2021 Imperial Springs International Forum Envisions Global Cooperation in Post-Pandemic Era

GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Themed "Multilateralism 2.0: Global Cooperation in the Post-Pandemic Era", the 2021 Imperial Springs International Forum concluded in Guangzhou on December 6. Over 160 guests from political, academic, and business circles in more than 30 countries attended the forum online or on-site.

Guests exchanged insights and inspirations on six key themes, respectively "Multilateralism and Sustainable Development", "Advancing Reform and Opening-up, Promoting Win-Win Cooperation", "Global Governance and China's Perspective", "Inclusive, Sustainable and Resilient Cities in the Belt and Road Initiative", "The Belt and Road Initiative for New Opportunities and New Cooperation" and "China-Australia Economic and Trade Relations". The discussions are highlighted by the consensus on the major role multilateralism plays in post-pandemic global cooperation, and the release of the 2021 Imperial Springs Statement. 

As the Statement suggests, human beings are a community of shared future. Delegates from various nations agreed on fighting the pandemic and addressing global challenges as a unified whole. No country is immune to the threats of COVID-19, which is why solidarity and cooperation are the essential components of the cure, something the world needs now more than ever.

Margaret Chan, Founding Dean of Tsinghua Vanke School of Public Health and former Director-General of the World Health Organization, said at a session on the morning of Dec. 6th that the pandemic has exposed the weakness in global health governance and cooperation. In this interconnected world full of uncertainties, global cooperation is necessary to solving our common challenges and improving global health governance.

The 2021 Imperial Springs Statement calls for concrete actions from all countries to enhance multilateral cooperation, uphold the international system with UN at its core, and stand by the basic norms governing international relations based on the principles of the UN Charter.

In his video message, Antonio Guterres, former Secretary-General of the United Nations called for "a more inclusive network and effective multilateralism", suggesting that new multilateralism solutions are needed to address common challenges facing mankind.

Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom said at the forum that problems like social injustices, climate change, vaccine inequalities and digital insecurities are global in nature, which require global solutions. The world needs to act together at this very time.

Esko Aho, former Prime Minister of Finland said countries must work together to make common rules and promote open, multilateral trade to enable win-win and make sure everyone is "able to be joined to the common goals and objectives".

A prevalent belief among participants is that, to address global challenges, countries should advocate common values of mankind, consistently uphold multilateralism and promote the democratization of international relations. Only by advancing solidarity and cooperation under the new paradigm of win-win and common development, can the world build a community with a shared future for mankind.