Globalization a trend that cannot be reversed

In his keynote speech to the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Monday, President Xi Jinping made it crystal clear that the world's second-largest economy stands firmly behind multilateralism and the free trade system.

China will not close its door to the world but instead will open it wider in the face of unilateralism and protectionism, he vowed.

Although the country does face challenges that need to be overcome, its development will not falter unless it closes its door to the outside world. Thus Xi's promise that China will further tap its potential for imports and continue to widen access to its market should further strengthen the world's confidence in the Chinese economy and its continued contributions to the global economy.