完善治理规则 促进共同发展
——刘光源特派员在“2021国际法论坛”上的演讲
（2021年11月19日，香港法律枢纽）
尊敬的林郑月娥行政长官，
尊敬的郑若骅司长，
尊敬的梁定邦主席、黄进会长，
线上和线下的各位朋友，
大家下午好！很荣幸受邀出席亚洲国际法律研究院和中国国际法学会共同主办的“2021国际法论坛”，我谨代表外交部驻港公署对论坛的成功举办表示热烈祝贺！
本届论坛聚焦“国际贸易法在疫情时代及以后的发展”，具有突出的现实意义。当前，世界百年变局和世纪疫情交织，单边主义、保护主义抬头，全球化遭遇逆流，世界经济复苏前路坎坷。同时，可持续发展、社会信息化和产业智能化趋势对人类社会造成深远影响。上述新情况、新挑战持续成为全球治理和国际经贸规则发展的重要课题。
今年是中国恢复联合国合法席位50周年、中国加入世界贸易组织20周年。作为国际社会负责任的一员，中国一直致力于深化改革、全面合作，建设性参与全球治理和国际经贸规则制定，为全球经济治理作出巨大的中国贡献。
——不折不扣履行“入世”承诺。20年来，中国全面履行加入承诺，大幅开放市场，关税总水平已降至7.4％，低于9.8%的“入世”承诺。在市场准入方面，中国持续缩减外商投资负面清单，全面实施平等待遇，目前开放了120多个部门，远超“入世”承诺的100个部门。中国始终坚持社会主义市场经济改革方向，不断健全完善市场经济法律体系，中央政府清理法律法规2300多件，地方政府清理19万多件，激发了市场和社会活力。中国持续加强知识产权保护，完善法治化、国际化、便利化的营商环境。
——坚定不移维护多边贸易体制。中国厉行法治，全面遵守和执行国际经贸规则，维护多边贸易体制国际规则制定主渠道地位，广泛参与贸易和投资便利化、信息技术、电子商务、服务贸易、中小微企业等各领域规则制定，认真执行每一起世贸组织争端解决机制的裁决。中国深度参与联合国、世界贸易组织、二十国集团、亚太经合组织、上海合作组织、金砖国家等机制合作，推动全球经济治理体系向着更加公正合理的方向变革。
——持之以恒推进更高水平开放。改革开放40多年来，中国开放的大门越开越大，近年来加快推进高水平对外开放，构建以国内大循环为主体、国内国际双循环相互促进的新发展格局，推动贸易和投资自由化便利化、深化区域经济一体化取得丰硕成果。中国高质量建设“一带一路”，率先核准《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》，正积极推进加入《全面与进步跨太平洋伙伴关系协定》和《数字经济伙伴关系协定》。中国坚持在开放中扩大共同利益，在合作中实现机遇共享，让开放的春风温暖世界。
——矢志不渝促进世界经济增长。中国的扩大开放，激活了世界经济的一池春水。中国每年进口商品服务约2.5万亿美元，成为50多个国家和地区的最大贸易伙伴、120多个国家和地区的前三大贸易伙伴，是世界第一大货物贸易国、第一大外资吸收国。过去20年，中国对全球经济增长的年均贡献率接近30%，成为世界经济增长的“动力源”。面对突如其来的疫情，中国积极开展国际抗疫合作，对外提供超过60亿人份检测试剂、超过17亿剂疫苗，已向110多个国家提供无偿疫苗捐赠，明确未来3年内提供30亿美元，用于支持发展中国家抗疫和恢复经济社会发展，为国际社会早日战胜疫情、复苏世界经济提供重要支持。
女士们，先生们，
“知所从来，方明所往。”一直以来，国际贸易法在促进国际贸易、规范国际经贸活动、协调统一国际商事规则方面提供制度保障、发挥指引作用。着眼未来，国际经贸规则的发展变革应当把握世界多极化、经济全球化和可持续发展的趋势潮流，做到三个“有利于”：
一是有利于各国共享繁荣发展。追求幸福生活是各国人民共同愿望，各国一起发展才是真发展，大家共同富裕才是真富裕。国际经贸规则的发展完善，应坚持平等和民主参与，切实提升新兴市场和发展中国家的代表性和发言权，平衡、包容地反映最广泛的主张和利益。各国应践行真正的多边主义，坚决维护以世界贸易组织为基石的多边贸易体制，维护国际贸易基本原则和核心价值，推动构建公正、合理、透明的国际经贸规则体系。
二是有利于构建开放型世界经济。经济全球化是不可逆转的时代潮流，开放融通是不可阻挡的历史趋势。各国应当以开放求合作，以合作促开放，坚持“拉手”而不是“松手”，“拆墙”而不是“筑墙”，不断削减贸易壁垒，推动全球价值链、供应链更加完善，共同培育市场需求。在国际经贸规则讨论中，应坚决反对一切形式的单边主义和保护主义，持之以恒推动经济全球化朝着正确方向发展。
三是有利于助力创新发展。创新是推动人类社会进步和疫后经济复苏的重要力量。疫情激发了新一轮科技革命和产业变革深入推进，数字经济全面提速，催生大量新产业、新业态、新模式。国际经贸规则必须跟上创新步伐，推动科技同经济深度融合，努力打破制约知识、技术、人才等创新要素流动的壁垒，探索制定高标准数字经贸规则，落实绿色低碳可持续发展，助力各国挖掘疫后经济增长新动能。
女士们，先生们，
就在上周，中国共产党第十九届中央委员会第六次全体会议胜利闭幕。这次全会是在中国共产党百年华诞的重要时刻，在“两个一百年”奋斗目标历史交汇关键节点上召开的一次重要会议。会议通过了《中共中央关于党的百年奋斗重大成就和历史经验的决议》，全面总结了中国共产党成立一百年来取得的重大成就，深刻指出了中国共产党百年奋斗的历史意义，明确阐述了党领导人民进行伟大奋斗积累的历史经验，体现了中国共产党重视和善于运用历史规律的高度政治自觉，体现了中国共产党牢记初心使命、继往开来的自信和担当。
中国共产党是为中国人民谋幸福的政党，也是为人类进步事业而奋斗的政党。《决议》以“十个坚持”深刻揭示了中国共产党不断从胜利走向胜利的核心密码，其中就包括“坚持胸怀天下”，再次展现中国共产党宽广博大的国际情怀。自诞生之日起，中国共产党就始终胸怀人类前途命运。从提出和平共处五项原则，到将坚持和平发展道路写入宪法，再到提出推动建设新型国际关系，推动构建人类命运共同体，中国始终是世界和平的建设者、全球发展的贡献者、国际秩序的维护者、公共产品的提供者。面向未来，中国将继续高举和平、发展、合作、共赢旗帜，同各国一道，共担时代责任、共享发展机遇，共建开放型世界经济，不断促进疫后世界经济复苏，助力各国人民实现对美好生活的向往，让和平与发展的阳光普照全球。
最后，预祝本次论坛取得圆满成功！谢谢大家！
Improving Governance Rules for Common Development
Speech by Commissioner Liu Guangyuan at
The 2021 Colloquium on International Law
Hong Kong Legal Hub
November 19, 2021
The Honourable Chief Executive Carrie Lam,
The Honourable Secretary Teresa Cheng,
Chairman Anthony Neoh,
President Huang Jin,
Friends both online and on site,
