[Alumni Interview] Li Zhongzhou: Growing together with the multilateral trading system
Reporter Chen Zhizhou Chen Zihan
Li Zhongzhou, senior expert in the field of international economics and w88,Graduated from Beijing Institute of Foreign w88 in 1965. After graduation, he entered the Ministry of Foreign w88 of the People's Republic of China and has been engaged in international economic and w88 work for 43 years, including 13 years at the United Nations Conference on w88 and Development. He once served as Director of the Customs and w88 Section of the Department of International Economic and w88 Relations of the Ministry of Foreign w88 and Economic Cooperation of the People's Republic of China and Director of the Department of International Economic and w88 Relations of the Ministry of Foreign w88 and Economic Cooperation. He was appointed by the Prime Minister of the State Council as the Deputy Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other international institutions in Switzerland. On behalf of the United Nations Conference on w88 and Development, he tracked and studied the development and reform of the General Agreement on Tariffs and w88. He was one of the first officials to participate in China's restoration of the status of the General Agreement on Tariffs and w88, and personally experienced the entire negotiation process of China's restoration of the status of the General Agreement on Tariffs and w88 and its accession to the World w88 Organization. On October 22, 2018, at the invitation of Huang Zhenhua, Director of the University’s Public Affairs Committee, Li Zhongzhou returned to his alma mater. Not only did he lecture on economic diplomacy and multilateral w88 negotiations for the students of the University of w88 and Economics in a series of lectures for outstanding alumni returning to his alma mater, but he also accepted an exclusive interview with reporters before the lecture. Let us take a look at the story of Mr. Li Zhongzhou.
The first person to study the issue of joining the multilateral trading system
1965Year, Li Zhongzhou came from BeijingForeign w88After graduating from the college, he entered the Ministry of Foreign w88 of the People's Republic of China with his excellent professional quality, and then worked at the United Nations Conference on w88 and Development, engaged in research on restrictive business practices. He was appointed by the Secretary-General of UNCTAD to frequently attend various meetings of the General Agreement on Tariffs and w88 to track the development and changes of the multilateral trading system. Li Zhongzhou's assignment did not diminish his enthusiasm for contributing to the economic development of his motherland. During his work, he collected a large amount of historical information on China's relationship with the General Agreement on Tariffs and w88, Analyze and study the economic and legal issues related to China's restoration of GATT status. This accumulated rich resources and experience for China’s subsequent entry into the multilateral trading system.
After the reform and opening up, China began difficult negotiations on resumption of customs relations in 1987. As a researcher of international economics and w88 and the first person to restore the economic and legal issues of the General Agreement on Tariffs and w88, Li Zhongzhou resolutely resigned from the United Nations Conference on w88 and Development Secretariat and returned to China to join the delegation for the negotiation of the resumption of the GATT, specifically responsible for the resumption of the GATT and the Uruguay Round negotiations and the drafting of related background materials. Faced with the suppression and opposition of some capitalist countries, Li Zhongzhou's team did not slack off at all. As the resumption of w88 relations progressed, he coordinated the main domestic government departments, presided over all aspects of work related to China's accession to the WTO, and personally handled a large number of specific negotiations. He widely publicized to the society the pros and cons of joining the multilateral trading system and the necessity of reforming our country's economic and w88 system. He played an important role in promoting China's entry into the multilateral trading system, safeguarding national development interests, and further promoting reform and opening up to emancipate the people's minds.
Li Zhongzhou’s position remains firm to this day: “As sons and daughters of the motherland, we must unite closely around the country and safeguard national interests. I believe that China must insist on integrating into the multilateral trading system, insist on opening up, and continue to reform the foreign w88 system, in order to continue to contribute to the development of the world economy.”
A return to the border is in sight, and we will keep moving forward
In 1994, when the Uruguay Round negotiations ended, the Chinese delegation participated in the GATT Ministerial Conference and signed the "Final Document on the Outcome of the Uruguay Round Negotiations", finally completing negotiations to restore the economic and legal status of the GATT. However, Li Zhongzhou did not stop researching and negotiating because of this. He became more active in studying and researching international economics and w88, and continued to move forward in the rest of his life journey, committed to safeguarding China's development interests through international rules.
In 1997, Mr. Li Zhongzhou was appointed by the Premier of the State Council as the Deputy Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other international institutions in Switzerland. He was responsible for the work of the World w88 Organization and the United Nations Conference on w88 and Development, negotiating market access with WTO members and writing the protocol for China's accession to the WTO. Faced with the international community's doubts about China's market economic system, Li Zhongzhou showed the acumen and wisdom of an economic and w88 negotiation expert. When he heard Americans criticizing China's w88 protectionism and restrictions on the purchase of foreign goods at an international conference, he successfully resisted such unfair remarks with a copy of the Herald Tribune in his hand. "The biggest advertisement in the newspaper was 'Buy American'. The whole audience burst into laughter. Yes, it's unfair. Flat w88 rules are untenable. "Reforming the foreign w88 system also faced the difficulties of new tasks and lack of materials. Li Zhongzhou led the team to collect relevant national materials in major libraries day after day. It was such continuous learning and self-development that Li Zhongzhou and his team eventually played an important role in promoting accession to the WTO.
