张向晨大使在日本第十四次贸易政策审议会议发言

Statement by H.E. Ambassador Zhang Xiangchen of China at the 14th Trade Policy Review of Japan

 

日内瓦，2020年7月6日

Geneva, 6 July 2020

 

（无中文）

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

 

我很高兴日本审议在新冠肺炎疫情按下“暂停键”后重启。回想起在中国爆发疫情时，日本政府和民众第一时间筹集物资、募捐善款支援中国抗击疫情，“山川异域，风月同天”，日本朋友用1300年前日本长屋王写给中国高僧鉴真大师的中文诗句给身处疫情的中国人民加油鼓劲。我在此真诚地道一句感谢。

Let me join others in congratulating Japan for carrying on with its 14th TPR during the global pandemic. Recalling the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak in China, both the Japanese government and its people were among the first to raise money and send medical supplies to help us in the fight against the virus. What touches us deeply is their words of encouragement: in Chinese山川异域，风月同天, meaning “although hills and rills set us apart, the moon and wind share our kind heart”, a quote from the poem written by Japanese Prince Nagaya in Mandarin 1,300 years ago for China’s eminent monk Jian Zhen. Today, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Japan for its kind support.

 

中日两国文化相通，对多边贸易体制有共同的理解。双方经贸利益高度融合，在全球产业链中联系紧密。两国合作带动亚洲地区持续繁荣并成为全球生产重要基地。中国已经连续12年蝉联日本最大的贸易伙伴，每年双边贸易额超过3000亿美元。日本是唯一一个在中国直接投资超过千亿美元的国家。

China and Japan share not only the cultural connections, but also a common understanding on the multilateral trading system. The interests of our two countries in trade are highly interlinked with a strong connection in the global supply chain. The close collaboration between the two has helped transform Asia to a global production hub, contributing significantly to regional growth and the prosperity. China has been Japan’s largest trading partner in the past 12 years and the bilateral trade each year is more than US$300 billion. Japan is also the one and only country with FDI in China of over US$100 billion.

 

中日经济发展受益于开放和稳定的全球供应链。此次疫情暴露了现有供应链的脆弱性，需要进一步完善，但通过提供大规模补贴、人为扭转全球供应链格局，不仅代价高昂，违背经济规律，更易加剧全球供应链动荡和破碎化，助长“逆全球化”，迟滞全球经济复苏进程。我们呼吁包括日方在内的世贸组织成员谨慎采取行动。

There is no doubt that the growth of the two economies benefits a lot from the open and stable global supply chain. And the pandemic we face today does expose to some extent the vulnerability of the existing supply chain. We need improvement. However, arbitrary modification of the supply chain by providing enormous amount of subsidies is not only costly, but also contradicting basic economic logics. Not to mention its volatility and fragmentation as well as growing anti-globalization sentiments, which will inevitably stall the global economy recovery. In this regard, we would like to encourage members including Japan to act cautiously.

 

主席先生，

Mr. Chairman,

 

我们赞赏日本为维护和加强多边贸易体制所做的努力，引领电子商务谈判，积极参与投资便利化等联合倡议声明。

China commends Japan’s efforts in safeguarding and strengthening the multilateral trading system, including its leadership in E-commerce negotiations and active engagement in initiatives like Investment Facilitation for Development.

 

中方想借此机会对日本贸易政策表达几点关注：

Having said that, I would also like to raise some concerns regarding Japan’s trade policies.

 

一是以国家安全为由限制外资准入，对信息技术部门的外资流入增加政府审查，在分配5G通讯网络频谱及政府采购规定中明确排除特定国别企业。

First, Japan’s restrictions on foreign investment in ICT sector, including additional approval requirement on the ground of national security, and blunt discrimination against certain companies by excluding them from participating in Japan’s 5G spectrum allocation and government procurement.

 

二是不合理扩大出口限制，持续将中国企业和研究机构等列入限制出口的外国最终用户名单，损害了正常的贸易往来，似不符合世贸组织规则。

Second, Japan’s continued practice of export restrictions. The inclusion of Chinese companies and research institutions in its End User List subject to export control has damaged the trade ties between two countries and raise questions of Japan’s compliance with the WTO rules.

 

为此，我们呼吁日方尽快取消上述歧视性限制措施。

We would like to urge Japan to remove the above-mentioned restrictions.

 

三是国内农业保护水平高，农业平均关税远高于工业品，部分农产品关税配额完成率低，大量农业国内支持将扭曲全球粮食贸易，希日本继续推进市场导向的农业政策改革。

Third, Japan’s high-level of protection in its agriculture sector. The average tariff rate for agricultural products remains high and the TRQ fill rates for certain products are still low. Considerable domestic supports could distort global food trade. We hope Japan could continue to pursue market-oriented reform on its agricultural policy.

 

主席先生，

Mr. Chairman,

 

疫情让我们清楚地认识到，在全球化时代下，没有人能在国际公共危机前独善其身。诉诸单边主义和保护主义无法实现自保，只会加剧危机。中方愿与日方共同努力，联手抵制保护主义和单边主义，推动WTO改革朝着正确的方向前进，不然我们失去的将不只是一个樱花绽放的春天。

No single economy can expect to be immune from the international public crisis in the time of globalization. Unilateralism and protectionism cannot save itself from the crisis, but rather help fuel it. We look forward to continued cooperation with Japan to advance the necessary WTO reform towards the right direction, by jointly resisting unilateralism and protectionism. Otherwise, what we might lose could be more than a cherry-blossom season.

 

谢谢主席先生。

I thank you, Mr. Chairman.