Good afternoon! It’s my great honour to join you in the 2021 Colloquium on International Law organized by the Asian Academy of International Law and the Chinese Society of International Law. On behalf of the Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR, I wish to extend warm congratulations on the colloquium.
The theme of this forum, “Development of International Trade Law in the Post-Pandemic Era”, is most timely and relevant. The world is under the combined impact of a global pandemic and major changes both unseen in a century; unilateralism and protectionism are rising; backlash against globalization is growing; and global recovery is in a difficult situation. At the same time, the trends of sustainable development, IT application and the intelligent transformation of industries have brought far-reaching impacts on human society. Those new issues and challenges remain important topics for global governance and the development of international economic and trade rules.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of China’s restoration of its lawful seat in the UN and the 20th anniversary of China’s accession to the WTO. As a responsible member of the international community, China has been committed to deepening reform, expanding cooperation, and participating in global governance and international economic and trade rules-setting, making China’s contributions to global economic governance.
First, we have fully fulfilled our “WTO accession” commitments. Over the past two decades, China has honored all its commitments to the WTO and substantially opened up its market, and our overall tariff has come down to 7.4%, lower than the 9.8% we promised. In terms of market access, China has continued to shorten the negative list for foreign investment and extended equal treatment to all international investors. We have opened more than 120 sub-sectors, far more than our commitments—the 100 sub-sectors. China has been reforming the socialist market economy and improving the legal system of the market economy. We have reviewed and revised over 2,300 laws and regulations at the central government level and more than 190-thousand policies and regulations at local government levels, which greatly stimulated our market and social vitality. China also keeps strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights and improving our law-based, world-class and business-friendly environment.
Second, we firmly champion the multilateral trading system. China upholds the rule of law, abides by and implements international economic and trade rules, and maintains the position of the multilateral trading system as the main channel for international rules-setting. We have taken part in the rules-making of various sectors such as trade and investment facilitation, information technology, e-commerce, trade in services and SMEs, and enforced all rulings of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism. China has deeply engaged in the cooperation of the UN, the WTO, the G20, APEC, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS to reform the global economic governance system to make it more just and equitable.
