G20 to establish fugitive repatriation centre in China: Xi

Leaders of G20 economies at a key summit here have made substantial achievements on development issues including consensus to advance anti-corruption campaign and set up a research centre in China on fugitive repatriation and asset recovery.

Speaking to journalists at the end of the two-day summit in Hangzhou, Chinese President and host Xi Jinping today said important breakthroughs have been made this year in anti-graft area in terms of fugitive repatriation and asset recovery.

G20 leaders also formulated the high-level principles on persons sought for corruption and asset recovery, and a G20 2017-2018 anti-corruption action plan, said Xi, who carried out extensive anti-graft drive in which thousands of officials including some top leaders were punished.

“(These) will leave corrupt officials no place to hide in G20 members’ territories and in the world at large,” he said.

The G20 leaders agreed to advance anti-corruption campaign including the establishment of a research centre in China on fugitive repatriation and asset recovery, state-run Xinhua quoted President Xi as saying.

Economic cooperation

On the global economic recovery, the Chinese leader said that G20 members were determined to facilitate inclusive and interconnected development.

For the first time, the summit put the issue of development front and centre of the global macro policy framework, constituted an action plan to facilitate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and supported the industrialisation of African countries and least developed countries collectively.

“These moves are of pioneering significance in the history of the G20,” Xi said about the achievements of the summit which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Barack Obama and other world leaders.

Xi said the G20 will strive to fulfil its role as a premier forum for international economic cooperation and continue to transform itself from a crisis-response mechanism to a long-term governance platform focusing on medium- and long-term policies and supply-side reforms.

“We agree that the transformation concerns the interests of all members and has a great bearing on the future of the world economy. Only through reforms in line with the changing realities can the G20 retain its vitality,” he said.

He said G20 leaders have reached consensus on a wide range of important topics and a joint communique was adopted, clarifying the development direction, targets, measures of the G20 cooperation.

The Hangzhou Consensus was reached on facilitating world economic growth through long-term, comprehensive, open, innovative and inclusive measures, Xi said.

The G20 members will support multilateral trading system and oppose protectionism to unleash global trade cooperation potential and reverse the declining trend of trade growth, he said.

In the last two days, G20 members, guest countries and international organisations exchanged views on topics including more effective global economic and financial governance, robust international trade and investment, inclusive and interconnected development.

They also discussed key issues affecting the world economy, including climate change, refugee, anti-terrorism financing and global public health.

Xi said that at the closing meeting the leaders attending the summit decided to point the way and set the course for the world economy.

“Facing current risks and challenges in the world economy, we will continue to reinforce macro policy communication and coordination,” Xi said.

“We are determined to break a new path for growth to inject new dynamism into the world economy,” Xi said, adding that a G20 Blueprint on Innovative Growth was unanimously adopted at the summit.

The leaders were also determined to improve global economic and financial governance to enhance the resilience of the world economy, and to revitalise international trade and investment as the key engines of growth and build an open world economy, the president said.

Consensus was also made to promote inclusive and interconnected development so that G20 cooperation will deliver benefits to the whole world, Xi said.

A communique was adopted at the summit, clarifying the development direction, targets and measures of G20 cooperation, while the Hangzhou Consensus was reached on facilitating world economic growth through long-term, comprehensive, open, innovative and inclusive measures, Xi said.