| 作者：中国阿里巴巴集团董事局主席马云(Jack Ma)为英国《金融时报》撰稿 |
| 2008年7月29日 星期二 |
随着美国大选临近和多哈回合贸易谈判上周在日内瓦重启，关于全球贸易的未来以及中国作为贸易大国的崛起，人们有许多争论。多哈回合谈判的时机极其重要，因为经济滑坡已造成新一波保护主义情绪的抬头。但就世界领导人而言，抵制保护主义呼声，抓住时机取消贸易壁垒，也很重要。与作为全球经济增长引擎的中国进行更自由的贸易，无论对于发达国家还是发展中国家，都是推动经济发展和创造就业机会的最佳良机。
有两个因素引发了这些争论。首先，在任何经济滑坡时期，担忧会轻易造成保护主义关税和配额政策的增多。但这些限制可能是破坏性的，会进一步加剧经济滑坡。
其次，中国崛起成为经济强国引起的不安，使人们以为，业务和就业机会都在流向这个国家；但没有多少人知道，对华贸易正为欧洲和美国带来就业机会。
如果将目光放到头条新闻之外，就会看到一个日益形成但经常被忽略的趋势：中国在全球市场的角色，正在从最大的制造中心和出口国，发展成为一个强大的全球买家。这个新趋势才刚刚开始，需要全球领导人的支持，因为只有经济更加开放，他们才能帮助振兴全球经济。
过去20年，对华贸易经历了巨大的变化。大胆的经济改革及加入世界贸易组织(WTO)，使中国得以向欧洲和美国供应廉价商品，同时通过将生产线转移到中国，帮助西方企业削减了成本。
我们现在处在新的阶段：中国正在从全球市场购买更多商品。中国的最新贸易数据显示，6月份出口继续增长，同比增幅达到18%，至1215.3亿美元，同时进口激增31%，至1001.8亿美元，导致当月贸易顺差缩小。中国的贸易量如今排名第三，10年后有望成为全球最大的进口市场。
这并不是说，中国将会逐渐淡出作为全球最大供应者的角色。虽然印度、孟加拉国和越南等低成本替代市场对中国构成了许多竞争，但它们在产品和供应商数量上均无法与中国匹敌。近年来，中国的供应商不仅进行了重新定位，不再单纯依赖于价格，而且扩大了在快速周转、良好基础设施、快速市场反应以及遵从国际标准等方面的优势。我们最近对欧美大型企业买家所作的全球性调查显示，他们中的多数没有打算在近期减少中国的订单，突显出他们对中国供应商日益增长的信任。
因此，全球消费者将继续受惠于中国以低廉价格供应种类繁多的商品的能力。与此同时，海外卖家已在受惠于中国日渐增大的胃口。快速浏览一下中国在欧美的购买清单，就会看到食品饮料、家庭用品、特殊用品、工业机械和建筑材料的大笔订单。
全球市场的巨大变化将继续受到小型企业的推动，尤其是那些使用互联网的小企业。今天，世界上有一个富有活力的庞大全球网络市场，注册的网上企业超过3000万家。十年前，这个市场根本不存在——而这才只是开始。这个新市场将使竞技场变得更平等，使小企业能够快节奏地与全球各地的大公司展开竞争。在我们自己的网站上，我们已开始看到越来越多的欧美企业家通过向中国销售商品建立起自己的业务。鉴于中国在全球经济中的新角色，这个市场将进一步扩大，吸引更多来自中国和世界各地的买家和卖家。
当这些贸易争论尘埃落定后，有一件事情是肯定的：中国作为最大的商品国，以及如今作为一个主要买家的角色，正在促成一种新经济现象的形成，人们对这种现象应当欢迎而非担忧。对于来自欧美的企业家来说，这是向中国销售更多商品、创造更多就业和振兴自身经济的最好机会。对世界领导人而言，他们在贸易和保护主义上的行动，可能促成、也可能断送这股新的全球经济增长动力。
作者为中国阿里巴巴集团(Alibaba Group)董事局主席、阿里巴巴(Alibaba.com)网站创立者
译者/岱嵩
NOW IS THE TIME TO EMBRACE FREER TRADE WITH CHINA
| Jack Ma |
| Tuesday, July 29, 2008 |
| |
As the US election approaches and the Doha round of trade talks has resumed this week in Geneva, there is much debate about the future of global trade and the emergence of China as a trade leader. The timing of the Doha round could not be more significant, as an economic slowdown has given rise to a new wave of protectionist sentiment. Yet it is important for world leaders to resist calls for protectionism and seize the moment to lift trade barriers. Embracing freer trade – with China as an engine of global economic growth – is the best chance to jump-start economies and provide job opportunities in both developed and developing nations.
There are two factors sparking these debates. First, in any economic slump fear can easily give rise to protectionist policies on tariffs and quotas. But these restrictions can be destructive and further slow down the economy.
Second, unease about China's rise as an economic power has made people think that business and jobs are all moving to that country, but not many know that trade with China is generating employment opportunities for Europe and the US.
If one looks beyond the headlines, there is a growing trend often missed: China's role in the global market is evolving from being the top manufacturing hub and exporter to becoming a powerful global buyer. This new trend is just beginning and needs the support of world leaders, as it is only through greater economic openness that they can help lift the global economy.
Over the past two decades, trade with China has gone through big changes. Bold economic reforms as well as the country's entry into the World Trade Organisation has allowed China to supply cheaper goods to Europe and the US, and helped western companies to cut costs by moving their production lines to China.
Now we are in a new phase, where China is buying more from the global market. China's most recent trade figures indicated a continued rise in exports by 18 per cent from a year ago to $121.53bn (€77.5bn, £61bn), while imports soared 31 per cent to $100.18bn, shrinking the nation's trade surplus for the month. China ranks third in trade volume and in 10 years is expected to be the world's biggest import market.
This is not to say that China's role as the world's biggest supplier will fade away. While there is a lot of competition from cheaper alternative markets, such as India, Bangladesh and Vietnam, nothing can beat China's vast choice of products and suppliers. Over the years, Chinese suppliers have redefined themselves beyond pricing and sharpened their advantage in terms of quick turnround, good infrastructure, speed to market and compliance with international standards. Our recent global survey of large corporate buyers from Europe and the US indicated that most of them do not plan to reduce orders from China in the near future, highlighting growing trust in suppliers from that country.
Consumers worldwide will, therefore, continue to benefit from China's ability to offer a wide choice of goods at bargain prices. At the same time, overseas sellers are already benefiting from China's growing appetite. A quick look at what they are buying from Europe and the US reveal large orders for food and beverages, home supplies, speciality goods, industrial machinery and construction materials.
Big changes in the global market will continue to be driven by small businesses, especially those using the internet. Today, there is a huge and viable global online marketplace with more than 30m registered online businesses that did not exist a little over a decade ago – and this is just the beginning. This new marketplace is levelling the playing field and enabling small businesses to compete with big companies around the world at a rapid pace. On our own websites we are beginning to see an increasing number of entrepreneurs from Europe and the US build their businesses by selling into China. With China's new role in the global economy, this marketplace will further expand and attract more buyers and sellers from China and worldwide.
As the dust settles on these trade debates, one thing is certain: China's role as top supplier, and now a leading buyer, is causing a new economic phenomenon that should be embraced rather than feared. For entrepreneurs from Europe and the US, this is their best chance to sell more to China, create more jobs and boost their economies. For world leaders, their actions on trade and protectionism can make or break this new driver of growth for the global economy.
The writer is chairman of Alibaba Group and founder of Alibaba.com
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