Third, we have been promoting higher-level opening up. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has opened wider to the world. In recent years, it has been accelerating opening-up at a high level and fostering a new development paradigm featuring “dual circulations” with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. Fruitful results have been achieved from trade liberalization, investment facilitation and regional economic integration. China is pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, has taken the lead in approving the RCEP and applied to join the CPTPP and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement. China is committed to expanding common interests through opening-up and sharing opportunities through cooperation to ensure that our openness can deliver benefits to all parts of the world.
Fourth, we are steadily contributing to global growth. China’s opening-up has injected fresh impetus into the world economy. Our annual import in goods and services is valued at around 2.5 trillion US dollars. It has become the largest trading partner of more than 50 countries and regions, a top 3 trading partner of more than 120 countries and regions, the biggest trader of goods and the No.1 destination of foreign investment. Over the past 20 years, China has contributed nearly 30% of global growth on annual average, making us the “engine” of the world economic growth. Facing the sudden onset of Covid-19, China has carried out extensive international cooperation against the pandemic. We have provided over 6 billion testing kits and 1.7 billion doses of vaccines to the international community, including donations to more than 110 countries. China has undertaken to offer 3 billion US dollars over the next 3 years to support Covid-19 response and economic and social recovery in fellow developing countries, which will contribute to an earlier global victory against the virus and the revival of the world economy.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Revisiting history helps us to shed light on the future. For long, the international trade law has provided institutional support and played a guiding role in promoting global trade, regulating international economic and trade activities, and coordinating international commercial rules. Looking ahead, the development and reform of international economic and trade rules must follow the world’s trends towards multi-polarity, economic globalization and sustainable development, and should help to achieve the following three goals.
First, it should help all countries to enjoy prosperity and development. A happy life is the common pursuit of all peoples. Only when countries develop together can there be true development, and only when countries prosper together can there be true prosperity. When improving international economic and trade rules, we need to follow the principles of equality and democratic participation, increase the representation and say of emerging markets and developing countries, and reflect the broadest propositions and interests in a balanced and inclusive manner. All countries should practice true multilateralism, safeguard the multilateral trading system with the WTO as its cornerstone, safeguard the basic principles and core values of international trade, and work for a set of fair, reasonable and transparent global economic and trade rules.
Second, it should help to build an open world economy. Economic globalization, opening-up and integration are irreversible historical trends. Countries need to seek cooperation through opening-up and promote opening-up through cooperation. We need to “join hand” with each other instead of “letting go” of each other’s hands. We need to “tear down walls”, not to “build walls”. We need to bring down trade barriers, optimize global value and supply chains, and jointly foster market demand. When negotiating on international economic and trade rules, we should be firm in opposing all forms of unilateralism and protectionism, and in advancing economic globalization in the right direction.
Third, it should help to spur innovation-driven development. Innovation is a vital force driving human progress and post-Covid economic recovery. The pandemic has boosted a new round of technical revolution and industrial transformation, and the thriving digital economy has nurtured a large number of new industries, new business forms and new models. Facing the rapid pace of innovation, international economic and trade rules must not lag behind. To this end, countries need to facilitate integration of science and technology with economic growth, and remove barriers that hamper the flow of knowledge, technology, talents and other factors of innovation. What’s more, setting up high-standard digital economic and trade rules, and pursuing green and low-carbon sustainable development are equally important. These actions could help countries to foster new growth drivers in the post-pandemic era.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Last week, the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China concluded its sixth plenary session. On the occasion of the centenary of the CPC and at the critical juncture where the time-frames of the two centenary goals converge, this meeting is of historic significance. The session adopted the Resolution on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century, reviewed the great accomplishments of the CPC in the past 100 years, highlighted the historical significance of the Party’s efforts over the past century, and expounded the experience of the Party leading all Chinese people in great endeavors. It reflects our party’s high political awareness of attaching great importance to and fully applying the historical laws, and demonstrates our party’s confidence and sense of responsibility in keeping to its founding mission and building on past achievements to usher in a new future.
The CPC is a political party that strives for both the well-being of all Chinese people and for the advancement of all humankind. The Resolution reveals ten secret codes of the success of the CPC. One of them is “the party maintains a global vision”. Since its founding, the CPC has set its sights on bettering the future of humanity. It put forward the five principles of peaceful co-existence, codified our commitment to peaceful development into China’s Constitution, proposed to build a new type of international relations and called for building a community with a shared future for mankind. By any standard, China is a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of international order and a provider of public goods. On the journey ahead, China will stay committed to peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, share both responsibilities of our times and development opportunities with other countries, and build an open world economy. We will continue to work for the post-pandemic global recovery, and help people of all countries realize their dream for a better life, so that every corner of the world could enjoy peace and development.
Finally, I wish this forum a full success! Thank you!