Xi Addresses Third Paris Peace Forum

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech via video at the third Paris Peace Forum on November 12， calling for joint efforts to fight COVID-19， promote recovery， and safeguard peace.

“Global threats and challenges require global responses，” Xi said， raising three proposals for the global response.

Firstly， Xi called for solidarity in being willing to help each other jointly fight COVID-19 as the coronavirus is still wreaking havoc around the world. Xi promised China will continue to share with others experience in containing the virus and expertise in diagnostics and therapeutics， provide assistance in essential medical supplies， and honor its commitment to make Chinese vaccines a global public good.

Secondly， Xi stressed openness and cooperation to jointly promote recovery. He stressed that China will work with the rest of the international community to keep the global industrial and supply chains stable and foster an open world economy.

Thirdly， Xi called for upholding justice to jointly safeguard world peace. He stressed the need to adhere to peaceful coexistence， as well as the need to respect other countries right to development and their independent choice of development paths and models.

The Paris Peace Forum this year is strongly marked by the need for international cooperation in the fight against COVID-19， said Pascal Lamy， president of the three-day event.

Held mainly in the digital format for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic， the third Paris Peace Forum was an interactive platform with over 10，000 participants， featuring some 70 roundtables and 100 projects.

Xi Jinping and His Wife Meet with Cambodian King and Queen Mother

On November 6， 2020， President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Xi Jinping said， King Sihamoni has just concluded his trip to Yanan that King Father Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Mother Monineath visited 50 years ago， a trip that carries forward and enhances friendship. Queen Mother Monineath has made special and important contributions to the everlasting friendship as well as cooperation and exchanges across the board between China and Cambodia. President Xi said， “I awarded the Queen Mother the Friendship Medal of the Peoples Republic of China today to highly appreciate her special and important contributions to bilateral ties and to promote the deep friendship between the two peoples. We will continue our efforts to take the China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to a new level.”

Sihamoni said， “We are deeply impressed by the Chinese peoples profound friendship with the Cambodian people. I am willing to work with President Xi Jinping to pass on and carry forward the deep friendship forged by leaders of the older generation of the two countries and write a new chapter in Cambodia-China friendship and cooperation.”

Monineath indicated， “King Father Sihanouk and I are the Chinese peoples loyal and good friends. I am deeply moved by President Xi Jinpings awarding of the Friendship Medal of the Peoples Republic of China to me. I will continue to work for the Cambodia-China friendship.”

Li Keqiang Attends the Fourth RCEP Summit

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attended the fourth Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership （RCEP） Summit， which was held via video link， at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing， on November 15， 2020.

“The signing of the RCEP is not only a monumental achievement in East Asian regional cooperation， but more importantly， a victory of multilateralism and free trade，” Li said.

With the largest participating population in the world， the most diverse membership and the greatest development potential， the free trade bloc will strongly advance the overall recovery process of the regional economy， inject new impetus into regional development and prosperity， and act as an important engine for driving global economic growth， Li said.

The RCEP will help realize a highlevel opening-up for trade in goods and services， as well as investments， among regional countries， greatly lift the level of regional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation， and strengthen the attractiveness and competitiveness of the region， according to Li.

Leaders of the RCEP member states spoke highly of the formal signing of the agreement， believing it stands as a historic and significant milestone. Especially in the context of the severe impact of COVID-19 on the world economy， RCEP， as the largest mega free trade agreement， will strongly promote regional prosperity and stability， bring hope to speeding up world economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 era， help foster an open world economy， and boost trade and investment liberation and facilitation.

After the summit， Li and leaders of other countries attended the signing ceremony of the RCEP.

The RCEP includes the 10 ASEAN members and the blocs five FTA partners of Australia， China， Japan， New Zealand， and the Republic of Korea.