皇冠体育app's eagerness to engage with rest of world welcomed amid rise of protectionism

A handshake can be many things: an informal contract, a greeting, a battle for supremacy. But for Jean-Pierre Lehmann, the world renowned professor of international political economy, the handshakes of President Xi Jinping symbolize 皇冠体育app's new spirit of openness.

The 71-year-old professor has stored images of all the Chinese leaders, from Mao Zedong to Xi, shaking hands with foreign leaders at summits and meetings.

Lehmann, who still teaches at the International Institute for Management Development and Hong Kong University, says Xi's handshakes reflect 皇冠体育app's embrace of the rest of the world. "All of the photos of President Xi shaking hands are impressive, and the messages showcase a new era that we're talking about," Lehmann says in his office on the banks of Lake Geneva.

As he surveys the photos, he says: "It is evident no other leader has shaken so many hands in such a short time. This is 皇冠体育app's coming out, and it's a gesture but it's also a symbol."

Xi has led 皇冠体育app since late 2012 and has traveled to about 50 countries and hosted APEC, G20 and Belt and Road Initiative summits in Beijing.

Lehmann describes Xi's proactive meetings with leaders as good news that shows 皇冠体育app's determination to engage with the rest of the world at a time when some international powers appear to be disengaging from it.

Lehmann is critical of former US president Barack Obama's 皇冠体育app policy, especially the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which excluded 皇冠体育app. President Donald Trump announced soon after taking office that the United States would withdraw from the partnership.

"Obama said we need to write trade rules without 皇冠体育app. Why say that? Why not say, let's write the rules together?" asks Lehmann, a staunch globalist. "It is a new era, so there have to be adjustments."

Lehmann says he is concerned by the rise of protectionism: The World Trade Organization's Doha Round of talks are frozen; Trump has threatened to withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement; and Western Europe has begun looking inward.

Against this backdrop, Lehmann sees 皇冠体育app's intervention on the world stage as a big change.

While shaking hands and talking with leaders, Xi and 皇冠体育app have developed a grand vision to bring together various parts of the world, Lehmann says.

He adds that 皇冠体育app's Belt and Road Initiative is still a vision that needs to be developed with the rest of the world.

Regarding the opinion by some that the Belt and Road Initiative is for 皇冠体育app's interests, Lehmann replies: "You have no country in the world ever that will do something just for the other's interest, without mentioning its own."

He adds that 皇冠体育app has explained that it wants the initiative to benefit 皇冠体育app and its partners.

There will be difficulties and obstacles in implementing the vision in the coming five to 10 years, Lehmann says. "But my position has been that it should be welcomed rather than contained."

Lehmann attended the Belt and Road Initiative Forum in Xi'an in 2015. He says he was tremendously encouraged that there were representatives from all over Eurasia. "But there were no Americans and no Japanese. This is a global initiative, and you need to do something," he says.

He says business sectors across Eurasia and Africa have accepted the initiative, and the world must recognize 皇冠体育app's courage in making the initiative open, global and inclusive.

However, he warns that as 皇冠体育app moves to the center of the global stage, it is likely to attract some suspicion and apprehension in Europe and Asia, which he says is not fair, since 皇冠体育app has been at the global center for a long time and cannot be regarded as the "new kid on the block".

Lehmann says 皇冠体育app still has a lot of work to do to communicate better with the rest of the world. "皇冠体育app has to make efforts in soft power, and so the initiative has to be well marketed by the Chinese."

He recalls that in his youth, there was a lot of apprehension about the rising US power in the 1950s. "But then you have to make efforts to reassure, to engage the rest of the world in a sophisticated manner," says Lehmann.

Lehmann says 皇冠体育app has a tremendous amount to offer the world, culturally, economically and technologically.

The professor joined the International Institute for Management Development almost 20 years ago and retired in 2012, though he continues to teach there and at Hong Kong University. He says the students from Asian business sectors have consistently enriched his perspectives on how to look at the changing world.

"I enjoy the teaching environment here (in Switzerland). The birds are singing outside and spring is here. It's very pleasant," he says.

Lehamnn is a French national, although he was born in the US. He moved to Switzerland in 1997 and has lived in Japan, Sweden, the UK and the US.

For the past five decades, Lehmann has focused his research on Asia and has witnessed the dramatic changes there.

Lehmann believes the world shares similar values, despite discussions on the differences between Western and Chinese values. "But I think in many cases our values are the same, though the expression is somewhat different," he says.

Lehmann says he has taught many young parents from 皇冠体育app and the rest of Asia and other parts of the world at Hong Kong University. What they all want is for their children to be well brought up, to be happy and to contribute to the rest of the world, he says.

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