Confrontation in international politics will lead to catastrophe, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned in an address at the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday.

“We need to discard the Cold War mentality and seek peaceful coexistence,“ Mr Jinping said at the event, which is being held online for the second year in a row.

“History has proven time and again that confrontation does not solve problems but invites catastrophic consequences,’’ he added.

The Chinese president cautioned against protectionism, unilateralism and power politics, a reference China usually aims at the United States.

He also warned about “small exclusive circles’’ or policies based on blocs that polarise the world, in apparent reference to alliances to counter China being promoted in Europe and Asia by U.S. President Joe Biden.

Without mentioning the U.S. by name, Mr Jinping criticised expanding the concept of national security to hold back economic and technological progress made by other countries.

He said that economic, scientific and technological issues were being politicized or used as weapons, undermining efforts to tackle common challenges, he said, pleading for “genuine multilateralism.’’

He warned that the world’s major economic powers should not “slam on the brakes or make a U-turn in monetary policies’’ to counter the effects of the pandemic.

“There will be serious negative spill-over,’’ he said, “with developing countries bearing the main burden.’’

(dpa/NAN)