Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea demonstrated leadership in upholding multilateralism, sustainability, and shared development in science and technology, according to experts from around the world.
In his speech titled "Building an Inclusive Open Asia-Pacific Economy for All", Xi presented a five-point proposal designed to advance inclusive economic globalization while fostering an Asia-Pacific community.
At a time of mounting regional uncertainty and global turbulence, scholars and observers said China had demonstrated its leadership, and said that Xi's proposals offer valuable direction for tackling today's economic and geopolitical challenges.
"China and President Xi played an extremely important role at this year's APEC meeting. China has demonstrated its position as a leading force in the Asia-Pacific region, and this leadership has been well-executed. Another key initiative raised by President Xi concerns green and sustainable development. This will encourage more countries to prioritize climate issues and drive the Asia-Pacific toward a greener and more sustainable future," said Piti Srisangnam, executive director of the ASEAN Foundation.
Hoang Hue Anh, Director of the China Research Center at the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, said that China's proposals align closely with APEC's guiding principles.
"At the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, China reaffirmed its commitment to further opening up, trade liberalization, and multilateralism. We have also seen that China introduced a series of new global initiatives, including the Global Security Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the recently proposed Global Governance Initiative. These all reflect China's consistent support for free trade and further opening up, which aligns with APEC's principles," she said.
Alireza Rastegar, President of the International Federation of Inventors' Associations, highlighted China's achievements in science and technology, and its ambition to pursue shared innovation across borders.
"I know Mr Xi, President of China, has a very good feeling for innovation and technology, and they are doing very well. This is amazing because it's not just looking for the business, it's also looking for the basic science and technology. So right now, China is one power(ful) country at the base of innovation. China can open this part of the technology section and innovation section, and they encourage furthering this knowledge to other countries. China can be the leader of road-mapping for the future," he said.
Xi's APEC speech highlights multilateralism, green development, shared innovation: experts
