China's Xi Praised for Promoting Multilateralism at Import Expo

Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the second China International Import Expo Tuesday showed China's firm determination to further open up and expand multilateral economic cooperation to benefit more, foreign researchers and China observers have said.

RELATED:
China Urges East Asia to Uphold Multilateralism and Free Trade

A senior research fellow of international relations at the Center International de Formation Europeenne (CIFE) headquartered in Nice, France,  George N. Tzogopoulos, said Xi's speech functions as "a beacon to understand China's internal and external policies."

The Chinese head of state outlined in the speech his "determination" to continue the policy of reform and opening-up and "enrich it with new initiatives such as the foreign investment law," Tzogopoulos added.

"China's ongoing development and enhanced international cooperation go together," the expert explained, adding that "against this backdrop, Xi Jinping successfully leads his country's effort to invest in innovation, change its growth model, preserve trends such as globalization and orchestrate joint actions at the world level, for example on realizing the BRI (the Belt and Road Initiative)."

The second China International Import Expo  opened in Shanghai on Nov 5. The Country Exhibition covers an area of around 30,000 square meters, with 64 countries from five continents and three international organizations represented, including China.  Since the Asian giant is one of the largest importers of goods in the world, the event has become a key platform for global producers, and supporters of free-trade. 

Another expert, a senior researcher on China at Pallas Athene Geopolitical Institute in Hungary, Viktor Eszterhai said Xi's speech "sends a clear message to the world that China is against protectionism and trade war."

"China is a committed supporter of bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation. Through efforts to further open its economy, China's domestic market can act as a significant driving force in the global economy in the next decades," he said.

The openness China has promoted contributes to building an open, collaborative and creative global economy, Mahmoud Raya, editor-in-chief of the Lebanese "China in Arab Eyes" news website said.

In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) on the sidelines of the CIIE, Abdul Razak Dawood, advisor to Pakistani prime minister on commerce, textile, industry and production, and investment, said he supports the president's advocate of multilateralism.

"We feel that the multilateral rule-based system that has evolved over the years must not be allowed to go down again. [There is] one thing we must not allow -- that is to widen the gap between developing countries and the developed countries, and China is taking leadership on this," said Dawood.

China has demonstrated that it stands ready to help developing countries realize their economic emancipation and uplift the living standards of their citizens, which is key to the attainment of both local and international development goals, Mwanza added.

The six-day second CIIE got underway earlier Tuesday, with officials from 155 countries and regions and 26 international organizations all invited to attend it. More than 500,000 buyers and visitors are expected across the expo's run.