《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》罕見專訪英國(guó)前高官：1978年我就押寶中國(guó)，押對(duì)了！

編者按：在保護(hù)主義不斷抬頭、經(jīng)濟(jì)全球化遭遇逆風(fēng)之際，中國(guó)為何堅(jiān)定不移擴(kuò)大開放？中國(guó)持續(xù)擴(kuò)大高水平開放對(duì)世界意味著什么？3月31日，英國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家、倫敦市經(jīng)濟(jì)與商業(yè)政策署前署長(zhǎng)、中國(guó)人民大學(xué)重陽(yáng)金融研究院高級(jí)研究員羅思義接受《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》記者專訪，以西方學(xué)者視角透視中國(guó)擴(kuò)大高水平開放的歷史邏輯與國(guó)際價(jià)值，指出中國(guó)的持續(xù)開放既是自身發(fā)展的必由之路，也是動(dòng)蕩世界中最寶貴的確定性。相關(guān)內(nèi)容整版發(fā)布于《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》和《環(huán)球時(shí)報(bào)》，現(xiàn)將專訪中英文內(nèi)容發(fā)布如下。羅思義英文新著亦將于近期發(fā)布，敬請(qǐng)關(guān)注：（中文內(nèi)容約5900字，預(yù)計(jì)閱讀時(shí)間15分鐘）

▲原文整版發(fā)表于《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》2026年3月31日第17版

Part 01

“中國(guó)在發(fā)展水平較低時(shí)，敢于下定決心對(duì)外開放，這份勇氣和判斷非常難得”

《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》：在40多年來(lái)的改革開放實(shí)踐中，中國(guó)最讓您震撼的變化是什么？

羅思義：最引人注目的無(wú)疑是中國(guó)取得的巨大成功。1978年我剛開始研究中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)時(shí)，曾有人不解，說(shuō)中國(guó)只是一個(gè)發(fā)展中國(guó)家，你應(yīng)該研究德國(guó)或者美國(guó)。當(dāng)時(shí)我的回答是，中國(guó)的發(fā)展必將取得巨大成功，因?yàn)橹袊?guó)的經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展理論是科學(xué)正確的。如今，事實(shí)已經(jīng)充分印證了這一點(diǎn)，只要打開電視就有人在討論中國(guó)的發(fā)展。

中國(guó)發(fā)展的成功是長(zhǎng)期且全方位的。從數(shù)據(jù)來(lái)看，中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)保持長(zhǎng)期穩(wěn)定增長(zhǎng)態(tài)勢(shì)，經(jīng)濟(jì)增速遠(yuǎn)高于世界平均水平。2005年之前，我從未到過中國(guó)，只是從經(jīng)濟(jì)政策和理論層面認(rèn)定中國(guó)的發(fā)展思路極具智慧，必然會(huì)取得巨大成功。2005年，我第一次來(lái)到中國(guó)，此后開始頻繁到訪中國(guó)。2009年，我開始在中國(guó)的大學(xué)任職。這些年來(lái)，我見證了中國(guó)一個(gè)個(gè)重大發(fā)展項(xiàng)目落地，民眾生活水平切實(shí)提升。

我始終認(rèn)為，經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展的本質(zhì)不是建鋼廠、造高樓，而是以人為本。中國(guó)以人為本的發(fā)展理念絕不是口號(hào)，而是真正抓住了經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展的核心目的——讓民眾的生活變得更好，讓他們能接受更好的教育、享受更好的醫(yī)療。經(jīng)濟(jì)的成功、物質(zhì)的進(jìn)步，最終都要落腳在民眾生活的改善上，這是最核心的一點(diǎn)。我經(jīng)常往返于北京和上海，以前路上要花將近一天時(shí)間，現(xiàn)在坐高鐵最快只需約4個(gè)小時(shí)，這就是發(fā)展給民眾帶來(lái)的便利。

北京市規(guī)劃展覽館讓我印象深刻。展覽館里陳列著一張1949年時(shí)北京的城市規(guī)劃圖，當(dāng)時(shí)故宮還是北京最大的建筑之一，如今這座城市早已發(fā)生天翻地覆的變化。站在那里，我更加堅(jiān)信自己選擇了正確的研究方向。中國(guó)巨大的發(fā)展變化，縱觀人類歷史都是難以置信的。

