In recent years, anti-globalization and trade protectionism have
increased the risks of world economic development. COVID-19 has made the
world economy worse, causing the world economy to decline.
Among them, service trade has been more severely affected by the
pandemic, so promoting the development of service trade has become a key
link in the recovery of the world economy. The China International Fair
for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), held from September 4-9 in Beijing, is
just the one to fill the gap, aiming to promote the development of trade
in services and help the recovery of the world economy under the haze
of the pandemic.
With the rapid development of global service trade in recent years,
CIFTIS has become a new driving force for world economic growth, and
played an increasingly important role in the modern world.
First of all, CIFTIS can adapt to the trend that the role of new
consumption has increased significantly. This conference launched a
forum under the theme "Digital Creative Industry Gives New Impetus to
Global Economic Development." The digital creative industry has been
incorporated into the national strategic emerging industry plan. The
country has newly added digital creative industries in key industries,
including digital cultural creative equipment, digital cultural content,
design services, etc.
Compared with industry and hard power, this is a layout that focuses
on increasing soft power. At the same time, the digital creative
industry has the characteristics of high value-added, low energy
consumption and low pollution, which is also in line with the
positioning of strategic emerging industries.
The consensus among foreign countries in the fair on the development
of service trade and digital development has promoted the prosperity of
the international service trade market, and has played an important role
in further promoting China's digital transformation and upgrading and
achieving greater economic development achievements in opening up.
The second is to promote global economic recovery and reflect the
responsibility of China as a major power. Affected by the pandemic, the
global economic development situation is quite severe, and China has
taken the lead in getting out of the economic development dilemma.
In the second quarter of 2020, China's economy showed positive
growth, while other countries had negative growth. When the world
economic situation was depressed, China did not choose to be selfish,
but to embody its responsibility as a major power and work together to
promote global economic recovery and the development and prosperity of
service trade. Through the launch of CIFTIS, China will join hands with
other countries to overcome difficulties.
The third is to unswervingly promote the progress of globalization
and resolutely fight against trade bullying. The rise of global
conservatism and anti-globalization have affected the world's
"globalization" process. At this special moment, China did not adopt
conservatism, and did not forget its original intention, unswervingly
expand its opening up, and continue to promote globalization.
Economic globalization is the engine that promotes the growth of the
world economy. The progress of globalization is the general trend. The
holding of CIFTIS will not only help China to promote the coordinated
development of import and export, trade in goods and services, but also
help accelerate the formation of the "Double Circulation" model.
Fourth, trade in services is ascendant, and China's economy is
booming. During the global pandemic, services such as telemedicine,
online education, sharing platforms, collaborative office, and
cross-border e-commerce were widely used. Compared with the goods trade
of "paying with one hand and delivering the goods with one hand," the
trade of services, which uses services as commodities, is a new and
advanced form of consumption.
When sending a congratulatory letter to the Global Trade in Services
Summit last year, President Xi Jinping pointed out that service trade
has increasingly become an important part of international trade and an
important area of economic and trade cooperation between countries,
injecting new momentum into world economic growth.
Looking ahead, there are directions where service trade can head, so as to further develop trade globalization.
First, with the power of the digital economy, the pace of development
of service-oriented manufacturing and the manufacturing-oriented
service industry will be accelerated. It should be noted that the
service industry will profoundly affect the future development pattern
of the manufacturing industry, and the digital economy will help China
become a digital power as soon as possible.
With the help of digital technology to break the boundary between
manufacturing and service industries, we can accelerate China's
supply-side structural reform and demand-side reform, smooth the
domestic cycle, and promote the development of international and
external cycles.
And we need to develop the digital creative industry, which is an
important part of the global digital economy, and where China has large
creative economic market potential. We can use the huge consumer market
of the Belt and Road Initiative to export the high-quality digital
cultural and creative content of our country to this potential market.
In addition, it is necessary to carry out technological innovation in
the digital creative industry, update equipment, and create a healthy
and sound international ecosystem of digital creative industries.
Furthermore, an open and inclusive environment for cooperation is
needed. As the tertiary industry, the service industry has the
characteristics of light assets and soft elements. During its
development, it needs an open, inclusive, equal and transparent
cooperation environment. In the process of development, countries need
to reduce barriers to the flow of elements and promote cross-border
interconnection.
Last but not least, building a mutually beneficial and win-win
cooperation situation is also important. Under the background of
economic globalization, the economies of all countries are
interdependent, and the integration of interests has never been seen
before.
Setting up a fundamental plan to treat each other sincerely and
sharing benefits inclusively, countries should strengthen the
integration of service trade development, actively seek to maximize the
benefits of development, and continue to enlarge the "cake" for
everyone.
The author is the vice dean of the School of International
Development and Cooperation at the University of International Business
and Economics and deputy secretary-general of the China Association of
International Trade in the Ministry of Commerce.