Domestic and foreign guests gather in Guangzhou to explore the ways to break through the economic situation under trade conflicts
Guangzhou, December 3 (Xinhua) - "Trade and tariffs have driven rapid global economic growth in the past few decades, but current conflicts are having a profound impact on the world." At the "2025 Forum from the Capital" being held in Guangzhou, the opening remarks of Rafael del Decaya, former Spanish Ambassador to China and advisor to the World Leaders Alliance, ignited the enthusiasm of the entire discussion.
At the conference discussion session held on December 3rd, domestic and foreign politicians and business people expressed their opinions on the theme of "World Economic Development Trends under Trade and Tariff Conflicts".
Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi proposed that the current global trade disputes are essentially not economic conflicts, but an extension of political frictions. This anti globalization tendency is changing the process of globalization and even hindering the development of free trade. He stated that as the world's two largest economies, China and the United States each face challenges in economic restructuring, while Europe needs to establish an independent and unified decision-making mechanism.
Trade is not only an economic tool, but also a bridge for cultural exchange. China will continue to firmly embrace free trade, while promoting the inclusiveness of economic development, so that more people can share the fruits of development. "Zhu Feng, Dean of the School of International Relations at Nanjing University, emphasized that no country can be isolated from the global trading system, and fair and equal trade cooperation is still a common choice." As the two largest economies in the world, decoupling between China and the United States is not beneficial to both sides. The continued promotion of the head of state's diplomacy is expected to create a better environment for trade cooperation
When exploring regional development opportunities, former Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga brought a South American perspective. China is an indispensable trading partner in the South American region, and cooperation between the two sides in areas such as food and energy has long been deeply rooted. He specifically mentioned Bolivia's lithium resources - the "white gold" of this new energy industry, which perfectly complement China's technological advantages in lithium batteries, photovoltaic power generation, and other fields.
Meanwhile, China's rapid development in the field of information technology has also shown Jorge Quiroga the vast potential for future cooperation between the two sides.
He further mentioned that Bolivia has a strong interest in open-source artificial intelligence systems and hopes to introduce such technology into its domestic market and promote its application. Especially in terms of cultivating local capabilities, Bolivia is actively promoting various infrastructure projects, including artificial intelligence infrastructure, while vigorously carrying out relevant skills training, education popularization, and talent pool construction.
The reform of the global governance system has become a crucial link in breaking the deadlock. Maria Fernanda Espinosa, President of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, pointed out that the current global economy presents a complex feature of high dependence and vulnerability. The interconnected pattern of "you in me, I in you" among countries' economies is increasingly deepening, but at the same time, it also faces challenges such as insufficient predictability and intensified influence by political factors.
She observed that the rise of regional economic diversification has become a positive trend, and regions such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East are reducing external dependence and enhancing development resilience by seeking diversified trading partners and optimizing economic policies. This trend is in line with the healthy direction of global economic development.
In Espinosa's view, the circulation of trade, goods, and services is essentially a means to enhance human well-being and should not be used as a geopolitical tool. When it comes to WTO reform, she is clear that the WTO is facing a crisis of confidence. As long as the dispute settlement mechanism is repaired, an inclusive negotiation platform is established, and new areas such as digital economy and green trade are focused on, the authority of the multilateral system can be reshaped. This is the most important global public service that requires countries to work together to safeguard, "she said.