Trade growth under threat as new world order begins

World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Roberto Azevedo gestures as he speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, on January 20, 2017 in Davos. / AFP PHOTO /

Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping took to the stage at the 43rd summit of the World Economic Forum, (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. He was the first Chinese president to ever address the annual conference.

At an exclusive ski resort on the Swiss Alps, President Xi, flanked by some of China’s billionaires, made a spirited defence for globalisation. He started his 54-minute address by referencing the opening of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.