President Xi Jinping pledged that China wouldn’t engage in decoupling, in an address to Asia-Pacific leaders in Kuala Lumpur just days after the region inaugurated the world’s largest free-trade agreement.
Xi’s speech during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits Thursday came as he — and the world — await clues on how U.S. President-elect Joe Biden will approach the region. The White House declined to say Wednesday whether President Donald Trump plans to address the gathering in Malaysia, held virtually this year because of the pandemic.
"We will not reverse course or run against the historical trend by ‘decoupling’ or forming a small circle to keep others out,” Xi said by video. "Opening up to the outside world is a basic national policy, and it will not waver at any time.”
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.