2018年CRI Trade war hurts the people: former New Zealand PM

 

"Any trade war hurts the people of both the economies. The costs of goods go up. The cost of living goes up. Inflation usually is driven when cost is rise, and that of course hurts people. So there's nothing to be gained by actually promoting increased tariffs¹ as a retaliatory² mechanism³. And in that perverse⁴ way, small countries sometimes can benefit, because where these tariffs increased on things that we are trying to sell as well, it may give more countries chance. "

                                                                   -- Jenny Shipley, former New Zealand Prime Minister

The Boao Forum⁶ for Asia Annual Conference 2018 has kicked off in south China's Hainan Province.

The forum, scheduled from April 8 to 11 in the town of Boao in Hainan, has the theme "An Open and Innovative⁷ Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity" this year.

It will focus on four main areas, namely "Globalization and the Belt and Road Initiative," "An Open Asia," "Innovation" and "Reform."

Our reporter Zou Yue earlier caught up with former New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, who supported China during the WTO negotiations⁹, to talk about area integration¹⁰, free trade, and trade conflict between China and the U.S.

Q: Let's talk about integration first. New Zealand is not an Asian country per se. But it has benefited a lot from Asian integration. How would you describe New Zealand's experience?

A: Well it has been a huge benefit. New Zealand has the first free trade agreement between New Zealand and China. That is a relatively¹¹ recent step in terms about working with Asia. So before ways being close to the ASEAN, and Australia, and New Zealand, tries to stay a line with East Asia and Southeast Asia, partly because of that Pacific Rim⁵. It's been hugely successful, in the case of China-New Zealand two-way trade. It's gone to 20 billion dollars in the two-way trade and it going very close to 30 now. To the mutual¹² benefit of people…

Q: Is this a learning curve for you or a new way in the first place?

A: Well, New Zealand and Australia have had integration for over 40 years. New Zealand talent flows freely, New Zealand goods and services flow freely, effectively it is giving a 5 million-person market in New Zealand, and nearly 30 million-person market in Australia, and joined up experience, and yet we are completely independent and geopolitical too.

Q: And that makes a lot of economic sense, for both?

A: Well it is a good experience for people. It's economically beneficial for both populations.

Q: But there is a talk, and also conceptions of trade wars: the US now prefer bilateral¹³ trade agreement, of course New Zealand, Japan and others considering they are all regional trade pact¹⁴. And China is also initiating¹⁵ RCEP, China's initiated¹⁶ of trade rules. What do you think the trade rules will be looking like in the future?

A: Well bilateral and multilateral agreements are useful. New Zealand though has always supported the WTO's framework, and the tragedy in this conversation is that we haven't been able to get successful WTO rounds. We everyone benefits from globalization and open trade. And the more recently situation is that people are taking their own decisions, rather than relying on the WTO, to sort out these disagreements.

Q: And do you think this will stay fractured down the road?

A: Well I certainly hope and I know New Zealand's position that the WTO stance. We supported strongly China coming into the WTO. I think that New Zealand is the first country in the world, the western country, to support succession. And it is very important that if you have a dispute. You can take it. New Zealand talked the United States, to the WTO, and when a case on lamb. The US was protecting their lamb industry. We said it was unfair, we talked the case in one and then enforced the negotiation⁸ that allowed the tariffs to be dropped and proper trades are pursued.

Q: But unfortunately protectionism in the US is on the rights, and we've seen the trade disputes recently between China and the US. How do you think this will go down the road and how will this affect Asian economy and world economy?

A: Look, it is very dangerous. Any trade war hurts the people of both the economies. The costs of goods go up. The cost of living goes up. Inflation usually is driven when cost is rise, and that of course hurts people. So there's nothing to be gained by actually promoting increased tariffs as a retaliatory mechanism. And in that perverse way, small countries sometimes can benefit, because where these tariffs increased on things that we are trying to sell as well, it may give more countries chance.

Q: So what do you think the Asian countries should do to bend together and send the message to US about this?

A: Well, regional integration matters and I think the Belt and Road, which will bring more integrated economic relationships, is promoting free trade in a positive way, but relying on the WTO as the backdrop is the safest way forward.

1 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

2 retaliatory   

adj.报复的

参考例句：

• The process can take years before the WTO approves retaliatory action. 在WTO通过此行动之前，这个程序恐怕要等上一阵子了。 来自互联网
• Retaliatory tariffs on China are tantamount to taxing ourselves as a punishment. 将惩罚性关税强加于中国相当于对我们自己实施课税惩罚。 来自互联网

3 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

4 perverse   

adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的

参考例句：

• It would be perverse to stop this healthy trend.阻止这种健康发展的趋势是没有道理的。
• She gets a perverse satisfaction from making other people embarrassed.她有一种不正常的心态，以使别人难堪来取乐。

5 rim   

n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界

参考例句：

• The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
• She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。

6 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

7 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

8 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

9 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

10 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

11 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

12 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

13 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

14 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

15 initiating   

v.开始( initiate的现在分词 )；传授；发起；接纳新成员

参考例句：

• He is good at initiating projects but rarely follows through with anything. 他善于创建项目，但难得坚持完成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Only the perchlorate shows marked sensitiveness and possibly initiating properties. 只有高氯酸盐表现有显著的感度和可能具有起爆性能。 来自辞典例句

16 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。