The picture shows Xie Fuzhan, President of the Academy of Social Sciences, delivering a speech at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Photographed by Hu Zexi

From September 17 to 19, China US high-end think tanks held in-depth discussions on the development of China US economic and trade relations and how to ease the current trade disputes between the two countries in Washington and Chicago.

Xie Fuzhan, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Jiang Xiaojuan, member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and deputy director of the Social Construction Commission, led a delegation to attend the "Seminar on Sino US Economic and Trade Relations in the Global Economy" jointly organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a US think tank, in Washington, D.C Experts and scholars from the Chicago Committee on Global Affairs and other institutions had in-depth dialogues, and held media meetings in Washington and Chicago respectively to elaborate their positions and views.

Scholars from both sides believe that the continuous imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods by the US government will not help solve the trade dispute between the two countries, and will weaken the rule-based multilateral trading system. Dialogue and consultation is the right way to solve the problem. During the exchange, Chinese scholars explained China's relevant positions and practices from the facts on topics such as technology transfer, intellectual property protection, high-tech industrial policies, and actively clarified misunderstandings.

Chinese scholars pointed out that China US economic and trade relations should adhere to cooperation and move towards benign competition. The trade war is not a benign competition and does not accord with the fundamental interests of the Chinese and American people. The United States cannot achieve the goal of launching a trade war. Recently, there was a view that the economy of China and the United States could be artificially "decoupled". The Chinese representative stressed that artificially "decoupled" would distort the allocation of resources in the world, greatly damage the interests of Chinese and American enterprises and people, and even the people of the world, which is not in line with the direction of historical progress.

American scholars believe that the U.S. - China economy has a huge impact on the global economy. The two countries should go beyond current trade disputes, cooperate to meet challenges, jointly assume leadership roles, promote the reform of WTO, the International Monetary Fund and other important international institutions, and constantly improve the global economic governance system.

With regard to the new round of tariff measures against China announced by the US government a few days ago, the Chinese representative stressed that the Chinese government has always been clear and firm in its attitude to the unilateral provocation of trade disputes by the US. China will continue to deepen reform, expand opening up and maintain healthy and stable economic development in accordance with its own pace. In the future, China will eventually establish a fully open and perfect socialist market economic system and make greater contributions to the development, stability, peace and prosperity of the world.

Former US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said that the US China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. The current tariff measures of the US government will only make things worse. Some comments of the US side lack due mutual respect between the two great powers. Constructive dialogue is still the best path for both countries. Both sides should narrow differences and seek consensus.

Adam Posen, director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said that the strategy of the US government to impose tariffs could not solve the US China trade dispute, nor improve the competitiveness of US enterprises. On the contrary, it would weaken the purchasing power of low-income groups in the United States, and would also damage the world trade system in the long run. Chinese enterprises have the right to compete with American enterprises and succeed in any field, including high-tech fields.

(Our newspaper, Chicago, September 20)

People's Daily (September 21, 2018, version 02)

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