《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》：中國(guó)對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)全球化有過疑慮，對(duì)加入世界貿(mào)易組織也有過忐忑，但堅(jiān)信融入世界經(jīng)濟(jì)是歷史大方向，“中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)要發(fā)展，就要敢于到世界市場(chǎng)的汪洋大海中去游泳”。您如何看待中國(guó)的開放進(jìn)程？

羅思義：我一直堅(jiān)定支持全球化。1978年中國(guó)一開啟改革開放進(jìn)程，我就判斷，這一決策必然會(huì)讓中國(guó)取得成功。此后，我密切關(guān)注中國(guó)的發(fā)展。當(dāng)初中國(guó)在發(fā)展水平較低時(shí)，敢于下定決心對(duì)外開放，這份勇氣和判斷非常難得。

從經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)理論來(lái)看，貿(mào)易自由化、經(jīng)濟(jì)全球化是經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展的必然選擇，脫離全球市場(chǎng)不可能實(shí)現(xiàn)真正的發(fā)展。一個(gè)國(guó)家要成為科技和經(jīng)濟(jì)強(qiáng)國(guó)，必須參與全球分工與合作，中國(guó)的成功實(shí)踐就是明證。從前，有質(zhì)疑聲音說(shuō)，中國(guó)只會(huì)模仿、組裝，沒有創(chuàng)新能力；現(xiàn)在，現(xiàn)實(shí)已經(jīng)徹底改變了外界對(duì)中國(guó)的看法——中國(guó)在電動(dòng)汽車、可再生能源、人工智能等領(lǐng)域都成為全球領(lǐng)先者。這足以證明，中國(guó)選擇開放的決策是正確的。沒有哪個(gè)發(fā)展中國(guó)家能在對(duì)外開放上取得像中國(guó)這樣的成就，中國(guó)做到了。

Part 02

“開放在中國(guó)已經(jīng)成為一種社會(huì)共識(shí)，融入中國(guó)的民族心態(tài)和文化特質(zhì)中”

《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》：在開放進(jìn)程中，中國(guó)全社會(huì)在堅(jiān)持和擴(kuò)大開放上的共識(shí)是否發(fā)揮了重要作用？

羅思義：據(jù)我觀察，中國(guó)人對(duì)西方國(guó)家的了解程度，遠(yuǎn)比西方人對(duì)中國(guó)的了解程度要深得多。

中國(guó)人的思維方式具有開放性，始終以平視的眼光看世界，從本國(guó)發(fā)展的實(shí)際出發(fā)，吸收借鑒各國(guó)的先進(jìn)經(jīng)驗(yàn)，為中國(guó)所用。開放在中國(guó)已經(jīng)成為一種社會(huì)共識(shí)，融入中國(guó)的民族心態(tài)和文化特質(zhì)中。更重要的是，中國(guó)民眾在對(duì)外開放的過程中，逐漸建立起自信，這是全新的變化。也正因此，走國(guó)際化道路是中國(guó)發(fā)展的必然選擇。

《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》：當(dāng)前中國(guó)正全力推進(jìn)制度型開放，從傳統(tǒng)的“要素流動(dòng)型開放”到“制度型開放”，這是否意味著中國(guó)推進(jìn)開放的重心發(fā)生了變化？

羅思義：中國(guó)的開放重心確實(shí)發(fā)生了變化，這種轉(zhuǎn)變非常必要、明智。在要素流動(dòng)型開放階段，中國(guó)完成了初期的積累，而現(xiàn)在推進(jìn)制度型開放，是中國(guó)與國(guó)際經(jīng)濟(jì)體系深度對(duì)接的必然要求。

