Despite the continuous slowdown of the world economy and the
sluggish global market demand, China continues to seize every
opportunity to boost its foreign trade.
Some 101,000 foreign businessmen attended the just-closed China
Export Commodities Fair held in Guangzhou, capital of south China'
s
Guangdong Province, declined 9 percent; export volume from the
event was US$13.367 billion, down 15.4 percent from last year.
In
a breakdown, the number of American merchants present at the fair
dropped 25 percent from last time, and that of the Middle East area
was down 50 percent.
Customs statistics show China's export growth rate over the first
three quarters has slowed from 33 percent last year to the current
seven percent, with the aggregate volume standing at US$194
billion.
Analysts attributed the export decline to the September 11
terrorist attack in the United States, the largest export market of
China, and also pointed out that China's foreign trade was least
influenced by the turbulent world economic situations, especially
compared with surrounding countries and regions.
Gao Yan, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic
Cooperation (
MOFTEC), said that China took a series of macro-control
measures early this year to boost the country's foreign trade.
Overseas merchants were confident in China's foreign trade because
the country boasted a stable economic and political situation, she
said.
During the fair, the 90th of its kind, export volume to European
countries and regions increased by four percent. More merchants
from Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines were
reported to have attended the fair compared with last year.
Li
Huifen, Chairman of the Chamber of imports and exports on machinery
and electronic equipment, said that as the World Trade Organization
(WTO) regarded tariffs as the
only measure to limit trade, Chinese enterprises could earn more
because of their lower costs for transportation and sales.
To
make best use of the opportunities provided by WTO entry, China
loosened its control on export licenses to small and medium-sized
enterprises, either state-owned or privately run.
Export volume by private companies and collectively owned
enterprises during the fair represented 60 percent of the
total.
Sun Zhenyu, vice-minister of MOFTEC, said that China would also
encourage its domestic companies to improve their competitive edged
through developing e-commerce.
(Xinhua News
Agency October 28, 2001)