Shanghai, Nov 5 (IANS): Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that there was not a single country which could solve its economic difficulties on its own and the world had to walk together towards a global market with increasingly fewer trade barriers.

Xi was addressing attendees at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai during the event's inauguration, reports Efe news.

In his address, the President made no direct reference to the trade war with the US, as there was no upcoming bilateral meeting scheduled between the representatives of Washington and Beijing for their trade negotiations.

However, Xi's speech mainly focused on attacking protectionism and defending economic globalization, which he compared to a large flowing river that could not be stopped by anything.

The inauguration of the CIIE was attended by numerous international personalities from the world of politics and economics, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Around 3,000 companies from 150 countries are taking part in the event as they seek to make inroads into the Chinese market.

The President of the world's second-largest economy emphasized in his speech that China had made significant progress to further open up its market, a trend that would continue.

Xi said that the Chinese market, with 1.4 million consumers, provided an unlimited potential, adding that it would increasingly open its doors to the world.