President Xi Jinping delivers a speech via video on Sunday at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Imperial Springs International Forum, held in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, with the theme "Multilateralism 2.0: Global Cooperation in the Post-Pandemic Era". [Photo/Xinhua]

He calls for sticking to openness, inclusiveness and collaboration

President Xi Jinping reiterated on Sunday that China remains committed to safeguarding multilateralism, saying the nation will firmly stand by the core values and basic principles of multilateralism, uphold fairness and justice and promote development through cooperation.

Xi delivered a speech via video at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Imperial Springs International Forum, which was held in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, with the theme "Multilateralism 2.0: Global Cooperation in the Post-Pandemic Era".

The forum, founded in 2014, has become a high-end platform for in-depth exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

Xi called for sticking to openness, inclusiveness, consultation and cooperation, upholding true multilateralism in response to the global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the fragile economic recovery and climate change.

"Multilateralism is essentially about having international affairs managed by all parties through consultation and the future of the world decided by all countries working together," Xi said.

He underlined the importance of upholding the international system with the United Nations at the core, the international order underpinned by international law and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. He also called for promoting humanity's common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom.