Chinese premier urges green recovery for mankind's better future

China is willing to work with all other parties to promote green recovery for a better future for mankind, Premier Li Keqiang said via video link at the 2021 Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Seoul Summit on Sunday.

Li said the green and sustainable development of the world is facing severe challenges as the global economy becomes more unstable with mounting uncertainties amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

Members of the international community should help each other and work together to ensure that development and green transformation go hand in hand, reinforce each other and facilitate the upgrading of the quality of development, he said.

As the largest developing country, China is making arduous and exceptional efforts to achieve the modernization goal by the middle of this century while realizing low-carbon and green development, he said.

China has promised to strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Li said that China will establish and improve an economic system featuring green and low-carbon circular development, to promote a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.

The premier called for joint efforts from the international community to fight COVID-19, improve global health governance and ensure stable global industrial and supply chains.

He also stressed efforts to promote green and low-carbon transformation.

After the pandemic, countries should not return to the old high-pollution and high-emission path of development, but should seek a win-win approach of economic development and ecological and environmental protection, grasping new opportunities to achieve high-quality development, Li said.

He called on the international community to pay great attention to the concerns and appeals of developing countries and increase technological, financial and capacity support to help them achieve a green and low-carbon transformation.

He said that it is necessary to maintain the multilateral trade rules system with the World Trade Organization as the core, be alert to new green trade barriers, and oppose unilateralism and trade protectionism.

The 2021 P4G Seoul Summit was hosted by the Republic of Korea. Leaders of more than 60 countries and international organizations attended the virtual event.