FLESHING OUT AN ALTERNATIVE.docVIP

FLESHING OUT AN ALTERNATIVE 　　President Xi Jinping’s keynote speech delivery to the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Davos World Economic Forum （WEF） marked the first time a Chinese president had spoken at the event. In a setting of great historical and political significance， Xi’s speech was given on the 25th anniversary of former leader Deng Xiaoping embarking on his “southern tour，” which pushed for economic reform and reinforced the benefits of economic development. 　　Xi defended economic globalization and called on all people of the world to share in its benefits. He warned against calls for greater protectionism in Europe and the United States. While his pitch did not mention then president-elect Donald Trump by name， Xi’s speech could easily―and rightly―be interpreted as a rebuke of both Trump’s neo-mercantilist economic policies and his criticism of China. 　　Xi’s Davos appearance underscored China’s responsibility as a leader in global economic governance. As president of the world’s second largest economy， his participation is of particular political and economic importance. His engagement at the WEF， stressing China’s desire to provide international economic leadership， was in clear contrast to the stance of his recently inaugurated U.S. presidential counterpart， who in many respects has scorned the idea. In short， Xi advocates trade as Trump advocates protectionism. Every time Trump criticizes China or economic globalization， the more China’s role as a responsible stakeholder is emphasized. 　　 Crucial voice 　　Essentially， Xi’s speech reiterated China’s desire to pursue and build soft power by promoting itself as a major contributor to global economic governance. It laid out the groundwork for Chinese leadership on global economic integration. More importantly， his speech provided a striking rebuttal to what has become a steadily increasing vacuum within the world’s economic leadership in the wake of anti-globalization and protectionist narratives that