An evaluation of the role played by remote sensing technology following the World Trade Center attack

Remote sensing technology has been widely recognized for contributing to emergency response efforts after the World Trade Center attack on September 11th, 2001. The need to coordinate activities in the midst of a dense, yet relatively small area, made the combination of imagery and mapped data strategically useful. This paper reviews the role played by aerial photography, satellite imagery, and LIDAR data at Ground Zero. It examines how emergency managers utilized these datasets, and identifies significant problems that were encountered. It goes on to explore additional ways in which imagery could have been used, while presenting recommendations for more effective use in future disasters and Homeland Security applications. To plan adequately for future events, it was important to capture knowledge from individuals who responded to the World Trade Center attack. In recognition, interviews with key emergency management and geographic information system (GIS) personnel provide the basis of this paper. Successful techniques should not be forgotten, or serious problems dismissed. Although widely used after September 11th, it is important to recognize that with better planning, remote sensing and GIS could have played an even greater role. Together with a data acquisition timeline, an expanded discussion of these issues is available in the MCEER/NSF report “Emergency Response in the Wake of the World Trade Center Attack; The Remote Sensing Perspective” (Huyck and Adams, 2002) Keywords World Trade Center (WTC) - terrorism - emergency response - emergency management - ground zero - remote sensing - emergency operations - disasters - geographic information systems (GIS) - satellite imagery - synthetic aperture radar (SAR) - light detection and ranging imagery (LIDAR)

The Impact of the World Trade Organization （WTO） Regime on Foreign Direct Investment （FDI） Flows to Vietnam： A Gravity Model Approach

Foreign direct investment （FDI） has taken an important role in Vietnam＇s development process since the launch of Renovation in 1986. After Vietnam＇s accession to the World Trade Organization （WTO）, a large amount of FDI capital flowed into the country, up to 143,950.3 million USD. Wherein, there was a switching of FDI capital from the manufacturing sector to the service one in tandem with a downward trend in the agriculture. Like the previous duration, Vietnam＇s FDI capital sources came mostly from Asia-Pacific region and European economies （net capital, technology exporters） probably caused by Vietnam＇s integration emphases on dynamic Asia-Pacific region. Geographical location of FDI was characterized by a concentration on the three main key economic regions： the Red River Delta （surrounding Ha Noi, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh）, the Central region （surrounding Da Nang）, and the Southeast of the country （surrounding Ho Chi Minh City） owing to good infrastructure, abundance of skillful labor force, and large market size. By constructing a gravity model, using descriptive, quantitative methods and applying them to recent data set by Vietnam＇s authorities and the international organizations during the period from 1995 to 2011 of 18 Vietnam＇s major country partners, the author finds evidence broadly consistent with the prediction that the WTO has had a positive impact on FDI flows to Vietnam.

2019 World Trade Report:Shares of Service Trade up by 50%

On November 6th,2019 the Ministry of Commerce and WTO co-issued the Chinese version of 2019 World Trade Report at the Press Center of National Exhibition and Convention Center(Shanghai).Zhang Xiangchen,Standing Ambassador of China to WTO,said at the event that this is the second year that the Chinese version of 2019 World Trade Report is issued during the China International Import Expo,showing China’s unwavering stance to support multi-lateral trade.

TPFTZ(Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone)——A New Pattern of China's Openning to the Outside World

Under the guidance of Deng Xiao-ping’s strategic think-ing of openning to the outside world, the structure of om-nibearing openness has basically taken shape in China. Follow-

Chinese Licensing Trade Going to the World

In late spring this year, Ren Jianxin, President of the Supreme People’s Court in China. welcomed the convening of the 1994 international meeting of the Licensing Executives Society (LES) held in Beijing. It was sponsored by the China Licensing Executives Society and was attended by 400 lawyers and academics from over 30 countries including the USA, Britain, France, Japan, Germany and South Korea. Science and technology is

An Outstanding Example of World Maritime Trade Ports

"Quanzhou:Emporium of the World in Song・Yuan China"was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List at the 44th Session of the World Heritage Committee on July 25,2021.Quanzhou was a major node city on the ancient Maritime Silk Road.

