2018年CRI UN symposium urges more efforts on multilateralism

 

UN officials, leading economists¹ and academics have gathered at UN headquarters on Friday to discuss ways to try to protect global free-trade. CRI's UN correspondent Qian Shanming has more.

The high-level symposium², titled "Strengthening Multilateralism and Multilateral Trading System in the Age of Globalization," has been co-organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Chinese Mission to the UN.

Liu Zhenming, the UN's Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, says the gathering³ is meant to provide an opportunity to consolidate⁴ commitments to strengthen multilateralism, and to talk about ways to help create opportunities and deal with some of the challenges of globalization.

"We meet at a time when growing discontent with globalization has contributed to major shifts in trade policies, and when progress towards building a universal, rule-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable⁵ multilateral trading system is under increasing strain. Ensuring a healthy, functional⁶ and efficient multilateral trading system requests a solid reaffirmation of commitments to multilateralism. "

Liu Zhenming's remarks have been echoed by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, who also delivered a speech at the symposium.

Amina says a strong resolve is needed to defend the multilateral trading system.

"We cannot take the multilateral trading system for granted. We need to nurture⁷ and to strengthen it. At a time when the world economy has been showing a broad base momentum⁸, the introduction of restricted trade policies is certainly a cause for concern. Trade restrictions⁹ could undermine confidence and derail global growth; they could hurt business and consumers alike, and erode¹⁰ confidence in the multilateral trading system."

As the co-host of the symposium, China's Ambassador to the UN Ma Zhaoxu has told the session that China stands firmly behind the multilateral trading system and its rules.

"Since its accession to the WTO in 2001, China has honored its commitments across the board, made all its WTO concessions¹¹ and opened its door wider. As an active response to the WTO's Aid for Trade initiative, China has helped to the best of its abilities other developing countries, especially the least developed countries (LDCs)."

Ma Zhaoxu has also told the symposium that steps are being taken to try to balance China's level of trade with other countries.

"China does not seek trade surplus; we have a genuine desire to increase imports and achieve greater balance of international payments under the current account. We hope developed countries will stop imposing¹² restrictions on normal and reasonable trade of high-tech¹³ products and relax export controls on such trade with China."

The high-level symposium has brought together chief economists from the UN, scholars from Columbia University, as well as other ambassadors to the UN. 

1 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 symposium   

n.讨论会，专题报告会；专题论文集

参考例句：

• What have you learned from the symposium?你参加了这次科学讨论会有什么体会？
• The specialists and scholars present at the symposium come from all corners of the country.出席研讨会的专家学者们来自全国各地。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

5 equitable   

adj.公平的；公正的

参考例句：

• This is an equitable solution to the dispute. 这是对该项争议的公正解决。
• Paying a person what he has earned is equitable. 酬其应得,乃公平之事。

6 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

7 nurture   

n.养育，照顾，教育；滋养，营养品；vt.养育，给与营养物，教养，扶持

参考例句：

• The tree grows well in his nurture.在他的培育下这棵树长得很好。
• The two sisters had received very different nurture.这俩个姊妹接受过极不同的教育。

8 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

9 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

10 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

11 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

12 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

13 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。