Chinese president Xi Jinping has made his latest bid for global leadership urging world leaders to reject protectionism, embrace globalisation and pull together like an airborne skein of long-necked geese.

Chinese president Xi Jinping has made his latest bid for global leadership urging world leaders to reject protectionism, embrace globalisation and pull together like an airborne skein of long-necked geese.

Speaking on the final day of a forum promoting the Belt and Road initiative – a potentially historic Chinese infrastructure campaign that could transform swathes of the developing world – Xi said cooperation was the only way to confront the “profound” changes sweeping the globe.

“Economic growth is not on solid ground … Economic globalisation is encountering some headwinds. Development has become more uneven – not to mention the other challenges that overshadow the world economy such as wars, conflicts, terrorism and a massive flow of refugees and migrants,” Xi told a meeting of leaders including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Erdoğan.

“Confronted by these challenges many countries are pondering the way forwards … [but] in a world of growing interdependence and challenges … no country can tackle all the challenges or solve the world’s problems on its own,” Xi added.