WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Geoeconomic fragmentation is a rising challenge to the world economy, which is at a highly uncertain moment, and major countries should find ways of maintaining the strong integration that lifts everybody, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) official said on Tuesday.
"There's the problem of the geoeconomic fragmentation. A number of countries have increased the barriers to trade and technology flows. It's not positive, it's actually going to cost the world about 2 percent (of output)," Daniel Leigh, who heads the World Economic Studies division in the IMF's Research Department, told Xinhua in an interview during the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings week.
"It's a complex world, unfortunately. What we're seeing is many countries becoming more disconnected," he added.
Meanwhile, Leigh said Asia, China in particular, is the bright spot of the world economy.
The senior economist expressed confidence that the Chinese government is in a better position to navigate its economy through international challenges.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
