NANNING, China: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Sunday highlighted the role of global trade and warned against using it as a weapon.

“Trade should not be used as a weapon that undermines global economic security,” Manet said at the opening ceremony of the 20th China-Asean Expo in Nanning, capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The prime minister noted the new challenges facing the world, such as rising commodity prices, food insecurity, and climate change as the pandemic subsides, and highlighted “the important role of trade in tackling these global challenges to ensure that interdependence and globalization are mutually beneficial.”

The prime minister said Asean and China are key players in this sense. “We can show the world examples of tangible benefits of strengthening multilateral cooperation — without leaning towards protectionism, unilateralism, or economic nationalism,” he said.