President Xi Jinping on Monday called the world to abandon “ideological prejudice” and shun an “outdated Cold-War mentality” as he signaled that China will continue to forge its own path regardless of western criticism.
He urged a return to mutual respect to help the recovery from the pandemic, saying that “confrontation will lead us to a dead end.” It’s vital to stay committed to international law and international rules “instead of staying committed to supremacy,” Xi told the Davos Agenda event on Monday, in his first address since President Joe Biden entered the White House.
“To build small circles and start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimate others, to willfully impose decoupling, supply disruptions, or sanctions, or to create isolation or estrangement, will only push the world into division and even confrontation,” he said.
He also called on the world to strengthen macro-economic policy coordination and remove barriers to trade, investment and technological exchanges as he backed multilateralism as the way out of current challenges.
Xi said the global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is "rather shaky" and the outlook remains uncertain.
Xi repeated many of the same talking points about multilateralism and “win-win” outcomes, but he also signaled that he does not intend to change course in the face of U.S. pressure.
China’s leaders have long embraced Davos as a forum to showcase economic reforms while sidestepping difficult questions about politics.
Former Premier Li Peng visited in 1992 as China sought to attract foreign investors in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre.
Xi signaled his desire to put aside political issues which have helped drive a deterioration in ties with Western countries, including his abolition of term limits and use of “re-education” camps in the far western region of Xinjiang. “No two leaves are identical,” Xi told his online audience.-Bloomberg/Reuters
