On Thursday, October 19, CCASC hosted the President of Liaoning University, Professor Yu Miaojie, for a public lecture at KIMEP University’s campus in Almaty on "China's All-round Opening-up: Understanding China's New Economic Thoughts".
In this presentation, Professor Yu discussed China's economic landscape, highlighting key features of the nation's high-quality growth strategy. The presentation outlined several critical areas that define China's economic evolution and his insights into its development trajectory.
The presentation covered a number of thematic areas: According to Yu, China's economic growth is undergoing a significant transformation marked by a commitment to high-quality development. China is undergoing a major structural transformation of its economy, undergirded by the complexation of its economic sectors and the improvement of its export goods. These factors together have accounted for export value-added increases of approximately 60% of China's total exports now comprise value-added goods. Value-added increases are finished products, which are constructed in China. In the country, machinery, electrical equipment, transportation equipment, optical instruments, textiles, plastics, and rubber are the leading exports of this category. Together, these factors have increased China’s overall growth in productivity and factors of production to rival that of the United Kingdom in 2019.
The presentation covered a number of thematic areas: According to Yu, China's economic growth is undergoing a significant transformation marked by a commitment to high-quality development. China is undergoing a major structural transformation of its economy, undergirded by the complexation of its economic sectors and the improvement of its export goods. These factors together have accounted for export value-added increases of approximately 60% of China's total exports now comprise value-added goods. Value-added increases are finished products, which are constructed in China. In the country, machinery, electrical equipment, transportation equipment, optical instruments, textiles, plastics, and rubber are the leading exports of this category. Together, these factors have increased China’s overall growth in productivity and factors of production to rival that of the United Kingdom in 2019.
Yu stated that China’s growth has been further driven by his ‘five keywords’ of high-quality development. These include innovation, highlighted by China’s 2.55% GDP commitment to R&D, which Yu states signals a shift towards knowledge-intensive growth. Green Development, which Yu characterizes as China's commitment to environmental sustainability. The presenter stated that China will peak its emissions by 2030, achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, and harmonizing environmental compliance with green initiatives. Harmonization and Co-sharing, which includes infrastructure development, encompassing highways, rail, and telecoms, fostering cross-border trade and cooperation between provinces. Poverty Reduction and Rural Development, projects that reduce poverty and programs that lessen the rural-urban divide and grant education and career opportunities to China’s rural denizens. Opening-up and Global Engagement, China's foreign trade reaching $6 trillion in 2021, coupled with major cities exposed to trade liberalization and contributing to global education through international student exchanges, signifies a commitment to global engagement.
To sustain this trajectory of high-quality growth, Professor Yu proposed several policy suggestions, including the diversification of export destinations; digitization of the service industry; the deepening of outward FDI to strengthen China's global economic footprint and the fostering of regional trade cooperation to enhance economic synergy and regional development.
Professor Yu concluded his presentation with optimism, highlighting what he called “China's successful response to the challenges posed by COVID-19.” Yu stated that the Chinese economy is poised for a new stage of high-quality development, though he qualified that new strategies to sustain this economic growth and future innovative ideas will be needed for China as it continues its development. He concluded on the point that the fostering of ‘Dual Circulation,’ meaning the subsequent improvement of trade and the production of goods within China, while growing the volume of goods set for export, will be the key to furthering China’s future economic growth and ensuring that high-quality development can be maintained within the country.