Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday told a forum on post-pandemic global governance that countries should abandon doubts and mistrust of globalization and international organizations.

Such suspicions have hindered the global effort in tackling crises like the coronavirus pandemic, Ban said via video link at Lanting Forum on International Order and Global Governance in the Post-COVID-19 Era held in Beijing.

Wang Yi warns against unilateralism, protectionism in post-epidemic era

Referring to the U.S., Ban said a certain developed country had put its own interests before those of international society, which has not only led to a rise in unilateralism but caused damage to international rules.

He called on countries to support multilateralism and the UN-led efforts in global economic recovery and world health system reform.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who also spoke at the forum, voiced concerns about the current state of China-U.S. relations. He called on the two countries to maintain stable bilateral ties, as doing so concerns world peace and stability.

Earlier, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned that countries should be careful in making decisions when the world is at an important juncture and battling COVID-19.

During the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the international community has reached the consensus that the UN is still the most complete platform in the international system, multilateralism remains the cornerstone of the current international order and solidarity and cooperation is the only way out of the pandemic, Wang said in a keynote speech.

(Cover: File photo of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. /CFP)