At the China Development High-Level Forum 2020, held in Beijing on November 11 under the theme "Economic Recovery and International Cooperation in the Post-Pandemic Era", Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jean-Sébastien Jacques said that over the past half century, Rio Tinto has supplied 3 billion tonnes of iron ore to China, helping build a thriving steel industry — enough steel for 18,000 Bird's Nest stadiums.
Jacques said someone once told him that the Chinese word for "crisis" is made up of two characters: "danger" and "opportunity". COVID-19 is the biggest challenge the world has faced in nearly a decade, but it has not stopped innovation. On the contrary, it has driven all parties to engage more actively in innovation. Innovation and technology are helping us stay on our feet in response to the crisis and connect with one another in new ways.
He said that solving major global challenges such as public health and climate change requires cooperation between countries, industries, and the scientific and technological community.
Jacques stressed that we should not go against globalization. Instead, we should enable businesses to operate better through cooperation. We need to drive competitive innovation and strengthen cooperation between countries to address the challenges of our times.
"Our cooperation with China's steel industry has spanned half a century, and we are still innovating together. Last year, with the support of the China Iron and Steel Association, we established cooperative relationships with China Baowu Steel Group and Tsinghua University to jointly address climate change," Jacques said. "This is a pioneering partnership that goes beyond the traditional relationship between supplier and customer. We believe cooperation can create greater value for all of humanity, and it is especially important in these challenging times. Mutual trust is built through long-term cooperation. Just as we have built a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation with China, it is only with such a relationship that we can overcome difficulties together and share the future."