中國(guó)在聯(lián)合國(guó)等國(guó)際組織中發(fā)揮著越來(lái)越積極的作用。中國(guó)深入了解國(guó)際規(guī)則，結(jié)合自身發(fā)展實(shí)際建立起符合中國(guó)國(guó)情、與國(guó)際接軌的制度框架，與國(guó)際組織開展平等的互動(dòng)合作。制度型開放不是沒有原則的開放，而是在遵循國(guó)際通用規(guī)則的基礎(chǔ)上，打造適合自身發(fā)展的制度體系。中國(guó)的這一發(fā)展路徑，邏輯清晰、步驟穩(wěn)健，符合中國(guó)的發(fā)展階段，也符合全球化的發(fā)展趨勢(shì)。

《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》：您曾經(jīng)任職的倫敦是一座非常開放的城市。從人類發(fā)展史看，開放是否是一個(gè)國(guó)家發(fā)展進(jìn)步的必然要求？

羅思義：的確，開放是一個(gè)國(guó)家發(fā)展進(jìn)步的必然要求。每個(gè)國(guó)家的文化基礎(chǔ)不同，開放的方式也會(huì)有所差異，但開放的核心邏輯是相通的。倫敦是一座極具開放性的城市，來(lái)自世界各地的人在這里生活、工作。開放是倫敦能長(zhǎng)期保持活力的關(guān)鍵。

中國(guó)的開放是將國(guó)際先進(jìn)經(jīng)驗(yàn)、技術(shù)、規(guī)則吸收到自身的發(fā)展框架中，結(jié)合中國(guó)實(shí)際進(jìn)行創(chuàng)新，是一種智慧的學(xué)習(xí)發(fā)展模式。

Part 03

“中國(guó)的發(fā)展成就和開放態(tài)度，讓各國(guó)看到了合作價(jià)值”

《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》：當(dāng)前全球保護(hù)主義、單邊主義抬頭。對(duì)于世界經(jīng)濟(jì)和全球發(fā)展來(lái)說(shuō)，保護(hù)主義會(huì)造成什么后果？

羅思義：保護(hù)主義的結(jié)果必然是負(fù)面的，但這種負(fù)面影響不會(huì)達(dá)到毀滅性的程度，因?yàn)閷?shí)行保護(hù)主義的國(guó)家已經(jīng)不再擁有足夠的實(shí)力主導(dǎo)全球經(jīng)濟(jì)、迫使其他國(guó)家跟隨其保護(hù)主義政策。具體來(lái)說(shuō)，會(huì)出現(xiàn)兩種趨勢(shì)：一方面，個(gè)別發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家奉行保護(hù)主義，其經(jīng)濟(jì)形勢(shì)會(huì)持續(xù)低迷，政治層面的矛盾也會(huì)加劇；另一方面，全球南方國(guó)家會(huì)繼續(xù)堅(jiān)定走向全球化。

保護(hù)主義阻擋不了全球開放的主流。世界上的大多數(shù)國(guó)家，尤其是新興的全球南方國(guó)家，都沒有選擇保護(hù)主義，而是繼續(xù)堅(jiān)持開放，中國(guó)等國(guó)家支撐著全球經(jīng)濟(jì)的開放格局。因此，保護(hù)主義會(huì)給全球經(jīng)濟(jì)帶來(lái)傷害，但不足以逆轉(zhuǎn)人類歷史的開放趨勢(shì)。

《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》：面對(duì)不斷抬頭的保護(hù)主義，中國(guó)堅(jiān)定擴(kuò)大高水平開放對(duì)世界經(jīng)濟(jì)意味著什么？

羅思義：中國(guó)堅(jiān)定擴(kuò)大高水平開放將推動(dòng)中國(guó)和世界的經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)。中國(guó)擁有超大規(guī)模的國(guó)內(nèi)市場(chǎng)和完整的產(chǎn)業(yè)體系，是中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)持續(xù)向好的有利條件。中國(guó)擴(kuò)大開放并非依賴外部市場(chǎng)，而是在立足國(guó)內(nèi)的基礎(chǔ)上，與國(guó)際市場(chǎng)實(shí)現(xiàn)更深度的融合。這些年，中國(guó)堅(jiān)定選擇開放發(fā)展道路，也收獲了開放帶來(lái)的成果——中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)始終保持穩(wěn)定增長(zhǎng)，民眾從經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展中獲得實(shí)際福祉。

