The
11th
World Export Development Forum (WEDF) wound up here today with the more than
300 delegates from 60 countries expressing optimism about trade growth in the
post-crisis era and reaffirming their commitment to the export-led growth
model.
Two days of intensive discussion
covered topics including the current state of world trade; boosting
competitiveness through innovative financial mechanisms; the new realities of
the global supply chain; the importance of strategic partnerships for business
success; emerging private standards and their impact on trade; the need to
empower women in business to power trade; and thinking ahead and planning for
the short and long-term future.
In the closing plenary session, Mr.
Long Yongtu, Secretary-General of China’s Centre for the Study of the G20, said
that despite some criticism from developed countries, China’s reliance on
exports would continue. “China needs to rely on exports as the engine of
economic growth and poverty reduction,” Mr. Long told the Forum.
However he also said: “It is our
intention to gradually turn China from an export-led growth pattern to a domestic
consumption growth pattern. That is the intention, but it will take time.”
ITC Executive Director Patricia R.
Francis, in her closing statement, said the mood of the meeting was optimistic:
“It helps that we are seeing positive signs of recovery. It also helps that you
are all adopting the outstanding Chinese characteristic of pragmatism, which
helps us to see and realize the opportunities in this crisis,” she said.
She described a number of conclusions
reached during the meeting:
That
the world was still perhaps not as globalized as some people thought, and this
meant there were opportunities for business to exploit;
That
the large emerging economies will need to balance growth of domestic demand with
boosting exports;
That
companies and countries should focus on increasing the value rather than the
volume of exports;
That
regional integration was vital, particularly in Africa and small island regions
such as the Caribbean and the Pacific;
That
South-South trade between developing countries and emerging markets will become
one of the most important drivers for trade and growth;
That
companies and countries need to think long-term and incentives should be
devised to encourage this;
That
the trade in services will expand, and tourism represents an easy entry for
many least developed countries.
Ms. Francis announced that while
the Forum was going on, agreement had been reached on a four party
collaboration between ITC, the
Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM), the
China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), and the Chongqing
Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Commission (COFTEC).
A comprehensive 10-point work plan
would be implemented in the coming years covering areas including market
analysis, sector development programmes and business match-making.
A second important initiative had
resulted from a roundtable meeting for senior executives on gender-specific
procurement. This was the establishment of the Chongqing Platform for Action on
Sourcing from Women Vendors. This aimed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and
best practice on sourcing from women vendors and increase women’s share of
corporate, government and institutional procurement.
After the announcements, Mr Li Jian
Chun, the Director of COFTEC, said of the four party collaboration: “This
must be a prototype and success
story of Chongqing in export development.” His deputy, Professor Li Shirong,
said of the Platform of Action: “Knowing each other is the beginning; coming
together is progress; working together is success.”
Chongqing
is China’s 4th municipality and one of the country’s fastest growing
cities. Tomorrow participants at the Forum will have the opportunity to visit a
number of businesses in the city before departing.
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