The “China Solution”: Beijing Aims for Global Leadership

U.S. President Donald Trump marked his 100^th day in office with an executive order calling for a review of U.S. trade deals, as well as its membership in the World Trade Organization. The order follows statements earlier in the week threatening to terminate or renegotiate NAFTA and the U.S. free trade agreement with South Korea and is Trump’s latest shot against global free trade.

While Trump’s “America First” policies and anti-free trade positions have sent a message to the rest of the world that it is his way or the highway, Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered a more measured and inclusive message for the world. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January Xi said, “Whether you like it or not, the global economy is the big ocean you cannot escape from,” and, “We must remain committed to free trade and investment.”