Xi Jinping warns against trade war in defence of globalisation

Hong Kong

CHINESE President Xi Jinping cautioned against protectionism as he pushed back against criticism of globalisation by US President-elect Donald Trump and other Western populists.

"Protectionism is like locking yourself in a dark room, which would seem to escape wind and rain, but also block out the sunshine," Mr Xi told the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Tuesday, the first Chinese head of state to address the annual gathering in the Alpine resort town of Davos. "No one is a winner in a trade war."

Mr Xi used his speech to support a global economic order that has helped fuel China's almost four-decade economic boom.

While a surge in protectionist sentiment threatens to slow the engine of China's growth, it also offers Mr Xi a chance to advance his goal of shaping glo…