Open China and the world win-win (a common destiny)
To rejuvenate a country and a nation, it must advance in the logic of historical advancement and develop in the trend of the times.
On December 11, China celebrated its 20th anniversary of joining the World Trade Organization.
Over the past 20 years, China has fully fulfilled its WTO commitments and continuously expanded its opening up, which has activated the surging spring tide of China's development and also activated the spring water of the world economy.
Bravely marching into the world market, fully fulfilling its WTO commitments
In the winter season, Ningbo Zhoushan Port, above the tens of thousands of miles of blue waves, there are many bridge cranes and huge ships shuttle.
In the first 10 months of this year, Ningbo Zhoushan Port completed a cargo throughput of 1.028 billion tons, which is the fifth consecutive year since 2017 that the cargo throughput exceeded 1 billion tons.
From an obscure inland port to one of the busiest logistics hubs in the world, Ningbo Zhoushan Port was born and prospered by opening up, witnessing China's proactive participation in economic globalization and deep integration into the world economy after China's accession to the WTO.
A moment of history 20 years ago, it still stirs people's hearts.
On November 10, 2001, the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, deliberated and passed the decision on China's accession to the WTO by consensus.
The gavel fell, and the audience stood up with thunderous applause.
On December 11 of the same year, China officially became the 143rd member of the WTO.
Moore, then director-general of the WTO, lamented that China's accession to the WTO has made this institution a truly world trade organization.
"Back then, China also had doubts about economic globalization, and was also worried about joining the World Trade Organization. However, we believe that integration into the world economy is the general direction of history. If China's economy wants to develop, it must dare to enter the ocean of the world market. Swimming, if you never dare to go to the sea to experience the wind and rain and see the world, one day you will drown in the sea. Therefore, China bravely marched into the world market. In this process, we choked water and encountered Whirlpool, encountered wind and waves, but we learned to swim in swimming. This is the correct strategic choice." President Xi Jinping explained China's courage and determination to integrate into the world economy.
These 20 years have been 20 years for China to deepen reforms and fully open up, 20 years for China to seize opportunities and meet challenges, and 20 years for China to take the initiative to shoulder its responsibilities and benefit the world.
The overall tariff level has dropped from 15.3% to 7.4%, which is lower than the 9.8% of the WTO commitments; the actual opening of nearly 120 service industry sub-sectors, far exceeding the 100 promised by the WTO; the basis for the reduction of the negative list of foreign investment access for 4 consecutive years It will be further reduced this year... Former WTO Director-General Lamy has stated on multiple occasions that China can get an "A+" score for fulfilling WTO commitments.
The average annual contribution rate to global economic growth is close to 30%; trade in goods has risen from sixth to first in the world, and trade in services has risen from eleventh to second in the world; more than 1 million foreign-funded enterprises have been established in China In 2020, foreign investment in China will increase by 81% year-on-year... China continues to expand its opening up and releases reform dividends, becoming the main stabilizer and source of power for world economic growth.
Reveka Greenspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, said that China's accession to the WTO will bring huge dividends to China's economic development. China's fulfillment of its WTO commitments will not only promote the establishment of international multilateral economic and trade mechanisms, but also benefit the development of the global economy. It's amazing.
Maintain the multilateral trading system and promote the process of economic globalization
The multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core is the cornerstone of international trade.
Since joining the WTO, China has always firmly supported the multilateral trading system, fully participated in the work of the WTO, promoted the WTO to pay more attention to the concerns of developing members, opposed unilateralism and protectionism, and maintained the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system , And work with all members to promote the WTO to play a greater role in the process of economic globalization.
From fully participating in the negotiations on various topics of the Doha Round to actively promoting the process of plurilateral trade liberalization, from vigorously promoting the discussion of new WTO issues to earnestly implementing the "Trade Facilitation Agreement", China is unswervingly leading the process of economic globalization and safeguarding multilateralism. The trade system contributes Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions.
"China plays an important role in global trade, and China's support and contribution are vital to the reform and development of the WTO." said Ivira, WTO Director-General.
