China’s Xi at APEC: protectionism ‘doomed to failure’

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives to make his keynote speech for the CEO Summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Port Moresby on November 17, 2018. (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AFP) — Protectionist actions are short-sighted and doomed to fail, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Saturday ahead of an APEC summit at which US-China trade tensions are likely to take centre stage.

“Attempts to erect barriers and cut close economic ties work against the laws of economics and the trends of history. This is a short-sighted approach and it is doomed to failure,” Xi told business leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

“We should say no to protectionism and unilateralism,” urged Xi, in a veiled swipe at the “America First” policies of the US administration.

APEC members the US and China have become embroiled in a trade war that experts warn could be catastrophic for the global economy, with the world’s top two powers going head to head.

The pair have imposed tariffs worth billions of dollars of each other’s goods and there is little sign of an immediate easing in tensions, with both sides threatening to step up action if necessary.

Xi said the world should “uphold the WTO-centred multilateral trading system, make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all.”