[ad_1]
The president made the comment during a virtual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which has 21 member states from across the Pacific Rim, including the United States and China. Trump has largely promoted protectionist policies when the president imposed substantial new tariffs on Chinese goods.
Relations between Washington and Beijing have collapsed under his leadership and the two clash over trade, the coronavirus, human rights abuses, Hong Kong and the sovereignty of the South China Sea.
Speaking to the forum, Mr. Jinping called for “openness” in trade and insisted that there will be no “decoupling” of China’s “large” economy from the global system.
He also insisted that the Asia-Pacific region is the “forerunner of global growth” that is the world today.
Mr. Jinping added: “Openness allows a country to move forward, while isolation stops it.
“China will actively cooperate with all countries, regions and companies that want to do so.
“We will continue to raise the banner of openness and cooperation.”
Since Trump became president, he has imposed more than $ 360 billion (£ 268 billion) in tariffs on Chinese goods.
Beijing retaliated with $ 110 billion of its own tariffs on American goods.
READ MORE: China’s economic coercion is the ‘tip of the iceberg’
This followed calls from the Australian government for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.
Soon after, Beijing imposed trade restrictions on Australian wine, beef and barley.
The Apec forum, which was to take place in Malaysia, will continue on Friday.
Relations between China and several other world powers have deteriorated dramatically in recent years.
Trump blames Beijing for allowing the coronavirus, which he calls the ‘China virus’, to spread after its emergence late last year.
Western powers, including the United States and Britain, harshly criticized China after new security laws were imposed in Hong Kong earlier this year, stripping the city of much of its autonomy.
The UK accused China of violating the 1984 British-Sino Joint Declaration that led to the handover of the former British colony in 1997.
Beijing is also in dispute with five other Asian powers for control of the South China Sea.
China has been building military bases on islands, both natural and man-made, on what is the world’s busiest sea route.
In June, 20 Indian soldiers were killed during a clash with their Chinese counterparts along the border of the two disputed countries.
[ad_2]