Foreign Trade Shortens the Distance between an Enterprise and the World

The Tongling Non-ferrous Metals(Group) company was known forproducing the first copper ingot afterthe founding of new China.Through 44years and generations of exploration, thecompany has now become a large nationalconglomerate of more than 30 units, includingsix mines, two smelting plants and threecopper processing factories, coordinated withmining, dressing, smelting and deepprocessing, with its products reaching 150varieties. The Jinlong Copper Co. Ltd.,jointly invested by this company and Japan’sSumitomo co., is the largest Sino-Foreignjoint venture in Anhui Province and theChina National Non-ferrous Metals IndustryCorporation, and is planned to go into operationin 1996. By then, the Tongling Non-ferrousMetals (Group) Company will be highlightedin China’s copper industry. In June 1993, the Ministry of ForeignTrade and Economic Cooperation authorizedthe company with the right of import andexport operation. In October the same year,the company established its own foreigntrade institution--the Tongling Non-ferrousMetals Import and Export Company,

Upholding the Opening for the Chalenge of the World Service Trade

Ｔｈｅｒａｐｉｄｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔｏｆｔｈｅｓｅｒｖｉｃｅｔｒａｄｅａｔａｈｉｇｈｅｒｓｐｅｅｄｔｈａｎｃａｒｇｏｔｒａｄｅｉｓａｎｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｆｅａｔｕｒｅｏｆｔｈｅｃｕｒｒｅｎｔｅｃｏｎｏｍｉｃｓｔｒｕｃｔｕｒｅａｄｊｕｓｔｍｅｎｔｉ...

A Bigger Role in World Trade

China helps make global trade fairer and more beneficial to less developed countries WITH the rise of emerging countries represented by China and some other countries,the current international trade system is embracing a reform. A prominent feature of this reform is the participation of an increasing number of countries and regions.

Mould Brand with its Characteristics——-An Interview towards Liu Wenkui, President of Tianjin World Economy Trade & Exhibition Center(Group)Co.,Ltd

Reporter: Would you please tell us about business of Tianjin International Exhibition Center? Liu:Tianjin exhibition industry has developed well in 2004, 122 exhibitions have been held in our international center this year, with salable area of 2635000 sqm. Reporter: What about characteristics of

可持续发展视域下的WTO《渔业补贴协定》谈判与展望

渔业补贴是各国支持渔业发展的重要工具,但其引发的过度捕捞问题成为亟待解决的各方关切。2022年6月17日,在世界贸易组织(WTO)第12届部长级会议上通过了《渔业补贴协定》,这是20年来国际渔业补贴谈判的重要成果。作为第一个旨在实现环境可持续发展目标的WTO多边协定,《渔业补贴协定》通过减少具有破坏性的捕捞补贴,促进渔业资源的可持续利用,保护海洋生态系统的健康和海洋生物的多样性。在未来前景方面,《渔业补贴协定》为全球贸易与环境问题的讨论提供了模板,WTO成员在推动该协定最终生效的同时,还将对未决问题继续开展谈判。对于中国而言,实施《渔业补贴协定》的机遇大于挑战,有助于我国实现渔业高质量可持续发展、主动参与全球渔业治理、积极参与WTO有关贸易和环境议题的讨论。中国应积极履行协定承诺,并建设性地参与未决事宜的谈判,提出符合自身核心利益的提案。

WTO的未来:诸边协定是提振多边贸易体制的有效路径

随着全球矛盾的加剧,世界贸易组织(WTO)各成员对统一规则的接受程度在分化,通过开放的诸边谈判达成更多共识,是中国等WTO成员为解决WTO谈判僵局所采取的创新举措。联合声明倡议(JSIs)以创新的方式使谈判功能现代化,使WTO更具相关性和弹性,有助于恢复WTO在世界贸易中的中心地位。如果联合声明倡议采取开放式的诸边模式,则不违背WTO的多边基础,不违反《马拉喀什建立世界贸易组织协定》,在一般国际法上具有合法性。在无需对WTO规则进行修订的情况下,将联合声明倡议成果添加到WTO法律框架中的不同路径有:修改承诺表、纳入《马拉喀什建立世界贸易组织协定》附件4“诸边协定”和制定软法。在当前的国际贸易环境下,提振多边主义的有效途径是通过诸边方式达成诸边协定,并使其逐步多边化直至适用于所有WTO成员。中国应把握好方向,制定好策略,对标联合声明倡议谈判成果,促进WTO谈判模式改革向着更加合理、有效的方向发展。

