Everyone talks about the economy ｜ Firmly promote a higher level of opening up.

　　Author: Professor, School of International Relations, University of International Business and Economics, Deputy Director of Academic Affairs Office. Xiong Guangqing

　　Recently, when the Supreme Leader visited Ningxia, he pointed out that it is necessary to seize the great opportunity to jointly build the "Belt and Road", adhere to the combination of opening up to the outside world, cultivate open economic entities, create an open economic environment, and promote higher quality development with a higher level of opening up. This year’s "Government Work Report" pointed out that in the face of changes in the external environment, we must unswervingly expand opening up, stabilize the supply chain of the industrial chain, and promote reform and development through opening up. Firmly promoting a higher level of opening up is an inevitable choice for China to conform to the trend of economic globalization and actively integrate into the international community. The pace of China’s opening up and win-win cooperation will not stop, and its confidence and attitude towards opening up will remain the same.

　　Firmly promoting a higher level of opening to the outside world is an inevitable choice to adapt to economic globalization.

　　Since the 1990s, with the rapid development of information and communication technology and major changes in the world structure, economic globalization has developed very rapidly. Developed countries play a leading role in the process of economic globalization, and some people once called globalization "Americanization" or "Westernization". However, the development of emerging market countries and developing countries has also played an important role in promoting world economic development. As the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out, "The development of emerging market countries and developing countries is not to move anyone’s cheese, but to strive to make the cake of the world economy bigger." Take China as an example. In 2019, China’s GDP will approach 100 trillion yuan, and the contribution rate of China’s economic growth to world economic growth will reach 30%. It can be said that in the process of economic globalization, the development of emerging market countries is not at the expense of the development of developed countries, but has made great contributions to world economic development.

　　At present, the development of economic globalization is facing severe challenges, but the trend of economic globalization will not change, which requires China to firmly promote opening up and be a defender of economic globalization. We should see that the continuous development of science and technology and the continuous strengthening of contacts among countries in the world will inevitably promote the development of globalization in a deeper and broader direction. In particular, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation represented by information and communication technology is emerging, which will objectively accelerate the breakthrough of various barriers to trade protectionism and promote the formation of a new international division of labor system and world economic structure. With a very strong strategic determination, China is unswervingly opening up to the outside world and vigorously promoting the formation of a new pattern of all-round opening up. As General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "China’s opening to the outside world will not stagnate, and it will not go back."

　　Firmly promoting a higher level of opening up is an important declaration of China’s new round of opening up strategy.

　　China’s opening to the outside world took the establishment of special economic zones as a breakthrough, and basically formed a "special economic zone — Coastal open cities — Coastal Economic Open Zone — Open cities along the Yangtze River and inland — Open cities along the border "is a wide-ranging, multi-level, focused, point-line-surface opening pattern. In the process of making great achievements in opening to the outside world, the reform is also deepening and developing, and China has made all-round progress in various fields. China has made a major breakthrough in political reform, and the people’s democratic rights have been effectively guaranteed; The socialist market economic system has been continuously improved, the government functions have been continuously optimized, and the investment environment has been greatly improved; People’s ideas and behavior patterns have undergone profound changes, and the development of the whole society has undergone earth-shaking changes. Then, how to further firmly promote a higher level of opening up and promote the formation of a new pattern of all-round opening up?

　　First, we should pay attention to building a more complete open economic system. In his speech at the 2013 APEC CEO Summit, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "We will implement a more proactive opening strategy and improve an open economic system that is mutually beneficial, multi-balanced, safe and efficient." We should pay attention to improving the quality and efficiency of opening up to the outside world, constantly improve the layout of foreign trade and investment, and focus on promoting the orderly opening up of financial, educational, cultural, medical and other service industries. Promote international capacity cooperation, promote the formation of a global trade, investment and financing, production and service network, and accelerate the cultivation of new advantages in international economic cooperation and competition.

　　Under the current severe epidemic situation in COVID-19, we should pay attention to promoting the basic stability of foreign trade and actively utilize foreign capital. In promoting the basic stability of foreign trade, we should focus on supporting enterprises to increase orders, stabilize jobs and ensure employment, increase credit supply, expand the coverage of export credit insurance, reduce the cost of import and export compliance, and support export products to be sold domestically; Accelerate the development of new formats such as cross-border e-commerce and enhance international freight capacity; Promote a new round of pilot innovation and development of service trade. In terms of active utilization of foreign capital, it is necessary to significantly reduce the negative list of foreign capital access and introduce a negative list of cross-border service trade; Create a market environment in which domestic and foreign-funded enterprises are treated equally and compete fairly; We should pay attention to innovative ways of foreign investment, steadily push forward the reform of foreign economic and financial system, and improve the open system of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s market economy.