WTO spokesperson Keith Rockwell said that China has been actively participating in WTO activities in various fields. “It is clear that China’s participation is the negotiation of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation and the plurilateral Information Technology Agreement. The success of the expansion negotiations has played a vital role."
In recent years, the three major functions of the WTO have been in trouble, unilateralism and protectionism have continuously impacted the multilateral trading system, and the WTO is in urgent need of reform.
Standing at a historical juncture, President Xi Jinping has repeatedly put forward constructive plans on multilateral platforms to clear the fog for WTO reform.
China successively issued "China's Position Paper on WTO Reform" and submitted "China's Proposal Document on WTO Reform."
"China is in favor of necessary reforms to the World Trade Organization. The key is to maintain the core values and basic principles of the World Trade Organization, such as openness, tolerance, and non-discrimination, and to protect the development interests and policy space of developing countries. We must adhere to extensive consultations by all parties and proceed in an orderly manner. , Don’t engage in "Yiyantang"."
"We must resolutely oppose protectionism, safeguard the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and enhance the voice and influence of emerging market countries and developing countries in international affairs."
"We must uphold the concept of openness and inclusiveness, unswervingly build an open world economy, maintain the multilateral trading system based on the World Trade Organization, stand firm against unilateralism and protectionism, and maintain the stability and smoothness of the global industrial chain and supply chain."
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Sorab Gupta, a senior researcher at the Center for Sino-American Studies, a think tank in Washington, USA, praised: "China has not only played an active role in promoting the multilateral trading system within the WTO, but has also made important contributions to global economic growth."
Richard Griffiths, professor of economic history at Leiden University in the Netherlands, pointed out: “Protecting protectionism is like shutting oneself in a dark room. It seems to escape the wind and rain, but it also cuts off the sun and the air. China holds the economy high. The banner of globalization and free trade has allowed the international community to see the era of a responsible power."
Expand high-level opening up and jointly build an open world economy
In November 2003, French sports brand Decathlon opened the first concept store in Asia in Shanghai.
Nowadays, Decathlon physical stores are blooming all over China, and products from Decathlon's factories in China account for half of the group's global production bases.
"China is the most important market for Decathlon in the world, and there is no one." Decathlon founder Michelle Lereck commented on the importance of the Chinese market in this way.
This is the epitome of countless foreign companies' development stories in China.
"Who won? The fact is that China has won, and other countries have also won." Lamy commented that joining the WTO allows China and the world to achieve a win-win situation.
In the 20 years since its accession to the WTO, China has developed into the world's second largest economy, largest trader in goods, and largest foreign investment absorption country, and has become the largest trading partner of more than 120 countries and regions.
Since 2009, China has been the largest export market of the least developed countries, absorbing 25% of the exports of the least developed countries.
In 2018, China hosted the world's first import-themed national-level exhibition-the China International Import Expo, which established an important platform for sharing China's big market when unilateralism and protectionism were on the rise, and economic globalization was surging against the current. .
In the past four years, the turnover of the CIIE has increased from 57.8 billion U.S. dollars to 70.7 billion U.S. dollars, and the return rate of the world's top 500 and leading companies in the industry has exceeded 80%.
So far, the number of partner countries that have signed the “Belt and Road” cooperation documents with China has reached 144. The cumulative trade volume between China and the “Belt and Road” partners has exceeded US$9.2 trillion, and the cumulative direct investment of Chinese companies in countries along the route has exceeded US$130 billion.
"Seeing and knowing to enter, and observing the past to knowing." China's development achievements so far have been achieved under open conditions, and future high-quality development should also be carried out under more open conditions.
China solemnly promises: China’s determination to expand high-level opening up will not change, its determination to share development opportunities with the world will not change, and its determination to promote economic globalization toward a more open, inclusive, inclusive, balanced, and win-win direction will not change. Change.
"In the process of establishing a stronger, inclusive and fair multilateral trading system, China's leading role is worth looking forward to!" Reveka Greenspan said.
There will be long winds and waves, and the sails will be hung straight up to help the sea.
Looking forward to the future, China will continue to expand its high-level opening up, and work with other countries to build an open world economy and let the spring breeze of openness warm the world!