世界上大多數(shù)國(guó)家都反對(duì)保護(hù)主義，堅(jiān)持經(jīng)濟(jì)全球化，這些國(guó)家需要一個(gè)穩(wěn)定、開放的大國(guó)引領(lǐng)。作為世界第二大經(jīng)濟(jì)體、第一大貨物貿(mào)易國(guó)，中國(guó)堅(jiān)定擴(kuò)大開放，會(huì)成為國(guó)際貿(mào)易體系的核心，吸引各國(guó)與中國(guó)開展合作。中國(guó)的發(fā)展成就和開放態(tài)度，讓各國(guó)看到了合作價(jià)值。今年以來(lái)，歐洲等地區(qū)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人頻繁訪華，就是因?yàn)樗麄兦宄袊?guó)是堅(jiān)持開放的重要經(jīng)濟(jì)體，與中國(guó)合作符合其經(jīng)濟(jì)利益。

《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》：有一些聲音認(rèn)為，經(jīng)濟(jì)全球化造成部分國(guó)家貧富差距拉大。您怎么看？

羅思義：把貧富差距拉大歸咎于全球化純屬無(wú)稽之談。一些國(guó)家貧富差距的根源不是全球化，而是其國(guó)內(nèi)政策失靈，把自身問題歸咎于全球化是完全錯(cuò)誤的。

首先，從全球?qū)用鎭?lái)看，全球化推動(dòng)了包括中國(guó)在內(nèi)的眾多全球南方國(guó)家的發(fā)展，這是有目共睹的。中國(guó)的發(fā)展成就不必多說(shuō)，越南、印度尼西亞等國(guó)也在全球化中實(shí)現(xiàn)了快速發(fā)展，民眾生活水平大幅提升，這是全球化帶來(lái)的積極成果。其次，一些西方國(guó)家出現(xiàn)的貧富差距加劇問題，根源在于其國(guó)內(nèi)政策失靈。以美國(guó)為例，過去幾十年，美國(guó)社會(huì)的財(cái)富分配失衡，經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)沒有惠及普通民眾，這是其國(guó)內(nèi)政策問題，與全球化無(wú)關(guān)。

Part 04

“中國(guó)堅(jiān)定擴(kuò)大開放，為全球南方國(guó)家提供了更多合作選擇和發(fā)展機(jī)遇”

《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》：中國(guó)“十五五”規(guī)劃綱要提出了一系列新的發(fā)展舉措，您最關(guān)注哪方面？

羅思義：我對(duì)于中國(guó)在科技創(chuàng)新領(lǐng)域的發(fā)展最為關(guān)注。沒有哪個(gè)發(fā)展中國(guó)家能像中國(guó)這樣，在眾多科技領(lǐng)域躋身全球領(lǐng)先行列。從“十四五”初期少數(shù)領(lǐng)域的技術(shù)領(lǐng)跑，到如今在電動(dòng)汽車、可再生能源、人工智能等多個(gè)領(lǐng)域的全球領(lǐng)先，西方主流媒體紛紛報(bào)道中國(guó)的科技成就，這一轉(zhuǎn)變令人驚嘆。

中國(guó)的科技成就核心在于研發(fā)投入的高占比和高轉(zhuǎn)化效率，某些數(shù)字超過部分西方主要發(fā)達(dá)經(jīng)濟(jì)體，且絕大部分研發(fā)投入應(yīng)用于實(shí)體經(jīng)濟(jì)，轉(zhuǎn)化為實(shí)際生產(chǎn)力。高水平的研發(fā)投入、與實(shí)體經(jīng)濟(jì)的深度結(jié)合、政府的科學(xué)引導(dǎo)，這三大因素將推動(dòng)中國(guó)科技發(fā)展持續(xù)突破。我相信，“十五五”規(guī)劃綱要的實(shí)施將讓中國(guó)在全球科技領(lǐng)域持續(xù)領(lǐng)先，通過與其他發(fā)展中國(guó)家的廣泛合作，也將推動(dòng)各國(guó)共同發(fā)展。

