The East Hall on the second floor of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing was brightly lit at 8 pm on August 19, 2020.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, waved via video to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, then President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Gabriela Cuevas Barron and more than 130 parliamentary leaders from 113 countries attending the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. 

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, attends the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament via video link from Beijing on August 19, 2020. Li Tao

This was the first time Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee took part in an international conference via video link. Leaders from all over the world gathered on the cloud to take part in dialogue and build consensus on the overall theme of parliamentary leadership for more effective multilateralism that delivers peace and sustainable development for the people and the planet. 

Amid the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the NPC Standing Committee actively promoted exchanges and cooperation with foreign parliaments through "cloud diplomacy," outlining its initiatives in an effort to contribute its share to the development of international relations, to promote transformation in the global governance system, maintain world peace and stability, as well as safeguarding national interests.

A global fight

Through these platforms, Li and others have introduced China's successful practices in combating the epidemic and shared its experience in epidemic prevention and control and the resumption of production.

At the parliamentary conference, Li delivered a speech titled, Work Together to Defeat COVID-19 and Build a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity, where he said that President Xi Jinping has been personally directing China's response efforts. President Xi had called for adhering to the people-first approach since nothing matters more than human life and stressed that China will stop at nothing to protect its people's life and health. 

In the face of the COVID-19 virus, China swiftly took the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough measures, mobilized the whole nation and established collective and society-wide mechanisms to fight it.

"China has acted with openness, transparency and responsibility. We provided information to the World Health Organization (WHO) and relevant countries in a timely fashion. We released the genome sequence at the earliest possible time. We shared control and treatment experience with the world without reservation. We have done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need," Li added.

Several epidemic prevention and control measures taken by China were included in the declaration adopted by the speakers of parliament and the IPU president, including forging a global community with a shared future for humanity, a people-centered approach, solidarity and cooperation and the principles of peaceful coexistence. 

Then IPU President Cuevas Barron said she believes that China has done well in the global fight against COVID-19, and that the concept of "building a community with a shared future for humanity" has pointed the way for all countries in fighting the pandemic.

Deepening cooperation

At the Sixth BRICS Parliamentary Forum under the theme BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth: Parliamentary Dimension, held on October 27, 2020, Li presented several practical experiences on fighting against COVID-19, building economic recovery and countering the negative consequences of the pandemic. 

"First, legislative bodies should strengthen cooperation in the field of public health and provide legal protection for epidemic prevention and control. Second, we should strengthen cooperation in the fight against coronavirus infection, exchange information and best practices, and work on the development of new vaccines. Third, it is necessary to provide support to the WHO and to the WTO (World Trade Organization) to promote trade and mutual investment (during/post COVID-19)," Li said.

He also called for more openness, innovation and development, and urged the legislative bodies to firmly safeguard the multilateral trading system from the perspective of the rule of law. He also stressed the need to firmly uphold the authority of international law and deepen parliamentary cooperation within the framework of BRICS.

BRICS parliamentarians should take responsibility for stabilizing their respective countries' economies to accelerate global economic recovery, he added.

Meanwhile, on November 2, 2020, Li put forward suggestions aimed at boosting cooperation between the legislatures of China and Russia at the opening ceremony of the Sixth Meeting of the Inter-parliamentary Commission on Cooperation between the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the NPC of China, which he attended via video from Beijing.

Li noted that the commission is an important platform for implementing consensus between the two heads of state, as well as playing an important role in optimizing the legal environment for bilateral cooperation and consolidating the public opinion foundation of bilateral ties.

"The NPC is willing to work with the Russian Federal Council and the State Duma to push forward the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, making due contributions in achieving respective development and revitalization goals, dealing with risks and challenges together, jointly safeguarding world peace and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity," he said.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, attends the 6th BRICS Parliamentary Forum via video link from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 27, 2020. Pang Xinglei

At the opening ceremony of the 11th meeting of the parliamentary exchange mechanism between legislative bodies of China and France held on December 16, 2020, Li said the two legislatures should enrich and expand exchanges and cooperation between their friendship groups, share the story of bilateral friendship as well as promote dialogue and exchanges between NPC deputies and French National Assembly members in specialized fields such as science and technology, education, culture, health and youth and women.

The two sides should jointly safeguard the international system with the UN as the core, the international order based on international law and the multilateral trading system with the rules of the WTO as the cornerstone, along with strengthening communication and coordination, Li said.

Richard Ferrand, President of the French National Assembly, said that France-China relations are of crucial importance, adding that the National Assembly is willing to play a positive role, strengthen cooperation under the exchanges mechanism and contribute to the long-term, stable and healthy development of France-China relations.

Sharing experience 

In 2020, the NPC held 44 bilateral meetings and other exchange activities with relevant national parliaments via video and attended 26 online international conferences, where members of the NPC Standing Committee shared their views and exchanged ideas with their foreign counterparts on various issues. 

On green development, Cheng Lifeng, vice chairman of the NPC Environment and Resources Protection Conservation Committee, said during the 11th meeting between China and France, that in recent years, the NPC has promoted the strengthening of legislation related to climate change as an important task and has carried out a great deal of law enforcement and supervision work to accelerate green development and to build a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system. 

On digital technology, Liu Xiuwen, vice chairman of the Budgetary Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said that the global economy is undergoing a digital transformation, with the most urgent task being to formulate global rules for data security that can be accepted by all parties. To this end, China proposed the Global Initiative on Data Security at the International Seminar on Global Digital Governance in September 2020.

In the field of national security, Li Fei, chairman of the NPC Constitution and Law Committee, said that the NPC and its Standing Committee place great importance on legislation for safeguarding national security, carrying out systematic planning and formulating corresponding national security laws to provide adequate legal guarantees for building a complete national security system. 

In terms of deepening parliamentary cooperation, Zhang Zhijun, vice chairman of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee, said that China and Russia shoulder the special mission of maintaining world peace and security and promoting human development and progress. A strong and vibrant China-Russia relationship is of major strategic significance for building a new type of international relations, promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and maintaining regional and world peace and security.

He also said that the development of China-EU relations has brought tangible benefits to both sides and has played an important role in maintaining world peace and promoting common development. China and France should vigorously promote the concept and principles of multilateralism in the international arena, build a solid international framework for multilateralism and enhance the attractiveness and influence of the concept of multilateralism through concrete actions.

Leonid Slutsky, a chairman of State Duma Committee on International Affairs, suggested that China and Russia should strengthen coordination within the mechanisms of the UN and its Security Council, the BRICS mechanism and other multilateral frameworks, to maintain international and regional peace and stability. 

Chen Zhu (center), vice-chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, speaks at the 11th meeting of the parliamentary exchange mechanism between legislative bodies of China and France via video link from Beijing on December 16, 2020. Xu Lin

(National People's Congress 2020 ISSUE 4)