Chinese President Xi Jinping called for cooperation in “turbulent times” to safeguard multilateral trade and to keep global supply chains stable, as he took center stage at a conference of Pacific Rim leaders in South Korea in the absence of President Donald Trump.

Trump flew back to Washington on Thursday after talks with Xi in South Korea in which the American president agreed to cut tariffs on China in exchange for Chinese action to crack down on the drug fentanyl trade, resume buying U.S. soybeans and keep rare earths exports flowing.

Why It Matters

Xi’s calls for multilateral cooperation at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit comes in sharp contrast to Trump’s “America First” agenda, reinforced after he returned to office this year with a blizzard of tariffs on fri

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