What they say

"Competition from the United States of America through trade agreements that undermine our export interests, demand maximum concessions, and openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe, combined with an endless accumulation of new tariffs that are fundamentally unacceptable — even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty."

Emmanuel Macron, president of France

"If great powers abandon even the pretense of rules and values for the unhindered pursuit of their power and interests, the gains from transactionalism will become harder to replicate."

Mark Carney, prime minister of Canada

"Even in the current climate, which is prone to protectionism, we believe in the success of free trade and wish to continue expanding our networks of agreement."

Guy Parmelin, president of the Swiss Confederation

"China's role in contributing, shaping how international cooperation will evolve is of a lot of interest to businesses, as well as governments, globally."

Gim Huay Neo, WEF managing director & chair for Greater China

"There is no doubt that the Chinese economy and the Chinese government is a force for stability, and it's a counterbalance to the chaos that is being caused in America."

David Haigh, founder of Brand Finance