Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday said the outbreak of COVID-19 once again proves that building a community with a shared future for mankind is a right choice that meets the trend of times.
Wang, who is also a state councilor, made the remarks while addressing the extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers of BRICS, an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, via video link.
"The sudden onslaught of COVID-19 reminds us once again that our interests are closely entwined and so are our futures," Wang said.
A challenge that respects no border and makes no distinction of ethnicity has only made global governance more important, not less, he said.
"As we live in the same global village on planet Earth, building a community with a shared future for mankind is a right choice that meets the trend of times," Wang said.
In response to some arguments that the world will never be the same again after COVID-19, Wang said China's strategic assessment is that COVID-19 will not change the theme of the times which remains peace and development.
"It will not cut short the historical trend toward multi-polarity and globalization, and still less will it deter humankind from its firm pursuit of civilization and progress," he said.
He called on countries to bear in mind both immediate needs and longer-term objectives and promote both their own interests and global well-being.
"We must work together to sustain a peaceful and stable international environment and foster brighter prospects for win-win progress," Wang said.
