Protectionism Will Backfire on US, As Always
保护主义适得其反
The New Zealand Herald Publishes a Signed Article by Ambassador Wu Xi
驻新西兰大使吴玺在《新西兰先驱报》发表署名文章
16 April 2018
2018年4月16号
On 16 April 2018, the New Zealand Herald and its website published a signed article by Ambassador Wu Xi entitled Protectionism Will Backfire on US, As Always. The full text is as follows:
4月16日，吴玺大使在新西兰最大英文报纸《新西兰先驱报》发表题为《保护主义适得其反》署名文章，宣介习近平主席博鳌亚洲论坛重要讲话并反对贸易保护主义。文章主要内容如下：
The international community is closely following the development of the trade issue between China and the US. This issue bears on every country in one way or another. It concerns a matter of principle on following international rules, defending the multilateral trade system and promoting economic globalization.
当前国际社会高度关注中美贸易摩擦。这事关世界各国，因为它涉及国际规则要不要遵守、多边贸易体系要不要维护、经济全球化要不要推进的重大原则问题。
The unilateral action by the US, especially the adoption of trade restrictive measures, violated the most fundamental principles of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and amounted to a confrontation of unilateralism against multilateralism and protectionism against free trade. These protectionist measures may seem to benefit some specific industries in specific countries in the short term, but they will always backfire in the long term and in unpredictable ways. In a globalized world, industries in all countries are involved in the global supply chains in different ways. It will turn out that these measures will disrupt the global market and undermine the global trade system. Protectionism is a proven mistake of the past. All should learn from history.
美国单方面采取贸易保护主义措施，违反了世界贸易组织基本规则，本质是以单边主义挑战多边主义，以保护主义对抗自由贸易。这些保护主义措施将破坏全球市场，干扰全球贸易体系，最终也将使美国受害。历史已经证明，保护主义是错误的选择。我们都应汲取历史教训。
The world is undergoing a new round of major development, great change and profound readjustment. We have a major choice to make between openness and isolation, and between progress and retrogression. In a world aspiring for peace and development, the Cold War and zero-sum mentality looks even more out of place. Only peaceful development and co-operation can bring win-win or all-win results. China does not want a trade war, nor will it initiate one. But if provoked, it will take all necessary measures to defend its rights and interests.
当今世界正在经历新一轮大发展大变革大调整，开放还是封闭，前进还是倒退，人类面临新的重大选择。和平合作的潮流滚滚向前，冷战思维、零和博弈愈发陈旧过时，只有坚持和平发展、携手合作，才能真正实现共赢、多赢。中国不希望打贸易战，也不主动挑起贸易战。但如果谁将贸易战强加于中方，我们将采取所有必要措施，坚决维护自身合法权益。
China is a beneficiary and a staunch supporter of the current international system underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, promotes trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and safeguards the multilateral trade system.
中国受益于现行国际体系，坚定支持以《联合国宪章》宗旨和原则为核心的国际体系，推动贸易投资自由化与便利化，维护多边贸易体系。
On April 10, 2018, at the Bo’ao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China would stay determined to build world peace, contribute to global prosperity and uphold the international order. He declared China would advance reform and opening up and announced measures for further opening up. These include broadening market access, creating a more attractive investment environment, strengthening protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), and taking the initiative to expand imports.
4月10日，习近平主席在博鳌亚洲论坛2018年年会开幕式上发表主旨演讲，重申中国始终是世界和平的建设者、全球发展的贡献者、国际秩序的维护者。中国坚持对外开放的基本国策。中国开放的大门不会关闭，只会越开越大。习主席还宣布了大幅度放宽市场准入、创造更有吸引力的投资环境、加强知识产权保护、主动扩大进口等扩大开放的重大举措。
China will re-institute the state intellectual property office this year to step up law enforcement and raise the cost for offenders. It will lower import tariffs for motor vehicles and reduce import tariffs for some other products. Yi Gang, Governor of the Central Bank of China, articulated specific measures and a timetable of expanding financial market access. This embodies China’s policy alignment with international rules, and its determination to uphold the international system.
中国将重新组建国家知识产权局，完善执法力量，加大执法力度，把违法成本显著提上去，把法律威慑作用充分发挥出来。中国将相当幅度降低汽车进口关税，同时降低部分其他产品进口关税。中国人民银行行长易纲宣布了进一步扩大金融市场准入的具体举措和时间表。这些都体现了中国相关政策与国际规则保持一致以及维护国际体系的决心。
New Zealand is a founding member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and has been a member of WTO since it was created. Both New Zealand and China have benefited from WTO and global trade rules and the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Since the FTA entered into force, New Zealand’s two-way trade with China has tripled, from $8.6 billion in 2007 to $26.1b in 2017. Economic globalization, represented by trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, is a major driving force for rapid world economic growth. The development processes of China and New Zealand show that only through opening-up and inclusiveness can a country prosper.
中国和新西兰都从世贸组织、全球贸易规则和中新自由贸易协定中受益。自中新自贸协定生效以来，中新双边贸易额增长了三倍，从2007年的86亿新元增长到2017年261亿新元。以贸易投资自由化与便利化为代表的经济全球化，是世界经济增长的主要动力。中新关系的发展表明，各国只有通过开放和包容，才能实现繁荣。
A stable global market is the basis for New Zealand’s and China’s success because both rely on an opening global economy. United we stand, divided we fall. China would like to work jointly with all other economies to safeguard the authority of the multilateral trading system, foster an open global economy and build a shared future for all.
稳定的全球市场有利于中国和新西兰。团结就能成功，分裂导致失败。中国愿与世界各国一道，共同致力于维护多边贸易体系的权威，推动经济全球化朝着更加开放、包容、普惠、平衡、共赢的方向发展，推动构建人类命运共同体。