Dissatisfaction with globalisation has led to an increase in protectionist feelings in many countries. Our correspondent in Geneva, Xue Jingmeng, interviewed the Executive Director of the International Trade Center about this and China's influence on the global economy.

 

Arancha Gonzalez Executive Director, ITC "We have a triple role. Role No.1 is to make the case for trade opening, make the case for keeping on our markets open, make the case for the value of international cooperation on trade, resist protectionism. Our second role is help business, in particular small and medium enterprises, because they represent more than 90% of business in any country. Support them, specially the countries that are poorer, maybe that are smaller, that are in a complex situation, that are fragile, participate in international trade. And three, support the governments who want to develop good strategy to trade, to explore and import, focus on those products or those services where they've got. More opportunities to strive in international trade." The election of Donald Trump as president of the United States has raised the specter of trade protectionism.

 

ARANCHA GONZALEZ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ITC "Our role is to explain that trade protectionism that is not protect, that not everybody benefits today from international trade, that not all companies can trade across border, that trade today is not benefiting everybody. Sometimes the benefits are too concentrated on 1% of our society and expansive to 99% of our society. But our role is to explain that trade protectionism will not help us to address this. What help us address the problem of inequality in our society is better education, better health care, better vocational training, better infrastructure, investment into empowering people, empowering businesses to be part of international trade, not closing borders. So our role is to make sure we can contribute to more inclusive international trade, more sustainable international trade."

 

Global economic recovery is still uncertain. China's economic growth has slowed, but it expanded 6.9 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year. It sees technology as the key to future economic development.

 

 ARANCHA GONZALEZ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ITC "China's economy has been moving very fast and very far. We have seen numerous progress that is made in opening up, in reforming, in transforming, in giving more opportunities to Chinese. China is one of great examples that uses international trade to get people out of poverty. But it is a huge country, and economy is moving even faster, technological progress, advancing robotics are putting stress in all our economy to make sure that people, workers, companies move as fast as technological moving. China has a challenge like the rest of the countries in the world to adapt to this huge technological path. I am very encouraged by the announcement made by President Xi Jinping. Recently China will host a big import fare in 2018, as a signal, that China understands it also ready to open, continue to open its market to provide opportunities to other countries to invest in China market.