I think part of the reason China is celebrating this 30th year’s anniversary of Pudong is to show that yes, we are committed to being open to offer opportunities of co-development and business opportunities to the international players. So China's domestic market will be more open to other countries, so foreign business and foreign economies will find opportunities in China.

05

Anchor: What new measures do you think China should take to further open up and also improve its business environment? 

Wang: For physical links, in terms of transportation, including sea routes and railway links across the world, I think there are a lot of things to be done. But inside China, I would say—China is making efforts in this regard, that is, I am saying, in terms of a working permit system or immigration system that will be more friendly and more effective in terms of accommodating foreign people coming to work in China and work with China. And I also think, and I’ve been talking about it for a while, and that is to really drive up Chinese people’s consumption ability, we basically need to increase the demand of Chinese people for foreign goods. Chinese social sectors like education, housing and medical services, still need to be improved, so that people are released from financial pressure to deal with these social issues, so they can have more purchasing power. They can have more demand for international goods, including service good. 

06

Anchor: The 3rd China international Import Expo has just wrapped up in Shanghai. What do you make of the significance of this event, especially against the backdrop of this COVID-19 pandemic?

Wang: Yes. I think that's very important. Given the quite severe pandemic issue around the world, [the fact that] China actually did hold this second Expo for Import in itself is a major signal to the world that first, Chinese economy and Chinese capacity of managing crises is quite good. And [second] it also released the signal to the world that the Chinese economy is and will continue to be open to the world, and there are great demands inside China for goods from other countries. And that is related to what I was saying—China being a new economic center of the world, that one thing it can benefit the world is [that] China will be a big market for global business. 

Anchor: Thank you, Dr Wang Zhengxu, Professor of Political Science at Fudan University. 

(Wang Zhengxu, Professor of Political Science at Fudan University.)