“发展中国家”概念何以引发争议?——GATT框架下的概念史考察

“发展中国家”是全球治理中的一个基础性概念,近年来却成为国际话语场域中的争议性概念。考察关税及贸易总协定框架下“发展中国家”概念的历史,对于厘清相关争议的缘起和进一步理解国际话语竞争具有重要价值。“发展中国家”概念在GATT框架下经历了三个阶段:20世纪50年代以修订GATT1947第18条为代表的概念孕育阶段,60年代以增加GATT1947第四部分为代表的概念萌芽阶段和70年代以后以普惠制、差别优惠待遇及“毕业原则”等为代表的概念流行阶段。GATT框架下的“发展中国家”概念展现出模糊甚至混乱的特征,为日后世界贸易组织的相关争议埋下了隐患。西方发达国家在这一概念的塑造过程中注入了自身的价值观,而发展中国家的参与却十分有限,这也为当今的国际话语竞争提供了重要的启示。

农产品国际贸易新格局形成中的中国因素

与2000年相比,2021年农产品国际贸易的产品集中度和国别集中度双双下降,发展中经济体扮演了更重要的角色。实证研究表明:从2000年到2021年,中国是全球农产品国际贸易新格局形成的重要推动力量。中国对全球农产品国际贸易规模增量的贡献为9.45%,降低了可贸易农产品的产品集中度和地理集中度,重构了全球农产品国际贸易的地理方向,提高了发展中国家在农产品国际贸易中的地位。另外,中国践行“确保谷物基本自给、口粮绝对安全”的新粮食安全观,遏制了谷物进口的过快增长,从而对稳定谷物国际贸易格局、维护世界粮食安全发挥了重要作用。

海南自贸港创国际一流便利化营商环境制度集成创新探索

海南自贸港以创国际一流便利化营商环境为目标,不仅彰显自贸港“自由”“便利”的本质属性,而且表达了海南在中国改革开放再出发过程中的政治自觉、时代担当和高质量价值追求。文章以制度集成创新为抓手,既能使海南自贸港营商环境优化产生巨大的“集成”“协同”治理效应,又有利于快速破解海南自贸港营商环境建设中的存量与增量问题。近年来,从中央到海南先后都出台了系列制度性文本,并推出了诸多制度集成创新案例,探索成效十分显著。尽管如此,未来仍需进一步提高认知探索的多重意义、始终保持创新的接力状态、聚焦重点领域的建设清单、加强营商环境的数字赋能。

WTO国有企业相关问题:局限、趋势及对策

国有经济已经成为世界经济的重要组成部分,在全球范围内形成了不容小觑的竞争力量。为避免国有企业利用自身优势扭曲国际贸易,世界贸易组织采取“利益接受者”与“利益提供者”两种范式对国有企业相关问题作出规定,形成国有企业的基本规则框架,但相应规则存在适用范围有限、约束色彩较弱及界定标准不清等缺陷,为确保国有企业公平贸易及合规经营带来法律障碍。新一代国际经贸相关规则以竞争中立原则为导向,具有扩展国有企业非歧视义务、强化商业考虑要求及透明度要求、发展非商业援助条款及确立例外与过渡条款的趋势,一定程度上反映了多边贸易体系关于国有企业问题的改革方向。中国应以相应趋势为导向,通过参与国有企业规则谈判、争取例外与过渡条款、深化国有企业混合所有制改革及完善国有企业信息披露义务等方法,应对国有企业规则变革。

新型数字贸易体系建设面临的挑战与推进思路

数字贸易的不断壮大发展及作为推动新质生产力发展的重要组成,要求推进新型数字贸易体系建设。从国际层面看,新型数字贸易体系建设有利于提升国际竞争力,帮助产品“走出去”;从国内层面看,新型数字贸易体系建设有利于培育新质生产力,赋能经济双循环;从区域层面看,新型数字贸易体系建设有利于打造区域经济增长极,创造发展新动能。针对制度规则体系建设滞后、政策体系建设缺乏创新、支撑产业体系建设尚不完善等新型数字贸易体系建设中的系列严峻挑战,应制定数字贸易法、积极参与国际数字贸易规则制定等顶层规制建设,明确数字贸易的支持规定、进一步推进负面清单压减及具体化等重点政策引领;加强自主研发能力以实现数字贸易核心技术自主可控,以在日益激烈的国际数字贸易竞争中“弯道超车”,加快推动高质量发展和中国式现代化。