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Friday, April 06, 2018, 18:04
UN chief: Protectionism not the answer to today's problems
By Xinhua
Friday, April 06, 2018, 18:04 By Xinhua

This photo shows UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at a pledging conference aimed at raising 3 billion dollars for war-ravaged Yemen on April 3, 2018 at the United Nations Office in Geneva. (FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nation's Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday that "the answer to today's problems is not protectionism and not isolationism." 

"I am a strong believer in multilateralism to address global problems. There is no way global problems can be addressed on a country- by-country basis. Global problems need to have global answers and global answers can only be implemented through multilateral frameworks," the UN chief said, when he was asked to comment on the trade conflict between China and the United States. 

The UN chief called for efforts to improve things, not to reject globalization but to improve it, adding that the answer to today's problems is international cooperation

In an interview with Chinese reporters before his trip to China for the annual Boao Forum, Guterres said "the international framework that governs global trade is of extreme importance with the World Trade Organization at its center." 

"I am a true believer in free trade," he said, adding that free trade is a very important contributor to global prosperity. 

Globalization has brought enormous benefits. For example, economic growth and trade have increased, poverty has been reduced, life expectancy of people has been increased and there are much broader middle-class families. However, there are also drawbacks in globalisation. For instance, inequalities have increased and many people are left behind. 

ALSO READ: China seeks WTO dispute resolution with US over tariffs

The UN chief called for efforts to improve things, not to reject globalization but to improve it. 

"To improve things, not to reject globalization, is the objective of Agenda 2030 and the objective of the WTO," Guterres said, adding that the answer to today's problems is international cooperation, and that the Agenda 2030 can be a very important instrument for that. 

"I am very happy that China has been totally committed to the Agenda 2030, not only at the Chinese level but also in cooperation with other countries, especially the developing world," Guterres said.

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