　　Second, we should strengthen the construction of free trade zones and constantly promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment. General Secretary of Supreme Leader attaches great importance to the construction of free trade zone, stressing: "Accelerating the implementation of free trade zone strategy is an important content of China’s new round of opening up." The construction of the Pilot Free Trade Zone is an important strategic measure to promote reform and opening up in the new era, with the purpose of trying first in some regions and fields and promoting the formation of a series of highland of institutional innovation. From September 2013 to August 2019, China has approved 18 pilot free trade zones in batches, which has initially formed an opening trend of coordination between the East, the West, the North and the South, and overall planning of land and sea, greatly promoting the formation of a new round of comprehensive opening-up pattern. In September 2018, the State Council approved the establishment of China (Hainan) Pilot Free Trade Zone. In August 2019, six new pilot free trade zones, including Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Hebei, Yunnan and Heilongjiang, were unveiled, which was a positive response to the current changes in international economic and trade cooperation and further conveyed to the international community China’s firm determination to deepen reform and open wider to the outside world.

　　It is necessary to further promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, China has actually become an important beneficiary and staunch defender of economic globalization. China firmly upholds the multilateral trading system, actively participates in WTO reform and promotes the construction of an open world economy. China is signing and will sign high-standard free trade agreements with more countries, strengthen cooperation in the fields of customs, taxation, auditing and supervision, establish and jointly build a "Belt and Road" tax collection and management cooperation mechanism, accelerate the promotion of international mutual recognition cooperation of "certified operators", and push economic globalization towards a more open, inclusive, inclusive, balanced and win-win direction. It is necessary to give the Pilot Free Trade Zone greater autonomy in reform and opening up, speed up the construction of a free trade port in Hainan, add pilot free trade zones and comprehensive bonded zones in the central and western regions, and increase comprehensive pilot projects for expanding and opening up the service industry.

　　Third, solidly promote the "Belt and Road" with high quality. The "Belt and Road" construction is an important starting point for China’s high-quality opening up. Premier Li Keqiang pointed out in his government work report in 2020 that the Belt and Road Initiative should be built with high quality. In 2013, the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader successively put forward major initiatives to build the "Silk Road Economic Belt" and the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road". The "Belt and Road" construction aims to borrow the historical symbols of the ancient Silk Road, actively promote the development of economic partnership between China and countries along the route, and jointly build a regional community of interests, destiny and responsibility among countries along the route with political mutual trust, economic integration and cultural tolerance. The construction of "Belt and Road" has multiple spatial connotations, and it is a multi-regional initiative and scheme, which is of positive significance for promoting the benign interaction between China and the world, especially for improving the surrounding environment in China. The construction of "One Belt, One Road" emphasizes pragmatic cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win, closely integrates the development of China with the development of relevant countries, organically connects with the development strategies and cooperation plans of participating countries along the route, expands regional investment and domestic demand, increases employment, and reduces poverty, thereby improving the capacity for sustainable development and promoting the overall development level of the region.

　　China should take the construction of the "Belt and Road" as an important starting point, pay equal attention to bringing in and going out, discuss, build and share, follow market principles and international rules, give full play to the main role of enterprises, carry out mutually beneficial cooperation, and form a new opening pattern of linkage between land and sea and mutual aid between east and west. Countries along the "Belt and Road" construction have different resource endowments, strong economic complementarities, and great potential and space for mutual cooperation. It involves not only many countries and regions, but also many industries and production factors, which will release huge development opportunities. In the first quarter of 2020, with the global COVID-19 epidemic very serious, the total trade volume of goods between China and ASEAN increased by 6.1%, exceeding US$ 140 billion, and ASEAN became China’s largest trading partner for the first time. The construction of "Belt and Road" bears the vision of global governance and economic globalization, and can promote the participating countries along the route to form a view of national power, common interests, sustainable development and global governance that adapts to the times, thus promoting the construction of a community of human destiny.

　　Firmly promoting a higher level of opening up will help China play a greater role in the international arena.

