China-U.S. cooperation imperative to resetting global agenda

CGTN | 25-Jan-2021 | Tian Wei

“The beggar-thy-neighbor attitude must stop. It is really prosper thy neighbor. If others do well, you will do well too,” said World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende in an interview with CGTN host Tian Wei. He explained how it’s more important than ever to tear down political walls in a world that urgently needs cooperation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will speak at the Davos Agenda 2021 on January 25. The international community is eager to know how the Chinese leader plans to lead the world’s largest country for years to come. He will be the first speaker of the virtual summit. His speech will offer insights into how China intends to offer multilateral solutions in a post-pandemic world. “It is an honor to have Xi come to the Davos meeting next week. He will be the first speaker giving a special message on the opening day. It really signals hope that China is going to show leadership in a post-COVID world. The U.S. can learn from the economic recovery of China. China was one of the few economies that grew last year, while the rest of the economies have been contracting,” said Brende.  In addition, China has been meeting its sustainable development goals and harnessing new technology to reduce poverty, said Brende. But he is most eager on how much of a role China will take globally, especially in multilateral issues like negotiating WTO reform. Brende said he hopes the new Joe Biden administration will be receptive to the solutions offered by China to address global problems like the pandemic and climate change. “I do hope that the new leadership in Washington, under Biden, together with the Chinese leadership will find new paths for common solutions. While there will always be competition between big countries like China and the U.S., we also need to see a willingness for solutions if we are going to make progress.”

This willingness will be demonstrated in whether they can tackle global issues like fighting poverty and building a more inclusive world. Biden rejoining the Paris Agreement on his first day in office sets a positive tone for going forward. Meanwhile, China’s ability to grow its economy while not sacrificing public health and sustainable development could be of reference for the whole world. “The cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of action. We have seen China leading in renewable energy. China is leading in solar panel production and driving down the cost. China is leading in wind turbine production and driving down the cost,” he said. In fact, the transformation to a low-carbon society can create three times as many jobs as traditional energy sources. Brende is optimistic about the future after witnessing China’s market-friendly sustainable progress. He said he anticipates collaboration between countries to ensure a great energy transformation goes global. President Xi’s upcoming speech comes on the fourth anniversary of his Davos 2017 speech, which championed multilateralism and collaboration. While Xi’s speech four years ago was met with praise, it also lacked action from major powers like the U.S. The success of Xi’s upcoming speech will depend on whether stakeholders, like the new U.S. administration, are willing to heed the call of collaboration.

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