Xi burnishes his reputation in whirlwind week of visits

President Xi Jinping's weeklong trip to Russia and Germany, which wrapped up on Sunday, made a positive contribution to world economic growth and improving global economic governance, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters on Sunday.

In particular, the president's proposals, with both macro and micro perspectives for economic globalization, won wide re¬cognition and praise at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Wang said, adding that Xi's solutions showed long-term vision and feasibly opened more spaces for global economic growth.

Thomas Heberer, a well-known China watcher at Germany's Duisburg-Essen Uni-ver-sity, said Xi took up "the major role" of promoting a cooperative and open world economy, as the United States adopts a more inward-looking protectionism under its president, Donald Trump.

Speaking at the summit in Hamburg on Friday, Xi said "the global economy is still plagued by deep-seated problems and faces many uncertainties and destabilizing factors". He offered China's solution to the problem: building a more open world economy and seeking more inclusive global economic growth.

"We must remain committed to openness and mutual benefits for all so as to increase the size of the global economic pie," Xi said.

He called on all sides to foster new sources of growth, adding that he believes promoting innovation and addressing development are part of the answer.

At the summit, Xi also stressed the need to improve global economic governance. He urged the G20 members to strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination and forestall risks in financial markets.

"Those who work alone add; those who work together multiply," Xi said, quoting a German proverb.

During his state visit to Russia, Xi described China's relationship with Russia as "the best ever in history". He also agreed with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on further aligning the China-led Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, and building bilateral ties into a "ballast stone" for world peace and stability.

Visiting Germany, Xi told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the development of China-Germany ties over the decades is a "story of success" that has delivered real benefits to the two peoples. The two leaders agreed to step up bilateral cooperation within the Belt and Road framework.

Dennis Snower, president of Germany's Kiel Institute for the World Economy, said Xi's proposals regarding G20 members' cooperation in the digital economy and the new industrial revolution are "of great importance" and require the joint action of developed and developing countries under a multilateral framework.

Xinhua contributed to this story.