In recent years, China and Iran have been enriching their long lasting friendship by complementing each other in various aspects such as trade, energy and production capacity cooperation. The successful cooperation between China and Iran arises from our friendly and mutually complementary relations.
Five years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the “Belt and Road Initiative”. This initiative originated from China, but the opportunities and achievements belong to the whole world. In the past five years, the “Belt and Road” has transformed from an idea to an action, and has become an important platform for building a community with Shared future for mankind. China has signed "Belt and Road”cooperation documents with more than 100 countries and international organizations including Iran.
The “Belt and Road Initiative” focuses on opening up. Over the past 40 years, China has been adhering to the basic national policy of reform and opening-up. China benefits from opening up. At the same time, it has also made significant contribution to the world by providing opportunities to the common development of other countries. Nowadays, the global economy is highly integrated. China believes the multilateral trading system helps to provide opportunities to all countries to participate in economic globalization. On 28th June, the State Council Information Office of China published a white paper entitled“China and the World Trade Organization”, which gives a full account of China’s fulfillment of its commitments to the WTO, illustrates China’s principles, position, policies and proposals regarding the multilateral trading system. It also outlines China’s vision and further action in advancing higher-level of opening-up. The main points are as following:
The multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core, is the cornerstone of international trade and underpins the sound and orderly development of global trade. China firmly observes and upholds the WTO rules. It supports the multilateral trading system that is open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory. China has participated in all aspects of WTO work, made its voice heard and contributed its own proposals on improving global economic governance. China is an active participant, strong supporter and major contributor of the multilateral trading system.
The “Belt and Road Initiative” aims at joint development. Propelled by a new vision of development, the Chinese economy is transitioning from rapid growth to high-quality development. China stays committed to the strategy of opening-up for win-win results. It is ready to share opportunities and benefits with other countries and their people. While developing itself, China enhances common prosperity worldwide.
The “Belt and Road Initiative” emphasizes rule-based multilateralism. China has faithfully fulfilled its WTO accession commitments. Since China acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2001, it has made continued efforts to improve the socialist market economy and relevant legal system, to fulfill commitments on trade in goods, trade in services, IPR protection and transparency. In the process, Chinese companies were confronted with international competitions and experienced great difficulties. Rising up to these challenges, Chinese industries and companies made great efforts to carry out structural readjustments, to participate in the global value chains and finally significantly increased their international competitiveness.
China firmly supports the multilateral trading system. Since its accession to the WTO, China has participated in all aspects of WTO work and called upon the WTO to focus more on the concerns and interests of developing members, opposed unilateralism and protectionism, upheld the authority and efficacy of the multilateral trading system, and made concerted efforts together with other members in supporting the WTO to play a greater role in economic globalization.
China makes significant contribution to the world after accession to the WTO. China steadfastly pursues a mutually beneficial opening-up strategy, upholds the WTO’s principle of free trade. From its accession to WTO in 2001 to putting forward the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, China has made a positive contribution to promoting international trade and increasing global well-being. Since 2002 China has contributed almost 30 percent on average to annual global economic growth and has become a major engine for the recovery and growth of world economy.
China is actively advancing opening-up to a higher level. In the face of the overwhelming trend of economic globalization, China will make continued efforts to promote balanced development of trade, facilitate international trade, substantially widen market access for foreign investment, create a more attractive environment for foreign investment, regulate outward investment, and advance its FTA strategy. China will open up in a more comprehensive, profound and diversified way, with a view to achieving greater mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.
Looking into the future, China will continue to fulfill its commitments, comply with rules, actively participate in the improvement of the multilateral trading system, and give firm support to the WTO in playing a greater role in global economic governance. China commits itself to opening up wider and deeper to promote economic and social developments across the world, providing other countries including Iran with more opportunities to share the benefits of China’s development, promoting the development of the global economy in the direction of equality, justice, cooperation and mutual benefit.
By: Chinese ambassador to Iran Pang Sen
MNA/TT