OFFICIAL EU URGES

EU official urges Trump, Putin not to destroy global order.

A senior European official on Monday urged US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and China to work with Europe to avoid trade wars and prevent conflict and chaos.

European Council President Tusk appealed for governments to avoid wrecking a political and economic order that led to a peaceful Europe and developing China.

Tusk spoke at a news conference with China's No. 2 leader, Premier Li Keqiang, following an  annual EU - Chinese economic summit also attended by the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

They met amid mounting acrimony over Trump's tariffs hikes on goods from China, Europe and other trading partners.

" It is the common duty of Europe and China, America and Russia, not to destroy this order," but to improve it, not to start a trade war, which turn into hot conflicts so often in our history," said Tusk, a former Polish prime minister.

Tusk appealed to governments to "brave and responsibly" reform the World Trade Organization, the global trade regulator, by upgrading its rules to  address technology policy and state owned industries  - areas in which Beijing has conflicts with the trading.

" There is still time to prevent conflict and chaos," said Tusk.

"Today we are facing a  dilemma - whether to play a tough game such as tariff wars and conflict in places like Ukraine and Syria, or to look for common solutions based based on fair rules.

Li, the premier, said China and EU greed to take steps to "safeguard free trade" and the global multilateral regulatory system.

"Given the complicated and fluid international landscape, it is important for China and the EU to uphold multilateralism," said Li [Agencies]