BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- As the world grapples with the spreading COVID-19 pandemic, the special video summit held by the Group of 20 leaders has sent a message of cooperation and solidarity and injected confidence into the global anti-virus war.
The novel coronavirus, with its tentacles reaching about 200 countries and regions, has infected over half a million people worldwide, posed an enormous threat to life and health, challenged global public health security and threatened to drag the world economy into recession. In the face of this formidable enemy, solidarity and confidence are what the world desperately needs.
The group announced after the summit to inject over 5 trillion U.S. dollars into the global economy, as part of targeted fiscal policies, economic measures and guarantee schemes to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic.
The G20 members, which account for about two-thirds of the entire human population and some 86 percent of the gross world product, also agreed to assist developing countries and least developed countries with weak health systems to cope with the challenge.
With G20 members pledging a commitment to "presenting a united front against this common threat," more substantial measures are expected to follow.
China, as a major responsible country with rich experience in coping with the virus, has also assumed its responsibility in the global fight against the pandemic, and stands ready to further contribute to the cause under the G20 framework.
At the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forth several proposals to battle the virus, including making a collective response for control and treatment at the international level, supporting international organizations in playing their active roles, convening a G20 health ministers' meeting as quickly as possible and launching a G20 COVID-19 assistance initiative.
Xi's proposals have upgraded the toolkit and pointed out the direction for the global community to cope with the pandemic.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, China has implemented rigorous prevention and control measures, building a strong first line of defense against the outbreak to buy precious time for the world to prepare for the virus.
After strenuous efforts, the epidemic situation in China is steadily moving in a positive direction, and life and work are quickly returning to normal. China's achievements in curbing the virus have sent an encouraging signal to the world that the virus can be defeated.
As the domestic epidemic subsides, China has offered assistance to 89 countries and four international organizations. Xi's remarks at the summit have reiterated China's commitment to aiding the global anti-virus efforts.
As an important platform for global crisis management and economic governance, the G20 shoulders key responsibilities to advocate international cooperation and boost morale for economic recovery. The summit is a first step of the group's response to the crisis, and G20 members, based on the consensus reached Thursday, should work together to follow through on their pledges.
With G20 stepping up to the plate and China sharing its experience and resources in battling the virus, the world will prevail over the pandemic with solidarity and mutual assistance.
