Testing Times
By Chen Baoming
U.S. hegemony undermines the foundation of cooperation
The author is a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development
The United States unilaterally imposed additional tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent on May 10, when the 11th round of China-U.S. high-level economic and trade consultations was still ongoing. China was forced to respond with countermeasures.On May 13, China announced that it will raise tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. products on June 1. Although it does not mean a breakdown of the negotiations as the talks will continue, it is enough to show the longterm, arduous and complex nature of the trade disputes and trade talks. It also requires a deeper pondering about the future development of the international situation.
会上还公布了《关于授予吉林云天化农业发展有限公司、吉林隆源农业股份有限公司等十家企业为“2017-2018年度吉林省诚信肥料企业”的决定》，该活动从9月初开始申报，经过1个月的时间。旨在加强吉林省肥料生产经营诚信体系建设，积极营造良好的肥料产销环境，助力乡村振兴，推动现代农业发展。
China-U.S. trade frictions have lasted for some time. With continuous talks and negotiations, the two sides have strived to reach a consensus. But the difficult process also constitutes a test for the negotiators. The capriciousness visible in the course of discussions, has served as a touchstone, showing who is committed to promoting cooperation and who is using the talks as a means of coercion or even extortion.
As for U.S. behavior, the tariff hike, irrational accusations and extreme pressure on China irrespective of the basic conditions of cooperation can be regarded as a negotiation tactic
《每日电讯报》中存在着对习近平治国理政思想的误读，这种歪曲现实的作风，违背了媒体行业的职业操守，而且不利于中国在西方民众中构建良好的形象，导致他们难以形成对中国的正确看法或客观认识。 “宣传本身就是具有强烈意识形态内涵的行为，高质量的宣传能做到摆脱宣传味的正向传播。 事实上，我们看到西方众多的知名媒体每天都有关于中国的报道，其语言不可谓不精当，其文风不可谓不老练，其煽动性不可谓不强烈，但正是由于意识形态的基调问题，这些报道的切入点和内容常常充斥着对中国的扭曲和偏见。”[9]
China has shown its sincerity throughout the talks. Since the start of the dispute,the U.S. used intellectual property rights(IPR) theft and the so-called forced technology transfer as an excuse for launching an investigation under Section 301 of its Trade Act that allows retaliation if it thinks an international agreement has been violated.However, the accusations, which are said to be based on many investigative reports released by the U.S., are unwarranted. Even so, China has been taking measures to strengthen IPR protection. In 2018, China’s imported IPR loyalties stood at 235.52 billion yuan ($34.25 billion), up 22 percent year on year. It made its IPR protection system more stringent, and strengthened efforts to crack down on infringements of Chinese and foreign IPRs. In addition, the Foreign Investment Law provides a fundamental guarantee for the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors.
在移动支付的影响下，银行的存款来源在一定程度上被削弱。移动支付改变了原先的支付链，由“客户—银行—商户”转变成“客户—移动支付平台—商户”，如今商业银行只是扮演支付运营商中支付上游这个角色。随着用户数量和交易频率的不断增长，客户原先在银行的存款去向分流至移动支付平台，形成移动支付平台的备付金。除此之外，有一部分移动支付平台已经开展理财产品业务，原先被商业银行占据主导地位的理财产品募集资金这一块业务领地也受到来自移动支付的冲击。与此同时，对用户更具吸引力的是，移动支付为广大用户提供了较商业银行更为低廉甚至免费的跨行跨区域转账业务，大大降低了用户转移资金的费用成本，提高了用户自由转移资金的效率。
Recently, apart from trade bullying, the U.S. has been consistently trying to suppress China’s technological development by restraining technological exchanges and hitech investment and strengthening controls on hi-tech exports, despite the global need for scientific and technological innovation and integration. U.S. media and scholars have interpreted the technology controls as measures in the war to retain supremacy in the science and technology field. Such moves show that the U.S. still aims to curb the development of other countries. I n the short run, if the U.S. stance and intentions don’t change, the foundation of cooperation will remain unstable.
However, cooperation should be a twoway process. On the one hand, it requires appropriate sacrifice of self-interest for mutual benefit. On the other hand, it should be rooted in reality and should not raise excessive expectations and requirements that exceed the current stage of development. Nor can it be used to curb others’ development. As for U.S.behavior, the tariff hike, irrational accusations and extreme pressure on China irrespective of the basic conditions of cooperation can be regarded as a negotiation tactic. At the same time, it also reflects a hegemonic, intimidating and unilateral stance, which poses a de facto threat to cooperation.
China’s development achievements in recent decades are obvious to all. The most fundamental force for its scientific and technological progress comes from the people’s demand for a better life. China’s technological development is reflected not only in the breakthrough of cutting-edge technologies,but also in the improvement in people’s lives and productivity, which is the fundamental way to promote modernization.
China has a huge potential for growth in consumption. In 2018, the total retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 38.1 trillion yuan ($5.53 trillion), up 9 percent year on year. The rise in consumer demand and upgrade in the consumption structure have become the key drivers for technological innovation. In 2018, the total research and development expenditure reached 1.97 trillion yuan ($286.1 billion), accounting for 2.18 percent of the GDP. More importantly, since reform and opening up, innovation and entrepreneurship has been mobilized to meet the needs of production and satisfy the demands of consumers with an innovationdriven development strategy.
China’s achievements have been accomplished through reform and opening up. No matter how complicated the international environment is, China will adhere to deepening reform and carrying out a higher level of opening up, which is also the bottom line for China’s development. Any country’s attempt to achieve its own goals and even hinder China’s reform and opening-up process will be futile.
Copyedited by Madhusudan Chaubey
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标签：TESTING论文; TIMES论文; IPR论文; the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development论文;