2018年CRI Opening up "a driving force for Asia's economic integration": BFA attendees

 

Attendees of the now-concluded Boao Forum¹ for Asia annual conference in south China's Hainan Province are suggesting that opening up is an important driving force for boosting economic integration² across Asia.

Yasuyuki Sawada, Chief Economist³ for the Asian Development Bank, says Asia's economic integration is already taking shape.

"Not only Asia has become open to the global economy, but also within Asia, inter-connectedness has enhanced in last four, five decades, so that shows the growth of Asian economic integration, which is really the key driving force (for Asian economic development). Secondly⁴, some numbers showing that more than around 60 percent of Asian trade is now conducted within Asia. Also, foreign direct investment, around 55 to 65 percent of foreign direct investment has been made within Asia," says Sawada.

However, a number of others are also expressing concerns that trade protectionism could be an obstacle for Asia's economic integration, adding that the world needs a multilateral trading system.

"The world economic recovery still lacks speed and momentum⁵. That means everyone needs to make their own contributions to facilitate the recovery, just like adding fuel to make the flames rise higher. The mansion⁶ of the multilateral trading system will definitely collapse⁷ if everyone takes their own brick away. During the two World Wars, trade protectionism was in vogue⁸, plunging⁹ the whole world into chaos¹⁰. I suggest that any responsible power, any leader with a conscience, should adopt a sensible attitude on the current situation," says Chinese vice¹¹ Commerce Minister Qian Keming

Addressing the opening ceremony of this year's Boao Forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced four major steps to try to expand China's opening up.

They include significantly broadening market access, creating a more attractive investment environment, strengthening protection of intellectual property rights and taking the initiative to expand imports.

Denis Depoux, Managing Partner of global consultancy Roland Berger in Greater China, says Xi Jinping's speech demonstrates China's determination to remain open.

"At the end of his speech, he (Xi Jinping) insisted that he wants this to be implemented¹² sooner than later, He made this point very explicit¹³, which I think is also new, in a way (to convey the message that) first of all, this is good for foreign business in China; secondly, it's also quite a warning to relevant departments that China is serious about reform, and it needs to happen," says Depoux.

Ronnie Lins, director of Center for China-Brazil Research and Business, argues that open markets are indispensable for global economic development.

"Under the current situation, global economic development will only be the case if everyone opens their markets to the outside world and cooperate together. Pursuing development with doors shut will only lead to failure," says Lins.

This year's Boao Forum for Asia annual conference wrapped up on Wednesday.

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

5 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。

6 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

7 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

8 Vogue   

n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的

参考例句：

• Flowery carpets became the vogue.花卉地毯变成了时髦货。
• Short hair came back into vogue about ten years ago.大约十年前短发又开始流行起来了。

9 plunging   

adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

13 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。