Confrontation, whether in the form of a cold war, a hot war or a trade war, will produce no winners: Xi

By Liu Ning (People’s Daily Online)

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the 26th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea (PNG), on Saturday.

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the 26th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea (PNG), on Saturday. During his speech, President Xi praised openness and cooperation between APEC economies, calling for a continued commitment to openness. Let’s have a look at some of the key points made in the speech.

  1. Resorting to old practices such as protectionism and unilateralism will not resolve problems. On the contrary, it can only add uncertainties to the global economy.
  2. Only openness and cooperation can bring more opportunities and create more space for development. One who chooses to close his door will only cut himself off from the rest of the world and lose his direction.
  3. No one has the right or the power to stop people in developing countries from pursuing a better life.
  4. On this one planet, we have more than 200 countries and regions, 2500 plus ethnic groups and over seven billion people. Trying to erase their differences will not work.
  5. We should reject arrogance and prejudice, be respectful of and inclusive toward others, and embrace the diversity of our world. We should seek common ground while putting aside differences, draw upon each other’s strengths, and pursue coexistence in harmony and win-win cooperation.
  6. When it comes to choosing a development path for a country, no one is in a better position to make the decision than the people of that country.
  7. Just as one does not expect a single prescription to cure all diseases, one should not expect a particular model of development to fit all countries. Blindly copying the development model of others will only be counter-productive. So will be any attempt to impose one’s own development model on others.
  8. If we do not move proactively to adapt to the surging tide of new scientific revolution and industrial transformation, we risk missing valuable opportunities or even falling behind the times.
  9. Scientific and technological innovations should not be locked up or become profit-making tools for just a few.
  10. Rules should be formulated by the international community, not in a might-is-right way. Once the rules are made, they should not be followed or bent as one sees fit, and they should not be applied with double standards for selfish agendas.
  11.  Confrontation, whether in the form of a cold war, a hot war or a trade war, will produce no winners.
  12.  It is the relentless efforts of the Chinese people that have made China what it is today.