《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》：您如何看待中國(guó)與其他全球南方國(guó)家的開放合作？

羅思義：這種合作讓中國(guó)成為全球南方國(guó)家發(fā)展的重要引領(lǐng)者，也為全球南方現(xiàn)代化建設(shè)提供了新的選擇。金磚國(guó)家合作機(jī)制的發(fā)展是最明顯的例子。金磚國(guó)家是一個(gè)體量巨大的經(jīng)濟(jì)合作組織，個(gè)別國(guó)家試圖阻礙其發(fā)展但沒有成功，原因就在于金磚國(guó)家的合作惠及了所有成員國(guó)，為各國(guó)提供了新的發(fā)展機(jī)遇。

對(duì)于全球南方國(guó)家來(lái)說(shuō)，貿(mào)易伙伴越多，發(fā)展的空間就越大。作為世界上最大的貨物貿(mào)易國(guó)，中國(guó)堅(jiān)定擴(kuò)大開放，為全球南方國(guó)家提供了更多合作選擇和發(fā)展機(jī)遇，幫助這些國(guó)家突破發(fā)展瓶頸，走向現(xiàn)代化。

《人民日?qǐng)?bào)》：您希望通過自己的研究和發(fā)聲，給中國(guó)、給世界傳遞怎樣的理念？

羅思義：德國(guó)著名哲學(xué)家黑格爾曾說(shuō)，在世界歷史的每一個(gè)階段，都有一個(gè)民族擔(dān)當(dāng)起世界精神的使命，而這個(gè)民族的精神符合世界歷史的必然進(jìn)程。我堅(jiān)信，在當(dāng)前的歷史階段，人類發(fā)展的核心方向體現(xiàn)在中國(guó)的發(fā)展中。中國(guó)的復(fù)興并非依靠先天稟賦，而是選擇了符合自身國(guó)情的開放發(fā)展道路，抓住了歷史機(jī)遇。中國(guó)推進(jìn)改革開放的初衷是解決自身發(fā)展問題，卻最終創(chuàng)造了人類歷史上最成功的經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展模式，推動(dòng)了全球經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展。作為經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家，我希望通過研究，讓世界更客觀地認(rèn)識(shí)中國(guó)的開放發(fā)展道路，讓中國(guó)的發(fā)展智慧為全球發(fā)展提供借鑒。

過往的生活經(jīng)歷讓我見證了封閉帶來(lái)的困境，而在中國(guó)，我看到的是社會(huì)持續(xù)進(jìn)步、民眾生活水平不斷提升的蓬勃景象。這種鮮明的對(duì)比，讓我對(duì)中國(guó)的開放發(fā)展道路有了更深刻的認(rèn)知。從理論上理解發(fā)展規(guī)律是一回事，親身經(jīng)歷不同國(guó)家的發(fā)展歷程是另一回事。中國(guó)選擇了符合自身國(guó)情的開放發(fā)展道路，抓住了歷史機(jī)遇。中國(guó)40多年的開放發(fā)展，用實(shí)際成果證明了這條道路的正確性。我希望更多國(guó)家能從中國(guó)的開放發(fā)展中獲得借鑒，共同推動(dòng)全球經(jīng)濟(jì)朝著更好的方向前進(jìn)。

▲《環(huán)球時(shí)報(bào)》2026年4月2日第5版整版轉(zhuǎn)載

由羅思義領(lǐng)銜撰寫的著作《Economic Analysis of China in the World》（暫譯名：《世界經(jīng)濟(jì)視野下的中國(guó)分析》）將于近期由LID出版公司與中國(guó)圖書進(jìn)出口總公司合作出版。本書匯集了來(lái)自歐洲和拉丁美洲的六位頂尖經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家，從國(guó)際視角深度剖析中國(guó)的發(fā)展模式與全球影響。其中羅思義撰寫的開篇章節(jié)尤為引人注目，他以嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)?shù)臄?shù)據(jù)分析，直面并駁斥了西方關(guān)于“中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)效率低下”的主流敘事。

