Xi Jinping. (Photo : Getty Images)
President Xi Jinping is the first Chinese president who attended and addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. His speech was closely anticipated by the global leaders and is expected to set the direction for the world's policy on trade.
Xi said, "Practicing trade protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. It seems to have screened wind and rain, but it also isolates one from the sunshine and air."
"Staging a trade war will only hurt both sides," he added.
Xi also said that globalization is not to blame for the sluggish world economy. The president said that it is caused by the appetite to accumulate large profits.
He added that regional conflicts that resulted in the refugee crisis in the Middle East and North Africa are not caused by open economies and looser trade policies.
"Of course, we also admit that economic globalization is a double-edged sword," Xi said. He added that countries should "make the cake of global economy bigger at a time when the traditional economic engine is losing power."
The world leader said that China has contributed 30 percent to the growth of the world's economy and his government is committed to environmental responsibility as it continues to develop.
"China will not envy others, nor will it complain if others benefit from China's development," he said.
The senior global policy adviser at Greenpeace East Asia, Li Shuo, praised Xi and his commitment to ending global warming.
He said: "As Trump drops Obama's climate legacy, Xi might well establish one of his own. 2017 presents a real opportunity for China to rise to the challenge of responsible climate leadership. Having moved from climate villain to a reluctant leader in five short years over the first half of this decade, it's reasonable to expect China to become a true leader by its end."
