Inthegovernmentworkreportdeliveredatthemeeting,ChinesePremierLiKeqiangpointedoutthattheworldeconomywouldcontinuetoexperiencesluggishgrowth,andthatinstabilityanduncertaintyaregrowingsignificantlyamidanexacerbatingtendencytowardprotectionismandthemoodofanti-globalization.Thereisalsoanincreasedpossibilitythatsuchconservativementalityingeneralandtradepoliciesinparticularofmajoreconomiescouldcreatespillovereffects.
Giventhecircumstances,theChinesegovernmenthasmadeclearitsstandpointincopingwiththeglobaleconomicsituation,bothatpresentandinthenearfuture.
PremierLipointedoutthateconomicglobalizationmeetsthefundamentalinterestsofallcountries,andthatChinawillunswervinglypromoteglobaleconomiccooperation,safeguardthekeyroleofmultilateraltrademechanisms,andactivelyparticipateinmultilateraltradenegotiations.
AsthelargestcomprehensiveharborinnorthernChina,TianjinPorthas173berths,ofwhich119arecapableofaccommodatingvesselsof10,000tonsorlarger.TheportisanimportanthubontherouteslinkingNortheastAsiaandCentralandWestAsia.Xinhua
OnNovember10,2001,theFourthMinisterialConferenceoftheWorldTradeOrganization(WTO)approvedChina’sentryintotheWTO.Thefollowingday,ShiGuangsheng,thenChineseministerofforeigntradeandeconomiccooperation,signedtheProtocolontheAccessionofthePeople’sRepublicofChina.OnDecember11,Chinaofficiallybecamethe143rdmemberoftheWTO.Xinhua“BlackSwan”Events
Whentalkingaboutinternationaltrade,“blackswanevents”becameafrequently-mentionedtermamongparticipantsattheannualsessionsoftheNPCandtheNationalCommitteeoftheChinesePeople’sPoliticalConsultativeConference(CPPCC),collectivelyknownasthe“TwoSessions.”ManyNPCdeputiesandCPPCCmembersexpressedtheirconcernsaboutthedropinglobaltradearisingfromanti-globalizationandprotectionism.Theglobalpoliticallandscapeisundergoingtremendouschanges.EventslikeBrexit,generalelectionsoccurringinmajorEuropeancountries,theTrumpadministrationtakingoffice,andthependingpresidentialelectionoftheRepublicofKorea(ROK)areexpectedtocauseseriouspolicychanges,thusexacerbatingtradeprotectionismglobally.
“Brexit,Trump’selection,andtheriseoffar-rightpartiesinEuropealltestifytothepopularityofextremenationalism,”notesYinZhongqing,vicechairmanoftheFinancialandEconomicAffairsCommitteeofthe12thNPC.“Itisincreasinglyobviousthattheeconomicpoliciesofsomemajoreconomiesareshiftingtowardsanti-globalization.”
TheWTO’slatestWorldTradeOutlookIndicatorhasdowngradeditsforecastforglobaltradegrowthto1.8-3.1percentin2017,indicatingthatworldtradeisunlikelytoreboundamidstincreasinguncertainties.XinhuaHisremarkshavebeenevidencedbyrecentstatistics.AreportreleasedbytheWorldTradeOrganization(WTO)inJune2016showsthatG20economiesenactedatotalof145traderestrictivemeasuresfromOctober2015toMay2016,averagingatover20permonth,thehighestlevelsincetheWTObegantomonitortraderestrictivemeasuresworldwidein2009.
Itisevidentthatagainstthebackdropofsluggisheconomicgrowth,methodssuchasimplementingtradeprotectionism,erectingtradebarriersandmanipulatingtradeonthepretextofantidumpinghavebecomeprimarymeansforsomecountriestograbalargershareoftheinternationalmarket.Chinahasfallenvictimtoaslewofanti-globalizationpracticesbyanumberofitstradingpartners.StatisticsfromtheChineseMinistryofCommerceindicatethatChinaencountered119traderemedyinvestigations,launchedby27countriesandregions,in2016,involvingatotalofUS$14.34billion.Comparedtothepreviousyear,thenumberofinvestigationcasesandtheamountinvolvedincreased36.8percentand76percent,respectively.
“Tradeprotectionismpoliciesandmeasures,directorindirect,impedefaircompetitionintheinternationalmarket,”assertsZongQinghou,anNPCdeputyandchairmanofHangzhou-basedWahahaGroupCo.,Ltd.HesuggestedthegovernmentactivelyutilizeinternationaltraderulesandputforwardproperforeigntrademeasurestosafeguardChina’slawfulrightsandinterests,andtoseekcommondevelopmentbasedontheprinciplesofequalityandmutualbenefit.