　　Since the reform and opening up, China’s economic strength has increased significantly, its politics and society have been stable and prosperous, its foreign exchanges have been continuously enhanced, and it has begun to assume more and more international responsibilities, and its comprehensive national strength and international influence have been significantly enhanced. Firmly promoting a higher level of opening to the outside world will help China expand its ties with the outside world, play a greater role in the international arena, and contribute more China wisdom and China’s programs to human development.

　　First, firmly promoting a higher level of opening-up will help China play a leading role in global governance. With the advance of economic globalization, some global problems have gradually emerged, such as climate change, terrorism, refugee problems and financial risks, which have posed a serious threat to human survival and development. At the same time, the global governance deficit situation is grim and cannot be ignored. China is playing an increasingly important role in global governance, changing from a participant and builder to a leader. Through a new round of opening up, China’s influence in the field of global governance can be enhanced, and China’s leading role in the field of global governance can be further exerted.

　　In recent years, China has continuously contributed China’s wisdom and China’s plan to global governance, providing leading new ideas and new ideas for global governance, which mainly include: the peripheral diplomatic concept of "pro-friendship, sincerity, benefit and tolerance", the correct concept of justice and benefit first, the partnership between countries that are in partnership but not aligned, the overall security concept of pursuing common security, the new international relations of cooperation and win-win, and the idea of a future-oriented community of human destiny. China has also continuously promoted the construction of institutional mechanisms for global governance, for example, China initiated the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BRICS New Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the Silk Road Fund. These measures have improved and enriched the institutional mechanisms for global governance. China has actively participated in the process of global governance, conscientiously fulfilled relevant international obligations and commitments, and actively implemented global governance agreements reached by various countries, thus strengthening China’s influence and international status on the international stage.

　　Second, firmly promoting a higher level of opening to the outside world will help China strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries. China adheres to the concept of "harmony without difference", unswervingly follows the path of peaceful development, actively participates in the construction and reform of the global governance system, becomes an important builder of the international system, and plays an important role in maintaining world peace and stability. Premier Li Keqiang pointed out in his government work report in 2020: "China will strengthen epidemic prevention cooperation with other countries, promote world economic stability, promote global governance, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at the core and the international order based on international law, and promote the building of a community of human destiny. China unswervingly follows the path of peaceful development and deepens friendly cooperation with other countries in the process of opening up. China has always been an important force for promoting world peace, stability, development and prosperity. " This fully conveyed China’s confidence in opening to the outside world and the concept of peaceful development, and expressed China’s willingness to safeguard world peace and promote common development.

　　In addition, Premier Li Keqiang pointed out in his government work report that it is necessary to "prepare for the third China International Import Expo(CIIE), actively expand imports and develop a higher-level big market facing the world". China International Import Expo is the world’s first national-level exhibition with the theme of import. It aims to firmly support trade liberalization and economic globalization, and actively open its market to the world, which is conducive to promoting economic and trade exchanges and cooperation among countries around the world, promoting global trade and world economic growth, and promoting the development of an open world economy. On November 5, 2018, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the first China International Import Expo: "Holding China International Import Expo is a major decision made by China with a view to promoting a new round of high-level opening up, and it is a major measure for China to open its market to the world." At present, COVID-19 epidemic situation is very severe in the world, so it is of great significance to organize the third China International Import Expo(CIIE).

　　Third, firmly promoting a higher level of opening to the outside world is a vivid portrayal of the idea of a community of human destiny in the field of practice. The idea of the community of human destiny contains rich connotations, including the interdependent views of international power, common interests, sustainable development and global governance. What the thought of the community of human destiny reveals is the spiritual core of "sharing, cooperation, win-win and tolerance", which shows the basic position and behavioral logic of China’s diplomacy of "basing itself on the domestic situation and giving consideration to the world". The idea of a community of human destiny makes people realize that the destiny of mankind is closely related, and countries must take into account the legitimate concerns of other countries when developing their own interests. This idea has been widely accepted by the international community. It can be said that the idea of the community of human destiny, based on interdependence, interest blending and solidarity, supported by peaceful development and win-win cooperation, contains a series of new major theoretical viewpoints and strategic thoughts, which is China’s great contribution to the theory of international relations in the 21st century. Building a community of human destiny is a long-term and arduous task, which requires multi-pronged and multi-measures simultaneously. We should start with the construction of peripheral destiny communities, destiny communities of developing countries or other regional communities.

　　Original editor/Chang Yan