Impact of BRICS Trade Facilitation on China's Exports Using Cross-Border E-Commerce

With the rapid growth of the global digital economy, cross-border e-commerce, as an emerging form of trade, has gradually become a powerful engine to promote the development of global trade. BRICS is an important force in the global economy, and the progress of the BRICS countries' trade facilitation level has an important impact on the global trade environment. This paper conducts an in-depth study of the dynamic changes in BRICS trade facilitation from 2013 to 2022, and uses an extended gravity model to analyze the specific impact of this change on China's exports using cross-border e-commerce. The results show that although the BRICS countries have made some progress in trade facilitation, the overall level still needs to be improved, and there are obvious differences among member countries. However, the improvement of trade facilitation among BRICS countries has undoubtedly brought significant positive effects to China's exports using cross-border e-commerce.

Sharing Smart Services,Jointly Promoting Trade Development

In 2024,the China International Fair for Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as CIFTIS) opened in the China National Convention Center and Shougang Park on September 12th.The theme of the CIFTIS this time was"global services,shared prosperity",which is not only a window for allowing the world to discover the development of China's service trade,but is also a bridge for promoting global cooperation with regards to the service trade.As one of the world-famous service trade events,the CIFTIS has become an important business card allowing China to open up.The CIFTIS has attracted the attention of the whole world and become a bridge for all parties to share development opportunities,promote industrial growth,and strengthen communication.

Analysis of the Characteristics and Development Direction of Services Trade in Shandong Province of China

Shandong is a significant province for foreign trade in China;however,it still faces shortcomings in the development of its service trade,as outlined below.Firstly,the scale of service trade is limited.Shandong’s service trade volume ranked sixth in China in 2022,lagging considerably behind Shanghai,Guangdong,Beijing,Zhejiang,and Jiangsu.Secondly,the proportion of service trade in Shandong compared to the overall national services trade volume falls below the national average,with the per capita scale even lower than the national average.Thirdly,Shandong’s service trade accounts for less than 10% of the province’s foreign trade,which is 3 percentage points below the national average.The insufficient development of Shandong’s service trade is mainly attributed to the weak performance of its own service industry and the limited scale of attracting foreign services investment.Accelerating the development of producer services in Shandong,promoting the intelligent upgrading of consumer services,and continuously promoting reform and opening up in the service sector will be conducive to achieving high-quality development of services trade in Shandong.

Trade-Offs and Synergie Effects of Regulating Ecosystem Services along an Climatic Gradient in Slovakia

This study aims to assess the synergies and trade-offs of regulating ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are non-linearly interconnected and changes in one service can positively or negatively affect another. We evaluated ecosystem services based on biophysical indicators using an expert scoring system that determines the corresponding soil functions and is part of the existing databases available in Slovakia. This methodological combination enabled us to provide unique mapping and assessment of ecosystem services within Slovakia. Correlation analysis between individual regulating ecosystem services and climate regions, slope, texture, and altitude confirm the statistically significant influence of climate and slope in all agricultural land, arable land, and grassland ecosystems. Statistically significant synergistic effects were established between the regulation of the water regime and the regulation of soil erosion within each climate region, apart from the very warm climate region. Only in a very warm climate region was potential of regulating ecosystem services mutually beneficial for soil erosion control and soil cleaning potential (immobilization of inorganic pollutants).

Micro,Small,and Medium Enterprises’Cross-Border Business Strategies

This paper explores the operational strategies of cross-border micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Against the backdrop of globalization and digitalization, cross-border trade has become one of the important pathways for many MSMEs to achieve growth and competitive advantage. Firstly, the paper outlines the concept and characteristics of cross-border MSMEs, as well as the analysis of their operational environment in the context of globalization, including political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors. Secondly, the paper proposes operational strategies for cross-border MSMEs, including international market selection and positioning, cross-border marketing strategies, supply chain management, cross-border financial management, and cross-border risk management. Finally, the paper summarizes the importance of effectively implementing these strategies for cross-border MSMEs to seize international market opportunities, reduce operational risks, and enhance competitiveness and profitability.

Exploration of the Construction of Economic Service Trade System under the Background of Hainan Free Trade Port

China has a large population,a large middle-income group,and a wide consumer market coverage.In the context of economic globalization,the connection between the Chinese economy and the world industrial chain has been further strengthened,contributing to the development of the global economy.Under the background of the Hainan Free Trade Port,building an economic service trade system will help to create a new highland for economic service trade,promote the development of China’s service trade,and facilitate the rational allocation of resources on a global scale.Because of this,the article will analyze the opportunities for building an economic service trade system and the challenges of building an economic service trade system under the background of Hainan Free Trade Port,and focus on analyzing the path strategies for building an economic service trade system to create a high-level new highland of service trade and actively face the challenges of era development and economic upgrading[1].