在題為《為何中國(guó)社會(huì)主義經(jīng)濟(jì)比資本主義更高效》的章節(jié)中，羅思義直指問題的核心。他引入國(guó)際通用的增量資本產(chǎn)出率（ICOR）作為衡量標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，即每產(chǎn)生1%的GDP增長(zhǎng)所需的投資占GDP的比重。數(shù)據(jù)顯示，在截至2021年的五年平均值中，中國(guó)的ICOR為7.1，遠(yuǎn)優(yōu)于美國(guó)的10.0、歐元區(qū)的22.4和德國(guó)的30.3，在全球前20大經(jīng)濟(jì)體中位居第二。這無(wú)可辯駁地證明，中國(guó)的投資在促進(jìn)經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)方面比主要資本主義經(jīng)濟(jì)體更為高效，所謂“中國(guó)需要5-7美元投資才能產(chǎn)生1美元GDP”的說(shuō)法是純粹的“假新聞”。

他進(jìn)一步揭示了高效背后的制度原因。通過對(duì)比2008年國(guó)際金融危機(jī)和新冠疫情危機(jī)期間中美兩國(guó)的表現(xiàn)，他指出：資本主義美國(guó)的經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退伴隨著私人投資的劇烈萎縮，而社會(huì)主義中國(guó)則憑借強(qiáng)大的國(guó)有部門和國(guó)家主導(dǎo)的銀行體系，在危機(jī)中逆勢(shì)擴(kuò)大了投資規(guī)模，從而穩(wěn)住了經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)和投資效率。中國(guó)的國(guó)家投資發(fā)揮了強(qiáng)大的“反周期”調(diào)節(jié)作用，這是其宏觀經(jīng)濟(jì)韌性和投資高效的關(guān)鍵。羅思義總結(jié)道，中國(guó)投資的高效性并非偶然，而是植根于其社會(huì)主義經(jīng)濟(jì)體制的內(nèi)在優(yōu)勢(shì)。

本書其他章節(jié)還從去全球化、產(chǎn)業(yè)政策、中巴合作、全球經(jīng)濟(jì)治理等多個(gè)維度，提供了理解中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)的豐富國(guó)際視角。本書旨在超越二元對(duì)立敘事，推動(dòng)關(guān)于中國(guó)及多極化世界的理性對(duì)話。

作為本書的核心作者之一，羅思義長(zhǎng)期深耕中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)研究，其著述被翻譯為多國(guó)語(yǔ)言，具有廣泛的國(guó)際影響力。此前，他已出版《一盤大棋？中國(guó)新命運(yùn)解析》、《百年大變局：世界與中國(guó)》以及《別誤讀中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)》等多部著作，系統(tǒng)闡述了對(duì)中國(guó)發(fā)展模式的深刻洞察。此次他通過扎實(shí)的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)分析，為“中國(guó)模式”的討論提供了堅(jiān)實(shí)的實(shí)證支撐，再次彰顯了其作為知名中國(guó)問題專家的洞察力。該書現(xiàn)已啟動(dòng)預(yù)熱，正式發(fā)售信息敬請(qǐng)關(guān)注后續(xù)發(fā)布。

英文內(nèi)容

At a time when protectionism is rising and economic globalization faces growing headwinds, why does China remain committed to expanding opening up? What does its high-level opening up mean for the world?

In a recent interview with People's Daily, John Ross, former director for economic and business policy for the mayor of London and senior fellow at the Renmin University of China's Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, shared his insights based on more than four decades of research on China's economy.

Q1: What has been the most striking change in China over the past 40-plus years?

A: The most striking thing is undoubtedly China's great success. When I began studying the Chinese economy in 1978, some people did not understand, saying that China was a developing country and that I should study Japan, Germany or the US. My answer was that China's development would be hugely successful because its economic theory was correct. Now, the facts have confirmed this, and many people are discussing China's development.

China's success is comprehensive. Its economy has grown steadily. Before 2005, I had never been to China, but from the perspective of economic policy and theory, I believed that China's thinking was very wise and would achieve great success. In 2005, I came to China for the first time, and I have been visiting ever since. In 2009, I began working at a university in China. Over the years, I have witnessed the implementation of major projects, and the most remarkable change has been the improvement in people's lives.

