China on Tuesday highlighted multilateralism as the solution to global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and deep economic recession, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said when asked to comment on Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF).

President Xi's speech at the WEF mentioned multilateralism 11 times. According to Zhao, the president's repetition of  multilateralism, clearly shows the world China's solution to the global challenges faced by the international community.

The Chinese president said global cooperation is the best way to defeat the pandemic and other global crises, as the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, Zhao said.

According to Zhao, global challenges not only refer to the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 and deep economic recession but also the uneven development between the north and the south, as well as the ideological bias reignited by the rise of unilateralism.

Given the complex international situation, President Xi called on the world to champion multilateralism and build a community with a shared future for mankind, Zhao said, adding that the president has articulated five steps regarding how China is going to implement its commitment to multilateralism.

The world needs cooperation rather than confrontation, he said.

The spokesperson said China will step up its efforts to international cooperation on COVID-19, remain committed to sustainable development and technical innovation and strive to build a new type of international relations and an inclusive and mutually beneficial opening-up strategy featuring multilateralism.

Themed "A Crucial Year to Rebuild Trust,"  the World Economic Forum (WEF) which takes place on January 25-29 this year, aims to rebuild trust and shape the policies and partnerships needed in 2021. More than 1,500 business, government and civil society leaders from over 70 countries and regions will set the agenda for 2021.