Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 12th BRICS summit via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Nov 17, 2020. (LI XUEREN / XINHUA)

BEIJING - Chinese companies are carrying out phase-III clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines with Russian and Brazilian partners, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday.

China is also willing to have relevant cooperation with South Africa and India, Xi said when addressing the 12th BRICS summit in Beijing via video link.

Xi said the anti-virus practices over the past year have proved that the spread of the virus can be curbed as long as people stay in solidarity and follow a science-based approach in prevention and control

Xi said to support the development of the BRICS Vaccine R&D Center, China has designated its own national center.

China will work with other BRICS countries both online and offline to advance collective vaccine research and trials, set up plants, authorize production and recognize each other's standards, Xi said.

He called for international solidarity and cooperation in jointly coping with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Xi said the anti-virus practices over the past year have proved that the spread of the virus can be curbed as long as people stay in solidarity and follow a science-based approach in prevention and control.

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"We need to overcome differences and prejudice with unity and rationality and forge the greatest synergy in the battle against the virus," he said.

Xi put forward several proposals for BRICS cooperation to overcome global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic recession.

The proposals included upholding multilateralism and safeguarding world peace and stability; deepening solidarity and cooperation in jointly coping with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; and upholding openness and innovation to boost global economic recovery.

Xi also called for prioritizing people's livelihood and promoting sustainable development across the world and upholding green and low-carbon development and promoting harmonious co-existence of man and nature.

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Xi stressed that the practice of using the COVID-19 pandemic to pursue deglobalization and playing up the so-called "economic decoupling" and "parallel systems" will only end up in hurting one's own interests and the common benefits of all countries.

He urged firm efforts to build an open world economy and expressed opposition to abusing the concept of national security for the purpose of protectionism. 

Xi said it is against the universal aspiration of people around the world to ignore rules and the rule of law, engage in unilateralism and bullying, and keep withdrawing from multilateral groups and reneging on agreements.

He urged BRICS countries to firmly safeguard international fairness and justice. Xi said BRICS countries must hold high the banner of multilateralism, safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and the international order underpinned by international law.

He said countries should transcend ideology, respect each other's social system, economic model and development path they choose based on their own national conditions.

Xi spoke of the need to champion the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, solve disputes through consultation and negotiation, and oppose interference in others' internal affairs as well as unilateral sanctions and the "long-arm jurisdiction" to jointly foster a peaceful and stable environment for development.

Xi said China will more actively integrate into the global market and deepen international cooperation to create more opportunities and room for world economic recovery and development.

BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Tuesday's meeting was hosted by Russia, which holds the rotating BRICS presidency this year.