Beijing — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday urged major multilateral institutions to join his new Belt and Road Initiative, stressing the importance of rejecting protectionism in seeking global economic growth. Addressing other world leaders at a summit on the initiative in Beijing, Xi said it was necessary to co-ordinate policies with the development goals of institutions including the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), AU and the EU. Xi pledged $124bn on Sunday for his new Silk Road, which aims to bolster China’s global leadership ambitions by expanding links between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond, as US President Donald Trump promotes "America First". "We need to improve policy co-ordination and reject beggar-thy-neighbour practices," Xi told the 29 national leaders attending the forum. Xi, who was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was speaking at a convention centre by a lake in northern Beijing on the ...

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