President Xi Jinping issued strong criticism towards rising global protectionism during a speech on the opening day of the BRICS summit in South Africa, warning that the international community had reached a “new crossroads” with regards to the existing rule-based trading system.
Xi called on the leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa to “fight against trade protectionism together,” adding that “no one will emerge as a winner” in reference to the budding trade war between China and the US, reports Caixin.
“We are facing a choice between cooperation and confrontation, between opening-up and a closed-door policy, and between mutual benefit and a ‘beggar-thy-neighbour’ approach,” Xi said in his address at the forum
“The current international order is not perfect, but as long as it’s based on rules aimed to be equitable and to create win-win outcomes, then such order should not be abandoned as one pleases, or overthrown to start over again,” he said.
