China will work with its partners to develop the Belt and Road into a model of cooperation for meeting challenges through unity, President Xi Jinping said in a written message to the high-level video conference on Belt and Road International Cooperation. The Belt and Road will also be a model of health for protecting people’s safety and well-being, a model of recovery for restoring economic and social activity, and a model of growth for unlocking development potential, Xi said. The video conference is a highly important meeting that gives Belt and Road cooperation partners an opportunity to discuss a collective response to Covid-19, advance Belt and Road cooperation, and strengthen international solidarity and cooperation, he said. The Chinese president said that the sudden attack of Covid-19 has posed a grave threat to the lives and health of people across the globe. It has dealt a heavy blow to the world economy, and caused tough economic and social challenges for some countries, developing ones in particular, he said. “To contain the virus, countries have taken robust and effective measures, specific to their national context. On top of that, many countries are striving to resume economic and social development,” he said, noting that in China’s case, the people’s lives and well-being have always been a top priority. China will do what it can and contribute its share to an early global victory against Covid-19, and the recovery of the global economy, Xi said. “Be it in taming the virus or in achieving economic recovery, we cannot succeed without solidarity, cooperation, and multilateralism. The right approach to tackling global crises and realizing long-term development is through greater connectivity, openness, and inclusiveness,” he said. “This is where Belt and Road international cooperation can make a big difference,” he said, adding that China is committed to peaceful development and mutually beneficial cooperation. Foreign ministers or officials at ministerial level from 25 countries attended the video conference. Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UN Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner also participated in the event. In his remarks on the occasion, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Covid-19, with its wide-ranging impacts, is posing a challenge to mankind rarely seen before. “To defeat the virus and tide over this crisis, the world must come together in solidarity, partnership and cooperation,” he said. “We hope that at such a trying time, a message of unity and cooperation from Belt and Road partners will bolster our confidence in promoting Belt and Road cooperation and in defeating the virus,” he added. “Since President Xi proposed this initiative in 2013, thanks to the active participation and strong support of all parties, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has kept growing in both depth and substance,” the foreign minister said. “It has evolved into the largest platform for international cooperation playing an ever more important role in promoting development and prosperity around the world,” he went on to say. “Marked by last year’s successful Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, it has embarked on a new phase of high quality cooperation,” he added. A joint Statement issued at the conclusion of the conference noted, “The Covid-19 pandemic poses a serious threat to human health, safety and well-being as well as the socio-economic development of our countries and the world at large. Our first priority is to contain the spread of the virus, save lives and safeguard global public health.” “The Covid-19 constitutes a global challenge that calls for global response based on unity, solidarity, mutual support and multilateral cooperation. We recognize the central role of the United Nations system in catalyzing and coordinating the comprehensive global response to control and contain the spread of Covid-19 as well as the efforts of member states therein, and acknowledge in this regard the key leadership role of the World Health Organization,” it added. “We agree that there is no place for any form of discrimination, stigmatization, racism and xenophobia in our response to the pandemic,” the statement read. “We will continue our efforts in promoting international cooperation, including high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Such equal cooperation will continue to be open, green and clean, based on extensive consultation, joint efforts, shared and mutual benefits, as well as pursuit of high-standard, people-centered and sustainable development,” it further said. “We support mutual efforts in combating the Covid-19, and will cooperate to address, control and overcome the pandemic through the sharing of timely and necessary information, experiences and best practices for diagnosis and treatment of the Covid-19, strengthening and upgrading the capacity of public health system, promoting joint scientific research and international dialogues among health professionals, and providing assistance to countries in need,” it added.