G20 countries pledge to boost growth, dampen Brexit shock

BEIJING – Finance officials of major economies pledged Sunday to boost sluggish global growth but announced no joint initiatives and promised to defend against the shockwaves of Britain's vote to leave the European Union. In a joint statement after a two-day meeting, envoys of the Group of 20 also rejected trade protectionism, an issue that has risen in prominence as U.S. Republication presidential candidate Donald Trump has talked about restricting access to American markets. The United States, China, Britain, Germany and other governments at the meeting in Chengdu in western China pledged to use spending, monetary policy and regulatory reforms to strengthen growth. They promised to strengthen communication and cooperation but announced no joint action, as some financial traders had hoped. "We are taking action to boost confidence and promote growth," said the statement.