CCG President Wang Huiyao in Dialogue with Arancha González
[English]
[Chinese]
On November 3, 2023, Arancha González, former Foreign Minister of Spain and Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po, visited CCG and participated in a dialogue with CCG President Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang on topics including trends in global trade, the current status and future of the World Trade Organization, the current situation and challenges in China-EU relations, and women’s leadership.
CCG Secretary-General Dr.Mabel Lu Miao opened the event by warmly welcoming Ms. González and introducing her background and career.
In her keynote speech, Ms.González introduced her new book The Trade Handbook: Making Trade Work for Prosperity, People, and Planet, which was written in collaboration with Yanis Bourgeois, Economic Affairs Officer at World Trade Organization (WTO) and provides a brand-new perspective on the vital importance of open trade and economic integration. While past efforts have primarily focused on promoting trade through negotiations and agreements, this primer underscores the importance of facilitating trade and ensuring trade works to advance prosperity, enhance people’s well-being, and safeguard the sustainability of our planet.
During her dialogue with Dr. Wang, Ms. González discussed trade issues in the context of globalization, noting that while there is some rhetoric around the fragmentation of globalization, the state of globalization today actually demonstrates the resilience of economics and trade. Apart from security issues, countries should recognize the intrinsic benefits of globalization and focus on building a win-win world through economic and trade cooperation. She also commended the deep friendship between China and Europe, calling on both sides to strengthen bilateral efforts based on mutual trust and open their respective markets to truly promote common prosperity.
President Wang agreed with Ms. González’s views, stating that countries should strengthen regional cooperation and practices to support multilateral platforms like the UN and WTO, which would enable true consultations between China, the US and Europe on major global issues and collaboration that could stabilize the global economy and trade. In closing, President Wang recommended Ms. González’s new book noting that while it covers key economic and trade issues, it also provides ways to strengthen social resilience, reduce geopolitical conflict and promote open dialogue that provide pathways for effective policy discussions.
In the Q&A session, Ms. González answered a number of questions regarding the future of China-EU relations and how governments and enterprises can promote trade.
Speakers
Arancha González, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po, former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Chief of Staff to the Director-General of the World Trade Organization
Arancha González is the third Dean of Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po and first woman to lead the world’s third school for Politics and International Studies. Prior to joining PSIA, Ms González served as Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. She previously was Assistant-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the International Trade Centre. Between 2005 and 2013 she served as Chief of Staff to the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Pascal Lamy. Before that she held senior positions at the European Commission in the areas of international trade and development. Ms González started her career as lawyer in the private sector and has been a member of PSIA’s Strategic Committee since 2017.
Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang, President of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG)
Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang is Founder and President of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG). He was a Counselor to the China State Council and a Vice Chairman of China Association for International Economic Cooperation (CAIEC). He he holds the position of Vice Chairman at China Public Relations Association and serves as a Director of Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang is a Professor and Dean of the Institute of Development at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in China. He was a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and was a Visiting Fellow at Brookings Institution. Dr. Huiyao Wang has engaged in dialogues with nearly a hundred international opinion leaders in recent years and has been frequently invited to attend world-renowned forums such as the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, the Munich Security Conference, and the Davos Forum, etc.. He is a Steering Committee Member of Paris Peace Forum and the editor of Springer-Nature China and Globalization Series. He has published over 100 books in English and Chinese along with hundreds of journal articles and opinion pieces on global relations, global governance, global migration, China outbound and inbound investment and trade, Chinese Diasporas and Chinese think tanks.
CCG Global Dialogue
“CCG Global Experts Dialogue” is a series of events initiated by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) in November 2020. The series aims to explore innovative international communication methods by facilitating in-depth discussions and live broadcasts available around the world, creating a new bridge for communication with China. The Global Experts Dialogue series adheres to the principles of rationality, objectivity, and constructiveness, inviting international opinion leaders, renowned scholars, and political influencers in the fields of international politics and economics to explore topics related to the current state of and China’s role in the globalization process.
Since the launch of this series in November 2020, CCG Chairman Dr. Wang Huiyao and CCG other experts have engaged in in-depth dialogues with over twenty internationally renowned opinion leaders, including Pascal Lamy, Thomas Friedman, John Thornton, Martin Wolf, Susan Thornton, Graham Allison, Joseph Nye, Angus Deaton, Wendy Cutler, Neil Bush, John Hamre, Adam Posen, J. Stapleton Roy, David M. Lampton, Stephen Roach, Lord Jim O’Neill,William Kirby and many other senior policy makers, renowned think tank researchers, notable China experts, prominent media figures, and columnists.
