Merkel wants to convince Trump that his state ideas of protectionism will do much more harm to global trade than benefit [Xinhua]
Germany took over the presidency of the G20 on Friday as its Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed that she plans to use this opportunity to challenge the zeal of protectionism pushed forth by Donald Trump’s electoral win.
Germany’s motto for its presidency is “Shaping an Interconnected World”, and German officials stress that the it indicates their desire to take globalisation forward through international cooperation rather than roll it back, Bloomberg reports.
“There will be no return to a world before globalization,” Merkel said, adding:”Isolation, new nationalism and protectionism will not help us in this.”
There is growing fear that the Trump administration will undo much of the cooperation frameworks on trade and sustainable energy in place between G20 nations.
Trump is a known critic of climate change and international cooperation. In 2012, he described climate change as a hoax invented by China, pledging to “rip up” the Paris Agreement in his first day in office.
Two weeks ago, Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski told leaders at the 28th Annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit that they must do their utmost to combat protectionist trade policies and ensure that free trade exists between nations.
“In the US and Britain, protectionist tendencies are taking over,” Kuczynski said in an impassioned opening speech. “It is fundamental that world trade grow again and that protectionism be defeated.”
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
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