Chinese Premier Li Qiang addresses the third session of the 20th G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese Premier Li Qiang appealed for efforts of the Group of 20 (G20) to strive for broader global cooperation to jointly cope with challenges and promote development.

Li made the remarks when attending the second and third sessions of the 20th G20 Summit scheduled in Johannesburg for Saturday and Sunday.

As multiple challenges such as climate change, energy and food crises are overlapping, the international community needs to unite to pool strength and solve problems through collaboration, Li said.

First, Li called on all parties to strengthen ecology and environmental protection cooperation, and enhance development resilience.

He called on G20 economies to abide by the science-based spirit and uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in dealing with issues concerning climate change and ecology.

With regard to cooperation in such fields, all parties should demonstrate responsibility and act promptly, he said.

China is willing to step up cooperation with all parties within the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and accelerate the implementation of the outcomes of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said the Chinese premier.

Secondly, Li urged efforts to strengthen cooperation on green energy and advance a just transition.

He called for promoting global cooperation in the green industry, keeping industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded, and facilitating the free flow and application of related technologies and products.

China stands ready to continue to do its utmost to support the energy transition of various countries, he added.

Thirdly, he said cooperation on food security should be enhanced to ensure stable supplies.

Li called for optimizing global food circulation and supply, fostering partnerships on major commodities, developing an open, stable and sustainable global food market, and strengthening supply for countries facing food shortages.

At the same time, the Chinese premier called on the G20 to enhance cooperation in agricultural science and technology, so as to boost food production capacity.

China is ready to work with all parties to advance the implementation of the International Cooperation Initiative on Global Food Security and make new contributions to the fight against hunger and poverty, he said.

The new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, bringing unprecedented development opportunities to the world, but it may also create new inequalities and development gaps, Li said.

The G20 should encourage all parties to adhere to openness, win-win cooperation and shared opportunities, and strive to enhance the well-being of people worldwide, Li added.

The first is to promote the widespread application and effective governance of artificial intelligence (AI), Li said, calling on the G20 to actively promote research and development cooperation and result sharing, bridge the intelligence gap and improve governance rules.

China encourages more countries to join the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization and the action plan of international cooperation in open science, and to promote the healthy and orderly development of AI in a beneficial, safe and fair way, Li said.

The second is to promote mutually beneficial cooperation and peaceful utilization of critical minerals.

China supports the UN Secretary-General's Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals in playing a constructive role and calls for full implementation of the G20 Critical Minerals Framework, said Li, urging efforts to promote a more balanced distribution of benefits in production and supply chains, so as to better safeguard the interests of developing countries.

Meanwhile, Li urged a prudent approach to potential military and other applications to prevent security risks. He added that China encourages the active participation of all parties in the International Economic and Trade Cooperation Initiative on Green Mining and Minerals.

The third is to strengthen development empowerment and livelihood support for the Global South, Li said.

He urged efforts to support capacity-building assistance in Africa and other developing countries, create more job opportunities, and advance the development of women and youth.

The premier added that China stands ready to work with all parties to implement the G20 Nelson Mandela Bay Target, enabling more young people to benefit from economic globalization.

The summit adopted the G20 South Africa Summit: Leaders' Declaration.

During the summit, Li held friendly exchanges with French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Angolan President Joao Lourenco, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and others.