G20 to establish fugitive repatriation centre in China: Xi

Chinese President and host Xi Jinping on Monday said important breakthroughs have been achieved this year in the anti-graft area in terms of fugitive repatriation and asset recovery. G20 leaders have also formulated the high-level principles on persons sought for corruption and asset recovery, and a G20 2017-18 anti-corruption action plan, said Xi, who carried out an 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.

On the global economic recovery, the Chinese leader said 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 highlighting 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 would 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. Xi said at the closing meeting the leaders, attending the summit, decided to point the way and set the course for the world economy.