对外贸易发展有力推动了中国的现代化建设，中国成长为一个开放的经济体。参与国际分工与竞争，引进先进技术、设备和管理，利用外商直接投资，极大促进了中国技术进步和产业升级，提高了企业管理水平和市场竞争力。加工贸易迅速发展壮大使中国劳动力充裕的比较优势得以发挥，加快了中国的工业化和城镇化进程。对外贸易直接带动就业人口超过8000万，其中60%以上来自农村，就业者的收入和生活得到显著改善。对外贸易与国内投资、消费一起，成为中国经济增长的三大引擎。   

    中国对外贸易的历史性进步是与国际国内形势的发展变化紧密联系在一起的。20世纪80年代前后，和平与发展成为时代主题。随着经济全球化不断推进，资金、技术、产品、市场、资源、劳动力等要素在世界范围内的流动和配置更加活跃。以信息、通讯为主导的科学技术进步使生产效率得到极大的提高，国际产业转移不断深化和发展。经济全球化、科学技术进步、国际产业转移和各国之间加强合作等为中国融入世界经济提供了历史性机遇。中国政府顺应时代潮流，以经济建设为中心，实行改革开放，发展与世界各国的经济技术合作，积极合理有效利用外资，充分发挥比较优势，促进了国际产业链分工的深化，为对外贸易发展创造了有利条件。在这个进程中，外国企业尤其是发达国家的跨国公司在中国获得大量投资机会，其拥有的资本、技术、管理经验和销售渠道等要素实现增值，分享了中国经济高速增长的成果。中国对外贸易的发展得益于改革开放，得益于经济全球化，得益于坚持走互利合作共赢道路。中国的发展离不开世界，世界的繁荣稳定也离不开中国。

(Figure 4 The Growth of China's Total Import and Export Volume in Major Service Sectors 2005-2010) (More)

China's foreign trade development has greatly pushed forward the country's modernization drive. China has grown into an open economy. Participation in the international division of labor and competition, introduction of advanced technology, equipment and management methods, and utilization of foreign direct investment have greatly promoted China's technological progress and industrial upgrading, and also improved the management and market competitiveness of its enterprises. The rapid growth of processing trade has brought into play China's comparative advantage of an abundant labor force, and accelerated the country's industrialization and urbanization. Foreign trade has directly contributed to the employment of over 80 million Chinese people, more than 60 percent of whom are from rural areas, and employees' income and living standards have been remarkably improved. Foreign trade, domestic investment and domestic consumption have become the three major engines propelling China's economic growth.

The historic progress in China's foreign trade has been closely connected with the changes in the international and domestic situations. Starting in the 1980s, peace and development became the theme of the times. With the acceleration of economic globalization, the flow and allocation of capital, technology, products, markets, resources, labor force and similar elements became more dynamic around the world. Scientific and technological progress, led by information and communications technology, has greatly improved production efficiency; international industrial transfer has continuously deepened and developed. Economic globalization, scientific and technological progress, international industrial transfer and strengthened cooperation between countries have provided historic opportunities for China's integration into the world economy. The Chinese government, conforming to the trend of the times and taking economic construction as the central task, has implemented the reform and opening up policy, developed economic and technological cooperation with other countries, vigorously and rationally utilized foreign investment, brought its comparative advantage into full play, promoted the deepening of the division of labor in the international industrial chain, and provided favorable conditions for its own foreign trade development. During this process foreign enterprises, and multinational corporations in particular, have obtained abundant opportunities to invest in China, added value to their capital, technology, management experience, marketing channels and other elements, and shared the fruits of China's rapid economic growth. China's foreign trade development benefits greatly from its reform and opening up, from economic globalization, and from taking the path of cooperation and mutual benefit. China cannot develop itself in isolation from the rest of the world, and global prosperity and stability cannot be maintained without China's participation.