The BRICS countries held a Foreign Ministers’ Extraordinary Conference on COVID-19 last night. What is China’s view on the outcomes of this meeting? How significant is this meeting for international anti-pandemic cooperation?
Geng Shuang: On April 28, the Extraordinary Meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers on COVID-19 was held via video link. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended that meeting and delivered an important address.
State Councilor Wang expounded on China’s measures to fight the epidemic under the leadership and direction of President Xi Jinping and stated China’s four-point proposition on enhancing global cooperation on COVID-19. He proposed that all parties should uphold multilateralism and improve global governance, come together in the spirit of partnership to jointly combat COVID-19, uphold unity and coordination to forge a powerful synergy, and keep forging ahead with BRICS cooperation.
At the meeting, State Councilor Wang Yi exchanged views with foreign ministers of Russia, India, South Africa and Brazil on adherence to multilateralism, joint combat against COVID-19, deepening BRICS cooperation, etc. The five countries unanimously agreed that they should strengthen solidarity and cooperation, support each other in formulating and implementing anti-epidemic strategies befitting their national conditions, stepping up information-sharing, conducting in-depth exchange of experience and carrying out effective cooperation on the research and development of drugs and vaccines. They agreed to strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination, maintain coordination within such frameworks as the UN and G20, and jointly uphold the steady development of the world economy. The five countries all agreed to make global public health cooperation a higher priority on the BRICS agenda on top of the three-pillar-driven cooperation in the areas of economy, peace and security and people-to-people exchanges and ensure a full success of the St Petersburg Summit this year.
Most members made it very clear that it is essential to firmly support multilateralism, the core status of the UN in international system, and the leading role of WHO in global anti-pandemic cooperation, and oppose stigmatization and politicization of the pandemic.
The BRICS is an important mechanism for the cooperation among emerging major countries. At this crucial moment in the global combat against COVID-19, the Extraordinary Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs is of special significance as it sent out a positive signal of solidarity and coordination and cooperation against the pandemic by the BRICS countries. China stands ready to encourage the five countries to uphold the BRICS spirit, guard against the pandemic, broaden prospects for win-win cooperation and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
CCTV: The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson recently expressed concerns over the US building biological laboratories in former USSR countries. Some foreign media exposed that the labs were entirely led by the US and instructed by USDOD agencies to study dangerous diseases targeting specific groups, among which many projects are banned within the United States. I wonder if you have any comment?
Geng Shuang: We noted the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson’s remarks and related reports. The US established multiple biological laboratories in former USSR countries but kept its mouth shut regarding the labs’ functions, purposes and safety, causing deep concerns from local people and surrounding countries.
As we know, some local people strongly demand the labs be closed. We hope the US will act in a responsible manner, heed the concerns from the international community, attach importance to local people’s health and safety, and take concrete measures to eliminate the doubts.—Xinhua
