RIO DE JANEIRO -- Development must be placed at the center of the Group of Twenty (G20) cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a signed article published Sunday in Brazilian media outlet Folha de S. Paulo.

Building a just world requires the G20 to honor the principles of mutual respect, equal-footed cooperation and mutual benefit, and support Global South countries in achieving greater development, said Xi.

The article titled "A Friendship Spanning Vast Oceans A Voyage Toward a Brighter Shared Future" was released as Xi is traveling to Brazil for the 19th G20 Leaders' Summit and a state visit to the country.