Political advisors discuss comprehensive competitiveness of foreign trade

BEIJING -- Chinese political advisors have discussed measures to promote the comprehensive competitiveness of foreign trade at a consultation session in Beijing.

The biweekly session was held by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over the session recently.

Based on the strategy to pursue a new development pattern, reforms should take place in foreign trade quality, structure, efficiency and institutions to achieve more sustainable development with higher quality and better security, Wang said.

Eleven political advisors and experts offered their proposals at the session, and over 50 political advisors voiced their opinions via a mobile platform.

They acknowledged China's progress in foreign trade, adding that uncertainties and challenges have increased due to profound and complex changes at home and abroad.

However, China's foreign trade still has strong competitive edges, and the long-term development trend of steady quantity and rising quality has not changed, they said.

They called for an in-depth study on the impact of COVID-19, changes in international supply chains, rising commodity prices, and difficulties in international logistics, suggesting better policies to support foreign trade, including helping alleviate the financing difficulties of small businesses.