Prof. Tao Yitao Attends the 83rd International Forum on China Reform & 2017 Emerging Economies Think Tank Annual Conference
On October 27-29, 2017, the 83rd International Forum on China Reform and the 2017 Emerging Economies Think Tank Annual Conference was jointly held by the China Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD) and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) in Haikou City, Hainan Province. Prof. Tao Yitao, vice secretary of CPC Committee of SZU, secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of SZU, director of the CCSEZR - a key research institute of humanities and social sciences of the Ministry of Education of China, and the SZU team were invited to attend this event.
This conference was themed after “new development and reform in a new era – China’s transformations and development and their influences on the world after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China”. The conference was attended by more than 400 experts and scholars from relevant national ministries, domestic universities/colleges and research institutes, reform policy research institutes of 28 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, and 12 national and international organizations. Attending experts and scholars exchanged in-depth views centering on multiple issues, including “China and the rest of the world in a new era of economic transformation”, “developing a modernized economic system”, “stepping up efforts to improve the socialist market economy”, “taking new steps to implement the Belt and Road Initiative as well as establishing an open world economy”, “transformation and reform in the era of the digital economy”, “fueling the new pattern of opening-up on all fronts” and “making major breakthroughs in comprehensively deepening reform in a new era”.
In her speech at the concurrent sessions of the conference, Prof. Tao Yitao pointed out that: First, the Belt and Road Initiative reflects the development of China’s reform and opening-up towards greater depth which will fuel more profound reforms in China’s political and economic systems. Second, by putting forward the Belt and Road Initiative, China is trying to usher in new growth opportunities for the world. However, the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative requires us to attach more importance on systems than technologies and more on cultures than capital. The largest barriers are not lack of capital or technologies, but intangible barriers stemming from culture, which are the weakest and at the same time the toughest. Third, it is definitely an inclusive development process to implement the Belt and Road Initiative. Inclusive development inevitably requires tolerance to different cultures and values, and such tolerance is built on mutual respect. Only by respecting different cultures and cultural values, can real inclusive development be achieved. Fourth, the Belt and Road Initiative should fundamentally be a national initiative and a market behavior. After the founding of New China, we paid a heavy price for feverishly catching up with and surpassing the UK and the USA during the planned economy period. Today, by pursuing the major global initiative of the Belt and Road, China will adopt a more rational and scientific attitude to create more opportunities and a better future for the prosperity and development of China and the rest of the world.
After her speech, Prof. Tao Yitao exchanged in-depth views with the special envoys, delegates and researchers from renowned institutes such as GIZ, Foreign Trade Association (FTA), and Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).
Prof. Tao Yitao delivers a keynote speech on the Belt and Road Initiative and deepening of reform and opening-up
A group photo of Prof. Tao Yitao and Mr. Gao Shangquan, the honorary president of the China Society of Economic Reform
A group photo of Prof. Tao Yitao and Ms. Scarlett, a special envoy for the Belt and Road Initiative from GIZ
A group photo of Prof. Tao Yitao and Mr. Y.K. Sailas Thangal, the Consul General (CG) of India in Guangzhou
A group photo of Prof. Tao Yitao, SZU team and Mr. Gao Shangquan
A group photo of delegates of the 83rd International Forum on China Reform and the 2017 Emerging Economies Think Tank Annual Conference