Analysis of services trade and employment in China by co-integration and causality

This article describes a study by co-integration test and Granger causality test on the relationships between China's services trades and employment using the data of services trade from the WTO website and the employment data from China Statistic Yearbook for the years from 1982 to 2003. Co-integration test showed that 1% increase in export value and import value of services created respectively 0.205% and 0.068 7% more job opportunities in the service sector. Both export and import of services impacted positively on employment in service industry, and export did more than import. However, in the short run, the impacts of services export and import on employment in service industry were both very small, though positive; and the impacts of employment in service industry on both export and import of services were very big, but not stable. Granger causality test indicated that employment in service industry was a Granger cause of services export. The findings highlight the importance of facilitating services import and reducing import barriers, and suggest that the competitiveness of China's labor- intensive services trade can be exploited to boost services export and help employment in service sector, and that the structure of services trade should be optimized by shifting from labor-intensive to knowledge-and technology-intensive services thus to enhance China's competitiveness of services export.

Trade-offs and Synergies of Ecosystem Services in Karst Area of China Driven by Grain-for-Green Program

As an important means regulating the relationship between human and natural ecosystem,ecological restoration program plays a key role in restoring ecosystem functions.The Grain-for-Green Program(GFGP,One of the world’s most ambitious ecosystem conservation set-aside programs aims to transfer farmland on steep slopes to forestland or grassland to increase vegetation coverage)has been widely implemented from 1999 to 2015 and exerted significant influence on land use and ecosystem services(ESs).In this study,three ecological models(In VEST,RUSLE,and CASA)were used to accurately calculate the three key types of ESs,water yield(WY),soil conservation(SC),and net primary production(NPP)in Karst area of southwestern China from 1982 to 2015.The impact of GFGP on ESs and trade-offs was analyzed.It provides practical guidance in carrying out ecological regulation in Karst area of China under global climate change.Results showed that ESs and trade-offs had changed dramatically driven by GFGP.In detail,temporally,SC and NPP exhibited an increasing trend,while WY exhibited a decreasing trend.Spatially,SC basically decreased from west to east;NPP basically increased from north to south;WY basically increased from west to east;NPP and SC,SC and WY developed in the direction of trade-offs driven by the GFGP,while NPP and WY developed in the direction of synergy.Therefore,future ecosystem management and restoration policy-making should consider trade-offs of ESs so as to achieve sustainable provision of ESs.

CIFTIS: A Barometer of Global Trade in Services

CIFTIS is the world’s largest comprehensive fair for services trade,and also an important platform to showcase China’s services.According to the organizers,this year’s CIFTIS reached 1,627 outcomes,including624 contracted projects,223 investment projects,200 agreements and contracts,158 official publications,46 cooperation platforms,139 innovation debuts and 264 rating and recommendations.

CIFTIS: Using Action to Promote the Development of Trade in Services

CIFTIS(the China International Fair for Trade in Services)was held in Beijing in September,2020.As the world’s first comprehensive exhibition of trade in services,CIFTIS has built a bridge of mutual communication and a transaction platform for tens of thousands of enterprises across the world.CIFTIS was also the first international trade and economic event held offline by China since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.The event focused on the theme“global services and shared prosperity”and exhibited the achievements of China’s trade in services.The Chinese government has used its practical actions to deepen international cooperation,stimulate the world’s economic development and promote global trade development.

Sight on Services—— China International Fair for Trade inServices provides a platform to strengthen cooperation in service trade between China and Africa

China International Fair for Trade in Services provides a platform to strengthen cooperation in service trade between China and Africa On September 4, the First Bank of Nigeria (FBN), the oldest commercial bank in Nigeria, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the China-Africa Industrial Forum at the Sixth Africa Theme Day Forum held during the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

Re-Evaluation of China＇s Service Trade Competitiveness： A Global Value Chain Perspective

Based on the Worm Input-Output Database （WIOD）, this paper conducts a forward-linkage decomposition of value-added in trade to estimate China＇s service value-added exports and its service sector＇s international competitiveness during 2000- 2014. Result indicates that during the sample period, China＇s service exports measured by forward-linkage decomposition method accounted for around 35% in its total export. While the value of services exported directly through the service sector accounted for a falling share, the value of services exported through other sectors represented an increasing share. China ranks second in the world in terms of market share of service exports. However, the revealed comparative advantage （RCA） of China＇s service exports and export sophistication remains limited.

