CGTN: An up-close and personal look at China’s opening up and globalization

BEIJING, Nov. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In his report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized "opening up" 29 times. He stresses that China adheres to the right course of economic globalization. It strives to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation; advance bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation; and boost international macroeconomic policy coordination. It is committed to working with other countries to foster an international environment conducive to development and create new drivers for global growth.

Wang Huiyao, the Director of the Center for China and Globalization, said that for those who have lived through the past half century, globalization is the physical reality that keeps changing the people's lifestyle, a momentum for individuals to change the trajectory of their lives.

From his personal experience, he believes that had there not been China's integration of globalization with reform and opening up, he would have missed all the opportunities towards self-realization, and China have also remained in limbo, without achieving all the progress. He says that overseas studies contributed lifelong values both to his global knowledge and career, given him skills and professional knowledge on how to work internationally, while seeking to collaborate with people of diverse cultural backgrounds.

China's integration into the global system has created great benefits. China's opening-up laid the foundation for poverty alleviation. Since 1978, 770 million rural residents living below the poverty line have been lifted out of poverty. The country realized its poverty reduction goal from the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a decade ahead of the schedule. It has become the second largest economy in the world and, over the past decade, contributed over 30 percent of global GDP growth. 

Today, globalization faces many challenges. Social inequalities, climate change, the pandemics — all of the intricate problems embedded in the process of globalization have transformed into a mighty force to stand against it. Some have blamed China as the saboteur of international order.

But data shows a different story. China is one of the largest contributors to the UN Peace-keeping mission among P5 countries. Since joining the World Trade Organization, China has significantly relaxed market access and reduced the overall level of import tariffs from 15.3 percent to 7.4 percent, fulfilling the "TWO accession" commitments. China has been active in multilateral institutions like the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The 20th CPC National Congress report has emphasized again and again that China's door will be opened wider and wider, and China will keep on promoting economic globalization. Wang strongly believe that China will continue to open up and to champion globalization.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-11-07/Openness-enables-us-to-move-forward-1ex0zIbKRvG/index.html