Chinese President Xi Jinping called for greater global cooperation against COVID-19 on Monday, saying China would send an additional 1 billion doses of vaccines to other countries while urging other powers to abandon a "Cold War mentality" at a time of rising geopolitical tensions — a veiled jab at the US.

As he delivered the opening speech of a virtual gathering hosted by the World Economic Forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping praised his country's efforts to share vaccines, combat climate change, and promote development at home and abroad.

Because of health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, the event is being held online instead of the annual January meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Global pandemic outbreak

Another topic of discussion was the global outbreak, which has claimed over 5.5 million lives and has thrown the world economy into disarray. During a panel discussion on the virus, Moderna's CEO stated that the vaccine maker was working on a single-shot booster for both COVID-19 and the flu, while Dr. Anthony Fauci of the University of California, San Francisco, described the reluctance of many Americans to take basic precautions like wearing masks and getting vaccinated as "very disturbing".

“This is such a formidable virus,” Fauci said, noting the difficulty in achieving herd immunity against COVID-19 because of the tendency of immunity to fade, even after vaccination. “You make the virus have an advantage when you don’t implement in a unified way all the very well-recognized public health measures, particularly the vaccines.”

Xi, who has not left China since the coronavirus emerged in early 2020, stated in his speech that China has exported over 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations.

He announced plans to provide an additional 1 billion doses, including 600 million to Africa and an additional 150 million to Southeast Asia.

Managers of the United Nations-backed COVAX program, which ships vaccines to developing countries, announced over the weekend that they had delivered 1 billion vaccine doses.

Widening China's economy 

Xi reiterated themes from previous international talks, such as responding to trading partners' complaints by promising to open China's state-dominated economy to more private and foreign competition.

His remarks come as tensions between the US and China have risen over issues such as Taiwan, intellectual property, trade, human rights, and the South China Sea.

“We need to discard Cold War mentality and seek peaceful coexistence and win-win outcomes. Our world today is far from being tranquil,” said Xi, through a translator. “Protectionism and unilateralism can protect no one. They ultimately hurt the interests of others as well as one’s own. Even worse are the practices of hegemony and bullying, which run counter to the tide of history."

“A zero-sum approach that enlarges one’s own gain at the expense of others will not help,” he added. “The right way forward for humanity is peaceful development and win-win cooperation.”

Xi stated that China "stands ready to work with" other governments on climate issues, stressing that it is the responsibility of developed countries to provide money and technology.