Roundup: Mexican experts hail China's initiatives for global growth

Mexican experts on Sunday hailed China's initiatives to spur global growth that were proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the CEO summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

The message delivered in Xi's keynote speech at the meeting on Saturday in Lima, Peru, calling for more open and inclusive free trade arrangements to bolster growth, was "intelligent and very significant," said political analyst Ignacio Martinez.

China has forged a viable plan for itself, which inspires confidence in its larger message for world growth, said the expert on Asia and China affairs at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

"Without a doubt, it serves to follow the new project China ... based on domestic-driven growth ... (and) built around a green economy," said Martinez.

Xi's speech also "provides the opportunity to advance towards a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) region," at a time when leaders elsewhere are turning to outdated protectionist policies to solve the world economic difficulties, he said.

In his opinion, Xi underscored the fact that any regional trade arrangement must be open and inclusive and beneficial to all parties to gain popular support.

Jose Luis Leon-Manriquez, an Asia expert and professor at the Autonomous Metropolitan University, Mexico City, said Xi's speech "shows China's global leadership."

"It was a very encouraging speech that dismisses protectionism and emphasizes opening-up," he said.

"Xi made a clear call for proceeding towards trade integration in the Asia-Pacific region to allow free trade," said Leon-Manriquez.

As Xi said, while driving global development, globalization has also created new problems and challenges, "that is why the president has often said that nations must spread the fruits (of growth) in a more balanced way to benefit the people," said Leon-Manriquez.

Martinez shared his views, saying: "President Xi is promoting balanced growth, and strengthening friendship and cooperation with Latin America to spur development."

Xi underscored cooperation, development and dialogue without risking economic stability, said Martinez.

Pursuing the "great project" of FTAAP is an essential part of Xi's strategy of bolstering trade to reactivate the global economy, he noted.

"President Xi's leadership gives us a glimpse of a promising and encouraging future for the Asia-Pacific," said the research professor at the UNAM center for international relations. Endi