CGTN: G20 lands in Africa: China calls for unity over division
BEIJING, Nov. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CGTN published an article on the G20 summit's first landing in Africa, highlighting China's call for unity over division in global governance. It emphasizes Beijing's efforts to amplify the voice of developing countries and promote an open, fair and inclusive world economy.
For the first time since its inception, the G20 Leaders' Summit has come to the African continent. Johannesburg is hosting the gathering from November 22 to 23, marking a notable shift in global governance: emerging economies and developing nations are no longer observing from the sidelines but moving closer to the center of decision-making.
Addressing the first session of the summit on Saturday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang quoted President Xi Jinping's remarks from the 17th G20 summit: "Solidarity is strength, but division leads nowhere." In a world strained by geopolitical tension, weak trade and widening development gaps, Li framed unity as essential. He urged G20 members to amplify the voice of developing countries and help build a fairer, more open global economic order.
Elevating developing countries' voice
For China, the first G20 summit in Africa underscored why strengthening the Global South's voice matters in today's multilateral system.
"No matter how the international landscape evolves, we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart and maintain our roots in the Global South," President Xi has pledged.
Over the years, China, under Xi's leadership, has taken concrete steps to advocate for developing countries, help Global South countries enhance their representation and voice in international governance, and promote a more just and equitable international order.
At the 2022 G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, China took the lead in supporting the African Union (AU)'s membership in the G20, a step that has now made Africa a permanent seat at the table rather than a voice from the margins.
China's effort has extended beyond the G20. China supported the historic expansion of BRICS, broadening the group's reach and reshaping it into what Beijing describes as "a new journey of greater BRICS cooperation." It has also promoted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a major regional platform bringing together countries across Eurasia. The International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), jointly established by China and more than 30 other countries, has broken the Western monopoly on dispute resolution mechanisms.
Beijing has also been expanding cooperation frameworks across the developing world: from 10 partnership actions with Africa to five major projects with Latin America, five cooperation frameworks with Arab countries and six cooperation platforms with Pacific Island nations so as to strengthen developing countries' capacity and voice in global affairs.
China's commitment to building an open world economy
Unilateralism and protectionism remain rampant, while hegemonism and power politics surge against the tide of history. In Xi's eyes, the only way out is to practice true multilateralism.
The Chinese president, on many multilateral occasions, reiterated that China always pursues the basic state policy of opening up and has taken real steps to promote an open world economy.
Over the years, China has been actively promoting global free trade. As of January this year, China has inked 23 free trade agreements with 30 countries or regions.
Regionally, China has widened economic integration through a growing network of free trade agreements, completing an upgraded deal with ASEAN and implementing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Its applications to join broader frameworks such as the CPTPP and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement signal a push toward higher-standard and more interconnected markets.
Infrastructure and investment have formed another strand of China's pitch for openness. Through the Belt and Road Initiative and institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank, Beijing has backed cross-border links that many developing countries view as gateways to growth and trade.
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