The Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, said the world is pinning high hopes on the G20 summit that is set to be held virtually on November 21-22 under the Saudi leadership. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, he said the Group of 20 major economies have achieved tangible progress in finding a vaccine for the coronavirus, and in dealing with the debt of developing countries, trade, investment and the digital economy. A virtual G20 leaders summit chaired by Saudi Arabia in March consolidated the world’s confidence in fighting the pandemic, he told the newspaper. “The virus has no boundaries and does not differentiate between races. We can only defeat it through concerted efforts,” said Wang. He added that the international community is following up with great interest the Riyadh summit amid hopes that it will send a positive message and reach a vision on cooperation in the fight against the pandemic and a review on the deficiencies exposed by the coronavirus in world governance. “We look forward to reaching reform in the post-pandemic era, and to meet the great and urgent concerns of the international community,” he told his interviewer. Wang denied accusations against China that it has not been transparent on the spread of the coronavirus. “Being the first country where the coronavirus was detected, China has adopted a transparent stance … and shared information with abroad from day one,” he said. He also rejected what he termed US bullying, its Cold War mentality and its attempts to politicize the pandemic. Wang hoped that Washington will become reasonable and look at the development of China and other economies with a pragmatic view. Asked about the war in Yemen, Wang said China backs the country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. He called for a ceasefire and resolving the crisis through political means. He also called for the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and the Riyadh Agreement through tangible steps. As a Security Council member, China has exerted huge efforts for reconciliation and negotiation between Yemen’s rival parties, and has provided assistance to the country, he said. On Libya, he said that only a political solution would resolve the country’s crisis, also calling for the respect of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Wang said Beijing rejects the interference of other countries in Libya’s affairs, adding that China backs the mediating role of the UN through countries neighboring Libya, the Arab League and the African Union. Asked about war-torn Syria, he said China also believes that the country’s problems cannot be solved militarily. He called for joint efforts to fight terrorism in Syria, saying a solution to the crisis will be in the interest of all states in the Middle East. He hoped that Syria would once again enjoy stability, security and development. “We are keen on strengthening coordination with Middle Eastern states and exert joint efforts to resolve this crisis,” Wang added.