run of the Yavan high-speed railway and watch a video showcasing the achievements of cooperation between the two countries.
The Yawan high-speed railway, which connects Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and Bandung, a famous tourist city, is 142.3 kilometers long with a maximum operating speed of 350 kilometers per hour, and is the first high-speed railway in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, as well as the "primary flagship project" of practical cooperation between China and Indonesia. When completed and opened, the travel time between Jakarta and Bandung will be reduced from more than 3 hours to 40 minutes.
On January 21, 2016, President Xi sent a congratulatory letter to Indonesian President Joko to congratulate him on the start of the Yawan Express Rail Link project. President Joko has visited this project on site three times. During this meeting, Joko said that the Yawan high-speed railway is a symbol of strategic cooperation between the two countries, and Indonesia is ready to work with China to ensure that the Yawan high-speed railway will be put into operation next year as scheduled.
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China and Italy join hands to explore the growth point of cooperation
Among the leaders attending the Bali summit, Italian Prime Minister Meloni is a new face. On the 22nd of last month, she was officially sworn in as the first female Prime Minister of Italy.
When President Xi Jinping met with Meloni on the evening of Nov. 16, he said that China and Italy are both ancient civilizations and comprehensive strategic partners, sharing a wide range of common interests and a deep foundation for cooperation.
In 2019, when President Xi visited Italy, the leaders of the two countries reached a consensus to hold a "China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism". Later, due to the epidemic, both sides agreed to postpone the "China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism 2020" to this year. In July this year, the leaders of both countries sent a letter of congratulations on the opening of the "Origin of Italy - Ancient Roman Civilization" exhibition in Beijing.
During the meeting, both sides talked about the "Mutual Culture and Tourism Year", an important event to pass on the tradition of friendship and promote exchanges and cooperation.
During the meeting, President Xi said he hoped the two sides would explore growth points for cooperation in high-end manufacturing, clean energy, aerospace and third-party markets. For example, China is willing to import more Italian quality products, welcome Italy as guest of honor at the 2023 China International Consumer Goods Fair, and strengthen cooperation in ice and snow sports and industries with an eye on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
At the Bali Summit, President Xi Jinping pointed out clearly that the G20 should stick to the original spirit of solidarity and cooperation, inherit the spirit of being in the same boat and adhere to the principle of consensus. He stressed that a modernizing China will certainly provide more opportunities for the world, inject stronger impetus into international cooperation and make greater contributions to the progress of all mankind. Bali is a testimony to China's fervent desire for win-win cooperation with all parties.
From November 17 to 19, President Xi will attend the 29th informal meeting of APEC leaders in Bangkok, Thailand, and visit Thailand.