India, Oct. 31 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping called for safeguarding multilateral trade and warned against "breaking supply chains" in his first public address after his meeting with US President Donald Trump, which led to a one-year deal on the supply of crucial rare earths.

The Chinese leader was speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on Friday in South Korea's Gyeongju.

Xi said that trade should "actively seek more points of convergence of interests and support the opening up and development of supply chains," according to a Bloomberg report. He added, "We must adhere to the principle of joining hands rather than letting go, and extending rather than breaking supply chains," and urged the member nations gath...