Unite and Collaborate to Seize the Wave of Global Economic and Social Development

The 10th China Enterprise Globalization Forum, co hosted by the Globalization Think Tank (CCG) and the Office of the Leading Group of the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone (National Service Expansion and Opening Comprehensive Demonstration Zone), was held on September 4th at the Beijing National Convention Center. Participants believe that in the face of the complex international environment, countries need to unite and cooperate more closely to jointly grasp the global wave of economic and social development.
In his speech, Wang Huiyao, Chairman of CCG and former Counselor of the State Council, proposed that globalization has entered a new period of adjustment, and the global political and economic landscape continues to accelerate its evolution. The world is undergoing complex and profound changes. Cultural exchanges have become a new ballast for international relations. By promoting the multilateralization and institutionalization of the "the Belt and Road", China will inject new impetus into the economic recovery and development of China and the world, and create new opportunities for the development of China's trade in services.
Yi Xiaozhun, former Deputy Minister of Commerce of China and former Deputy Director General of the WTO, believes that in the past 50 years, the world economy has undergone structural changes. The proportion of the service industry in global GDP has increased from 53% to 67%, and its contribution to global economic growth has exceeded two-thirds. Nowadays, the service industry is ubiquitous in the national economy and plays a crucial role in various industries. Today's service industry has been regarded as a decisive factor in improving labor productivity, industrial competitiveness, and people's living standards. Currently, the global manufacturing industry is showing a clear trend towards service-oriented development, which greatly promotes the development of global value chains and global service trade. At the same time, global service trade is also becoming increasingly digitized, and the global popularity of the Internet has greatly increased the opportunities for cross-border provision of professional, commercial, audio-visual, educational, distribution, financial, health and other related services. Due to the crucial role that services can play in the production and export processes of the manufacturing industry, reducing trade barriers in the service industry can effectively improve manufacturing productivity and promote enterprise exports. The integrated development of manufacturing and service industries can provide new opportunities for the high-quality development of China's manufacturing industry. Therefore, increasing the opening up of the service industry to the outside world should become a key focus in China's next steps of opening up to the outside world. At the same time, we are determined to optimize the business environment, strengthen the confidence of multinational enterprises, especially multinational technology enterprises, in investing in China, introduce facilitation measures to encourage and promote cross-border personnel flow, and promote the better development of China's service trade.
H.E. Graham Fletcher, Australian Ambassador to China, believes that investment and trade are crucial for economic recovery and growth. Among them, service trade plays a very important driving role. Nowadays, the global economy is more closely connected to people than ever before. Digital technology and innovation are helping businesses access more new opportunities. But at the same time, issues such as geopolitics, protectionism, and climate change are also troubling the normal flow of global trade and investment. Therefore, while ensuring their own security, all countries should abandon unnecessary restrictions, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and better respond to the common challenges of humanity. Currently, Australia is fully promoting and supporting stable trade and investment flows. Australia and China are both important investment and trade partners for each other. There is broad cooperation space between the two countries in fields such as digital education. I hope that in the future, the two countries can engage in sustainable and constructive dialogue, cooperate in various forms, promote economic growth between countries and regions, and achieve mutual prosperity.
Tamas Hajba, the representative of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in China, pointed out that service trade is an important driving force for international business development. The service industry and service trade are also important pillars of China's economic recovery and foreign exchanges. With the continuous expansion of global service trade, the contribution of Chinese services will also become increasingly significant. In the future, more and more international enterprises will come to China for investment and business development. This will bring new opportunities for the development of the Chinese economy. In the past few years, the OECD has maintained effective communication with relevant departments in China, jointly promoting global dialogue between service trade and investment. This helps stimulate the competitiveness and vitality of enterprises in China, and creates a more comprehensive business environment for them. China's reform and opening up have promoted the forward development of service trade and provided new impetus for the global economy. In the future, the OECD will continue to strengthen cooperation with relevant departments in China to provide assistance for China's economic transformation.
Geraldine McCafferty, Deputy Director of the British Embassy in China, stated that establishing a positive trade relationship between the UK and China is beneficial to each other and more beneficial to the world. The good bilateral cooperation between the two countries can be reflected in multiple fields such as education and scientific research. The UK does not believe in the so-called economic decoupling, and an increasing number of countries and governments are already paying attention to the challenges that arise in global trade. The UK maintains a cautious attitude towards managing and properly addressing these issues. But at the same time, there has been continuous communication with China. I hope that the two countries can eliminate unfavorable factors in areas such as trade, investment, and international relations, and build closer economic and trade relations. China is constantly expanding international trade and overseas investment, and the UK will continue to engage in extensive cooperation with China.