Keynote Speech by Ambassador Liu Xiaoming at the Sino-European Entrepreneurs Summit: Join Hands to Meet the Challenges, Create New Opportunities and Build a Shared Future

尊敬的中外企业家联合会联席主席龙永图先生，

尊敬的英国国际贸易部国务大臣斯图尔特先生，

尊敬的英国前总检察长加尼尔勋爵，

各位中欧企业家，

女士们、先生们，

　　大家上午好！

　　很高兴第三次出席中欧企业家峰会，这也是我昨天从国内述职返英后的第一场演讲。中欧企业家峰会自2008年创立以来，聚焦国际大势，探讨热点议题，推动中欧政、商、学界朋友共商发展、共谋合作，为深化中欧和中英关系提供新智慧、新思路，我对此表示赞赏。

　　本届峰会主题是“迈向中欧商业合作新纪元”。围绕这一主题，我想从全球、中欧、中英三个层面谈谈对中欧合作新纪元的看法：

Chairman Long Yongtu,

Minister Graham Stuart,

Lord Edward Garnier,

Entrepreneurs,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Good morning!

It is a real delight to join you for the third time at the Sino-European Entrepreneurs Summit and give my first speech a day after coming back from China.

Since its inception in 2008, the Sino-European Entrepreneurs Summit has focused on topics that are always highly pertinent and timely. It has become an effective platform for political, business and academic leaders from China and Europe to explore ways to work together and achieve development. Over the years, the Summit has contributed new ideas and new thoughts on how to deepen China-Europe and China-UK relations. I would like to express my appreciation for this.

The theme of this year's Summit is "A New Era for China-Europe Business Cooperation". Let me share with you my views on the challenges and opportunities in the new era from three perspectives: global environment, China-Europe cooperation and China-UK cooperation.

　　第一，如何看待新纪元全球营商环境面临的挑战？

　　当今世界正经历百年未有之大变局，新一轮科技革命和产业变革方兴未艾，成为重塑世界格局、创造人类未来的主导力量。但与此同时，单边主义、保护主义抬头，经济全球化遭遇逆风，国际经济秩序和多边贸易体制受到严重冲击。某个西方大国成为这股逆流的主要推手，其贸易霸凌主义政策和保护主义举措，不仅影响中美经贸关系，也对世界营商环境造成多重冲击：

First, how do we see the challenges in the global business environment in the new era?

The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. The new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is leading the forces reshaping the international landscape and determining the future of mankind.

However, at the same time, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise. Economic globalisation encounters headwind. And the international economic order and multilateral trade system experience severe setback.

A big Western power, adopting bullying trade policies and protectionist measures, is the major force behind this gloomy picture. This has not only affected its business relations with China. Their impact on the global business environment could be extremely negative and worrisome.

　　一是干扰全球产业链和供应链。经济全球化不是一个空洞的概念，具体体现在诸多跨国企业环环相扣的国际产业链和供应链之中。这个国家加征关税措施人为增加产业链成本，影响供应链的稳定和安全。大量企业被迫调整全球布局，降低了全球资源配置效率。

　　二是损害多边贸易体制权威。这个国家根据国内法，以维护“国家安全”为名，对他国肆意挥舞“关税大棒”，严重违反世界贸易组织最基本最核心的最惠国待遇、关税约束等规则，损害了世界贸易组织及其争端解决机制的权威性，使多边贸易体制和国际贸易秩序陷入险境。

First, they risk disrupting the global industrial chain and supply chain.

Economic globalisation is not an empty concept. It is real and concrete. The global industrial chain and supply chain have locked the multi-national corporations in an interdependent network. They are the exact embodiment of economic globalisation.

But this big Western power raises tariffs at the expense of the industrial chain and undermines the stability and security of the supply chain, forcing many corporations to readjust their global layout and resulting in lower efficiency in global resources allocation.

Second, they undermine the authority of the multilateral trade system.

This big Western power is using tariff weapon against other countries according to its domestic law and at the excuse of safeguarding "national security".

This goes against the most fundamental and central WTO rules on most-favoured-nation treatment and tariff bindings.

This undermines the authority of the WTO and its dispute settlement system.

And this puts the multilateral trade system and the international trade order in jeopardy.