Q2: What experience in China impressed you most?

A: I believe the essence of the economy is not to build steel or buildings, but to put people's lives first. China's people-oriented approach is not a slogan, but the core purpose of the economy: to make people's lives better, so they can receive better education, enjoy better medical care and all the other things that allow them to lead a better life. Economic success and material progress must ultimately be reflected in improvements in people's lives.

To give a simple example, I often travel between Beijing and Shanghai. It used to take nearly a day, but now it takes about four hours by high-speed rail. This is the convenience brought to the public.

I was also deeply impressed by the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall. It displays a city map from 1949, when the Forbidden City was one of the largest buildings in Beijing. Today, the city has undergone earth-shaking changes. Standing there, I was even more convinced that I chose the right field of research. The scale of China's transformation is extraordinary in human history.

Q3: How do you view China's shift from doubts about globalization to firm commitment to opening up?

A: I have always been a staunch supporter of globalization. As soon as China began its reform and opening up in 1978, I judged that this decision was part of what would lead to China's success. Since then, I have paid close attention to China. When China was at a low level [of development], it had to courage to open up to the outside world. Such courage and judgment are very rare.

From the perspective of economic theory, trade liberalization and economic globalization are inevitable choices, and it is impossible to realize real economic goals without the global market. If a country wants to become a technological and economic power, it must participate in the global division of labor and cooperation. China's success has proven this.

In the past, some believed that China could only imitate and assemble, and lacked innovation. Now, reality has completely changed that perception. China has become a global leader in fields such as electric vehicles, renewable energy and AI. This proves that China's decision to open up was correct. No developing country has achieved the same achievements as China in opening up.

Q4: Why has opening up become a consensus in China?

A: In my observation, Chinese people know much more about Western countries than Westerners know about China.

Chinese people have an open mindset, always look at the world from a head-up perspective, proceed from their own reality, absorb and learn from other countries, and use them for China? Openness has become a social consensus in China, embedded in its national character. More importantly, the Chinese people have gradually developed self-confidence through opening up, which is a brand-new change. This makes internationalization an inevitable choice for China.

Q5: Has China's focus shifted toward institutional opening up?

A: The focus of China's opening up has indeed changed, and this change is both necessary and wise. In the stage of factor-flow opening, China has completed the initial accumulation. Now, promoting institutional opening up is an inevitable requirement for China to deeply integrate with the international economic system.

China is playing an increasingly active role in international organizations. It has a deep understanding of international rules, has established an institutional framework in line with China's national conditions and international standards, and has carried out equal interaction and cooperation with these organizations. Institutional opening up is not opening up without principles, but building an institutional system that suits China while following general international rules. China's path has clear logic and steady steps, in line with its current stage and the broader trend of globalization.

Q6: Is openness essential for national development?

A: Indeed, opening up is an inevitable requirement for a country's progress. Each country has a different cultural foundation, and the way it opens up may also be different, but the core logic of openness is the same. London is a very open city, where people from all over the world live and work. Openness is the key to London's vitality.

China's opening up involves absorbing advanced international technology and rules into its own framework and innovating in combination with China's reality, which reflects a kind of wisdom in learning.

Q7: What are the consequences of rising protectionism?

A: The outcome of protectionism is necessarily negative, but this impact will not be globally devastating, because protectionist countries no longer have enough power to dominate the global economy and force others to follow their policies.

Specifically, there will be two trends: on the one hand, as some developed countries pursue protectionism, their economic situation will become sluggish and political conflicts will intensify. On the other hand, countries in the Global South will continue to move firmly toward globalization.

Protectionism cannot stop the overall trend of global openness. Most countries, especially emerging economies in the Global South, have not chosen protectionism. They continue to adhere to opening up. China and other countries support an open global economic system. Therefore, protectionism will hurt the global economy, but it will not be enough to reverse the long-term trend of openness in human history.

Q8: What does China's continued opening up mean for the global economy?

