Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s virtual “Davos Agenda” conference on January 25, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that a "new cold war" could turn hot, and must be avoided. While he didn't refer directly to U.S.-China tensions, but the subtext was clear. Xi Jinping said “We should respect and accommodate differences, avoid meddling in other countries’ internal affairs and resolve disagreements through consultation and dialogue. History and reality have made it clear time and again that the misguided approach of antagonism and confrontation — be it in the form of a cold war, hot war, trade war or tech war — will eventually hurt all countries’ interest and undermine everyone’s well-being.” Xi Jinping also laid out a four-step approach to ensuring the world emerges stronger from the COVID-19 crisis. These included: (i) "macroeconomic policy coordination," (ii) the avoidance of "arrogance, prejudice and hatred" in favour of "peaceful coexistence," (iii) the reduction of global inequality, and (iv) the strengthening of global institutions on issues like public health and climate change. Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasised the importance of international cooperation on nearly every issue — except on those, like human rights, that he deems "internal affairs."
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