Xi Fires Shots at U.S. Before Trump Meet, Without Mentioning Him

• In conversations with other leaders ahead of his sit down with the U.S. president on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan, Xi spared no opportunity to paint the U.S. as the bad guy in China’s spiraling trade conflict, while avoiding the provocative step of naming Trump personally.
• Xi took a not-so-subtle swipe at Trump’s policy slogan, "America first." Warning against "bullying practices," Xi said that “any attempt to put one’s own interests first and undermine others’ will not win any popularity.”
• Xi then used remarks on the digital economy to call for a "fair and equitable market environment" and the "completeness and vitality of global supply chains."
• It comes as Trump singles out Chinese tech giant Huawei, arguing its connections to the government mean it could allow Beijing to spy through its equipment, and urging countries to avoid the company while developing 5G networks.
• Xi stated that he is opposed to protectionism as well as any "external” influence on the two countries’ relationship.

 (Source: Bloomberg)