OnJuly12,2016,the17thChinaTextileandApparelTradeShowkickedoffinNewYorkCity,withtheaimofprovidingaplatformforChineseandforeigntextileenterprisestocommunicatewitheachotherandboostthedevelopmentofthetextileandapparelindustriesinChinaandacrosstheworld.XinhuaBroadeningModesofChina-U.S.Trade
Thisyearmarksthe38thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofChina-U.S.diplomaticrelations.Economicandtraderelationsbetweenthetwocountrieshavewitnessedsubstantialprogressoverthepastdecades,generatingconcretebenefitsforbothsides.
Onaverage,U.S.cargoexportstoChinagrewby11percentannuallyoverthepastdecade.OutsideNorthAmerica,Chinaisthefastest-growingexportmarketfortheU.S.From2001to2016,U.S.serviceexportstoChinaincreasedfifteen-fold,anditssurplusintradeofservicesmultipliedby29.StatisticsfromtheU.S.-ChinaBusinessCouncilshowthatbilateraltradehashelpedcreate2.6millionjobsintheU.S.
TheU.S.hasalsoearnedtremendousbenefitsfrombilateralinvestments.Bytheendof2016,Chineseenterpriseshadaccumulatednon-financialdirectinvestmentsofnearlyUS$50billionin44U.S.states,creatingnearly100,000jobs.Besides,U.SpanieshavegainedhugeprofitsbyinvestinginChina.AsurveyreportonChina’sbusinessenvironmentreleasedbytheU.S.-ChinaBusinessCouncilinOctober2016showsthat90percentofU.S.enterprisesinChinahavebeenrunningwithprofits.
However,theU.S.governmentneglectsthemutuallybeneficialconnotationsofChina-U.S.trade.Itover-emphasizesChina’stradesurplus,turningablindeyetothestructureofChineseexportstotheU.S.andChina’sdemandsforhi-techimports.FuYing,spokespersonoftheNPCannualsession,stressedatapressconferencethatChinahopestosolveitstradeimbalancewiththeU.S.throughbroadeningmodesoftrade.
TheU.S.hasmaintainedstrictrestrictionsonthecategoriesofitsexportstoChina.ThefactthatsomeAmericanpoliticiansstillregardChinaasacompetitorratherthanapartnerhasmadeexportsofsomehi-techproductstoChinaimpossible.
PromotingChina-EUMultifacetedCooperation
OnFebruary28,2017,theEuropeanCommission(EC)decidedtoimposeanti-dumpingdutiesrangingfrom65.1percentto73.7percentonChinesesteelplatesforafive-yearperiod.Ofthe41traderestrictivemeasuresonsteelproducts,18weretargetedatChineseexports.TheECcontinuestousethe‘analoguecountrymethod’initsinvestigationsintoChineseproducts,whichconsiderablyharmsthelegitimaterightsofChinesecompanies.
In2001,ChinawasadmittedintotheWTO.AccordingtoArticle15oftheProtocolontheAccessionofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,theimportingWTOmembermayuseamethodologynotbasedonastrictcomparisonofdomesticpricesorcostsinChinaiftheproducersunderinvestigationcannotclearlyshowthatmarketeconomyconditionsprevailwithregardtothemanufacture,productionandsaleofthatproduct.Thismethodologyisreferredtoasthe‘analoguecountrymethod.’TheregulationisintendedtoallowinvestigatingnationstochoosetousedatafromacountryatasimilardevelopmentleveltodeterminepricecomparabilityofproductsfromChina.TheProtocolalsostipulatesthatthe‘analoguecountrymethod’shouldonlybeapplicablefora15-yeartransitionperiodandwouldexpirewithregardtoChinainDecember2016.ChinahasfulfilleditsobligationstotheWTO,butitseffortshavenotbeenrewarded.Tilltoday,manycountrieshaveyettofulfilltheircommitmenttoacknowledgeChina’smarketeconomystatus.
China’sMinistryofCommercepointsoutthatthedifficultiesfacedbythesteelindustryareprimarilyattributedtothesluggishworldeconomicrecoveryanddecliningdemand.So,itisgroundlessthattheEuropeanUnion(EU)blamedChina’sexportedsteelproducts,andtraderestrictivemeasurescannothelptheEUaddressthechallengesimposedonitssteelsector.
“Somecountriessimplyblametheirdomesticproblemsonglobalization,”remarksKongXiaoyan,anNPCdeputyanddirectorofTianjinPropertyRightsExchange.“Traderepresentsasignificantpartofglobalizationandwilldefinitelybeimpactedbythemountinganti-globalizationtrend.”
ChiFulin,amemberoftheCPPCCNationalCommitteeandpresidentoftheChinaInstituteforReformandDevelopment,saidthatinviewofthecomplicatedsituationcausedbythefactthatseveralEuropeancountrieswillholdgeneralelectionsthisyear,ChinashouldaccelerateitscooperationwiththeEUinvariousfields,especiallyinvestmentagreementnegotiations,theBeltandRoadInitiative,andthepossibilityofestablishingfreetradeareas.“SuchissuesarenotonlyimportanttoChina,butalsomeetthedemandsoftheEUandwillsetgoodexamplesfortheimprovementoftheglobalgovernancestructure,”headded.