What is the relationship between ecosystem services and urbanization? A case study of the mountainous areas in Southwest China

China is undergoing a rapid urbanization process,and urbanization will have a direct impact on regional ecosystems and affect regional ecosystem services.Considering the mountainous counties in Southwestern China as the research object,this study reveals the spatial clustering characteristics of four typical ecosystem services(food production,soil conservation,water yield and carbon sequestration)as well as the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services in different urbanized areas.At the same time,piecewise linear regression is used to determine the threshold of the influence of urbanization on ecosystem services.The results indicate that:1)There are spatial autocorrelations among the four typical ecosystem services;with strong clustering characteristics,the positive correlation types are"clustered"locally;and with significant spatial heterogeneity,the negative correlation types are scattered and mainly appear in the highly urbanized area.2)There are also remarkable differences in the relationship among various ecosystem services in different urbanized areas,and in particular,there are marked trade-offs between food production and carbon sequestration in the moderately urbanized area and the highly urbanized area.However,there are synergies between them in the lowly urbanized area.3)With an increase in the compounded night light index(CNLI),water yield,carbon sequestration,food production and overall ecosystem services values present an increasing-decreasing trend,the soil conservation function value shows a decreasing-increasing trend.The response of water yield,carbon sequestration,food production,and overall ecosystem services to the compounded night light index(CNLI)has a threshold of 1.2642,1.4833,1.3388,1.5146 and 1.2237,respectively.Based on the detected relationships between urbanization and ecosystem services,this study provides a theoretical reference for the selection of urbanization development models in key ecological functional areas.

The Upgraded CIFTIS As A Platform for Global Service Trade

The 2019 CIFTIS(China International Fair for Trade in Service)themed on 'openness,innovation,wisdom and integration' has recently closed down in Beijing.This year CIFTIS has been upgraded to national exhibition and witnessed the signing of 440 project contracts with the total contract value of USD 105.06billion,a record high in the event history.There are 134 projects in foreign countries with total contract value of USD 17.55 billion.

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.

China's Service Trade and Dwindling Current Account Surplus

Recent years have seen sharp increases in China’s trade de ficit in services,especially in tourism,arousing concerns over a potential capital flight from China.Such concerns appeared to be justi fied by China’s balance of payments data,whose statistical scope was of ficially modi fied retroactively since 2014.To overcome the impact of changing statistical approach,this paper uses banks’cross-border customer payment and receipt data to re-estimate China’s service trade,and finds that China’s service imports did not increase abnormally from 2014 to 2016 as some researchers reckoned.With the re-estimated service trade data,we find that the relationship between China’s GDP per capita and travel imports as a share of service imports since 2001 tallies with those of emerging Asian industrial countries before the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997,indicating that China’s travel import growth in recent years did not deviate from the long term trend and international experience.Furthermore,this paper finds that China’s travel imports did not signi ficantly in fluence the stock and housing markets in the US,Hong Kong and the EU as major travel destinations,thus refuting the argument that massive capital has fled China for overseas markets.

Deepen International Cooperation, and Share New Opportunities for Trade in Service

AS one of the highlights of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services(hereinafter referred to as CIFTIS),the“Summit Forum on Trade Facilitation in Services:the Perspective of the Multinationals”was held on September 5.Guests from different countries and regions reached a consensus during the exchange and discussion,and all agreed that trade in service has the potential for world economic growth and will provide new opportunities for the development of global enterprises.As long as China continues to push forward the reform and opening-up of its service industry,“China Service”will benefit both itself and the whole world.

On the Cross-border E-commerce Development Strategy in the Context of the Belt and Road Initiative

As the "Internet +" action plan proceeds, e-commerce further integrates traditional sectors and increasingly promotes development. In the context of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese cross-border e-commerce, through channel expansion and market share increase, is taking the lead in trade and investment development, and facilitating labor division & coordination, resource & product sharing, as well as opening new markets. To promote the long-term economic development of countries along the Belt and Road, a series of development strategies have been designed, which concern constructing an "online silk road" for cross-border e-commerce, building new trade passages and bridges, innovating traditional trade models, and gathering a trade development momentum.