A: China's firm commitment to expanding high-level opening up will drive economic growth in both China and the world. China has a super-large domestic market and a complete industrial system, which are favorable conditions for the sustained improvement of its economy. China's expansion of opening up does not rely on external markets, but rather on achieving deeper integration with the international market based on its domestic foundation. In recent years, China has firmly pursued the path of open development and has reaped the benefits of openness, the economy has maintained stable growth and people have gained tangible benefits.

Most countries oppose protectionism and support globalization. These countries need a stable and open major power. As the world's second-largest economy and largest trading nation in goods, China is committed to expanding its openness and becoming a central pillar of the international trading system, attracting countries to cooperate. China's development achievements and open approach have demonstrated the value of cooperation. Since the beginning of this year, leaders from Europe and other regions have frequently visited China, recognizing that cooperation with China aligns with their economic interests.

Q9: Some say globalization has widened the wealth gap within countries. What is your take on this?

A: It is nonsense to blame globalization for the widening gap between rich and poor. The root cause of inequality in some countries is not globalization, but the failure of their domestic policies. It is wrong to attribute their own problems to globalization.

First, from a global perspective, globalization has promoted development in many countries in the Global South, including China, which is obvious to all. Vietnam, Indonesia and other countries have also achieved rapid globalization, and living standards have greatly improved, which is a positive result of globalization.

Second, the widening wealth gap in some Western countries is rooted in domestic policy failures. Take the US as an example: over the past few decades, wealth distribution has become increasingly uneven, and economic growth has not benefited ordinary people. This is a domestic policy issue, not a result of globalization.

Q10: Which aspect of China's opening up interests you most?

A: I am most interested in China's scientific and technological innovation. No other developing country can rank among the world's leaders in so many fields of science and technology like China. From being a technological leader in a few areas at the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan to becoming a global leader in electric vehicles, renewable energy, AI and other fields, mainstream Western media has reported on China's scientific and technological achievements. This transformation is remarkable.

The core of China's scientific and technological achievements lies in the high proportion of R&D investment and the high efficiency of converting this investment into products. Some figures exceed those of major Western developed economies, and most R&D investment is applied to the real economy and transformed into actual productivity. High-level R&D investment, deep integration with the real economy and scientific guidance – these three factors promote China's technological breakthroughs. I believe that the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan will allow China to lead in an increasing number of global science and technology fields, and through extensive cooperation with other countries, it will also promote the common interests of all nations.

Q11: How do you view China-Global South cooperation?

A: This kind of cooperation has made China an important leader among the countries of the Global South and provided a new path for their modernization. The BRICS cooperation mechanism is the most obvious example. The BRICS countries form a huge economic cooperation organization. Some individual countries tried to hinder it but failed. The reason is that cooperation among BRICS countries benefits all member states and provides new opportunities for each.

For countries in the Global South, the more trading partners they have, the greater their opportunities. As the world's largest trader of goods, China has firmly expanded its opening up, offering more cooperation options and opportunities for these countries, and helping them overcome bottlenecks to move toward modernization.

Q12: What message do you hope to convey about China's development to the world?

A: The renowned German philosopher Georg Hegel once said, "World history is the progress of the consciousness of freedom." Framed in modern terms, this means that at a certain stage of world history, the progress of one country determines and reflects the progress of humanity.

I firmly believe that, at the current historical stage, the core direction of human development is reflected in China's development.

China's rejuvenation does not rely on innate endowments but has chosen an open path suited to its national conditions, creating a historical opportunity. China's original intention in promoting reform and opening up was to solve its own problems, but in the end, it achieved the most successful economic development in human history and promoted the global economy. As an economist, I hope that through research, the world can understand China's path more objectively and use China's experience as a reference.

Past experience has allowed me to personally witness economic disaster, for example, shock therapy in Russia in the 1990s. But in China, I see vigorous social progress and continuous improvement in people's living standards. This stark contrast has given me a deeper understanding of China's opening-up. Understanding economic laws theoretically is one thing. Experiencing the course of different countries firsthand is another. China has chosen an open path suited to its national conditions and has presented a historical opportunity. Its opening up over the past 40 years has proved the correctness of this path with tangible results. I hope more countries can learn from China's experience and jointly promote the global economy in a better direction.