At the end of the 20th century when the Internet wave swept the world, Li Zhongzhou was keenly aware that the Internet was an important opportunity for China. He closely followed the development of the times and started to create the "E-commerce and Development Report" (E-commerce and Development Annual Report) in the United Nations Information and Communication Technology Task Force led by Secretary-General Annan to provide advice to developing countries and use information and communication technology to promote economic development. "I have constantly proposed to the international community to pay attention to the development of China's Internet and online e-commerce. During those years, China's Internet users doubled every year on average. The Internet is a good development opportunity for China." When China's e-commerce was still weak, Li Zhongzhou accurately foresaw the development prospects of China's e-commerce. "China has such a huge market, and there will definitely be a great boom in e-commerce."
Seeing the achievements and problems of economic development in the new era, Li Zhongzhou did not let fame, wealth and past achievements block him from continuing to develop. After retiring from the United Nations in 2003, Li Zhongzhou served as the chief WTO expert of the China-EU WTO Project Office and continued to support China's participation in With the multilateral trading system, it has played an extremely important communication and bridging role in China-EU economic and w88 cooperation, and assisted the Ministry of Commerce and other relevant ministries and local governments in training foreign economic and w88 professionals, and improved China's foreign economic and w88 laws and import and export supervision systems in accordance with WTO rules and drawing on EU experience. His words reveal his deep concern for the economic development of his motherland. Although he has gray hair, he still has rich insights when talking about the current economic situation and important economic events: "To make the cake bigger, I still firmly believe that we must establish and improve multilateral w88 rules, further reform and opening up, and continue to make full use of two markets and two resources. This sentence is not only said here, but also deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. ”
“My alma mater is an important force that supports me”
Returning to his alma mater, Li Zhongzhou talked about many good memories and expressed his appreciation for the students of the University of w88 and Economics. He believes that students from the University of w88 and Economics have done an excellent job in the application of professional knowledge. Many practical tasks that are slightly difficult for newly graduated college students can be successfully completed by the students from the University of w88 and Economics. “Such qualities were given to me by the University of International w88 and Economic Cooperation.” Li Zhongzhou still misses his life at his alma mater, with its high-level teachers, good learning atmosphere, diverse choices and broad international perspective. Those days and nights spent in the library acquiring knowledge with his classmates, those colorful practical activities, those opportunities to participate in international exchanges... Li Zhongzhou is grateful for the wealth that the University of International w88 gave him, which also provided him with professional knowledge support and spiritual motivation to embark on the path of economic and w88 negotiations.
The Beijing Institute of International w88 (now the w88 casino) in 1956 is an important training base for outstanding international economic and w88 talents and foreign exchange talents. The enthusiasm of the University of International w88 to go to the world and repay the motherland and the spiritual quality of perseverance and fear of hardships also deeply influenced him.
“My alma mater is an important force that supports me. This power is not only limited to the few years of college, but also has a profound impact on my subsequent work and experience, and even allowed me to gain many good work partners from my alma mater. " Li Zhongzhou bluntly said that his growth is inseparable from the spiritual nourishment and resource support of his alma mater.
“The future is yours after all”
“Chairman Mao said it well, ‘The future is ours and yours, but in the final analysis it is yours. ’” Li Zhongzhou looked at the energetic young people on campus and couldn’t help but smile with relief. The burden of the socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics in the new era finally fell on the shoulders of young people. As a pioneer in economic and w88 reform, Li Zhongzhou attached great importance to the cultivation of talents in the new era and expressed his ardent expectations for college students. : Becoming a compound talent with a global perspective. Li Zhongzhou is well aware of the important value of compound talents in the current economic environment, and advocates that college students should not only master professional knowledge, but also firmly safeguard the interests of the motherland in line with the requirements of the times, and absorb other knowledge extensively to expand their personal knowledge base.
As a student who has studied foreign languages, Li Zhongzhou particularly emphasizes the important impact of foreign language ability on young people in the new era. He believes that foreign languages are necessary as a way to acquire another culture and resources. At the same time, compared with previous ways of acquiring knowledge, Li Zhongzhou also hopes that students can truly "use the Internet for my own benefit." “Today is different from the past. The Internet can give everyone a lot of knowledge, so it is more important to use new technologies to extensively accumulate knowledge. Only by becoming compound talents can we truly contribute to the development of the world economy. ”
“The development of the multilateral trading system also needs the promotion of young people. "Seeing that China has gradually transformed from an adaptor of world w88 rules to a participant in the formulation of world w88 rules, Mr. Li Zhongzhou's life of development and progress with the multilateral trading system should also become an example for the new generation of young people to learn from. On the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, Li Zhongzhou also expressed his expectations for the future: "Suppression and opposition will not hinder China's rise. China will have and deserves a better future. ”
