China Calls for Ending Trade Wars: A Global Economic Plea for Cooperation

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for ending trade wars and building a "multipolar world" just days before Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are set to meet in South Korea. The timing signals China's push to resolve the escalating trade dispute that has rattled global markets and supply chains.

The two leaders will meet Thursday in South Korea, hoping to hammer out a deal that stops the trade war between the world's two largest economies. During a Beijing forum, Wang took direct aim at Trump's protectionist policies, calling for an end to "politicizing economic and trade issues, artificially fragmenting global markets, and using trade wars and tariff battles."

Wang's comments reflect China's growing frustration with Trump's approach of slapping heavy tariffs on countries worldwide. The trade war has already cost both nations billions in lost trade and forced companies to rethink their global supply chains.

For markets, this meeting carries huge stakes. Investors have watched trade tensions push stock prices up and down for months. A breakthrough could boost global growth, while failure might deepen the economic slowdown already hitting manufacturing sectors in both countries.

But here's the challenge: both sides have dug in on key issues. Trump wants China to buy more American goods and change its technology transfer policies. China wants the U.S. to roll back tariffs and stop what it sees as efforts to contain its economic rise.

The South Korea meeting comes as both leaders face domestic pressure. Trump needs a win ahead of his reelection campaign, while Xi deals with China's slowest economic growth in decades. That could create room for compromise, or make both leaders less willing to appear weak.