It is an inevitable trend that globalization will develop from trade liberalization to trade facilitation. The World Trade Organization (WTO) calls all members to take measures such as simplifying customs procedures to actually eliminate trade barriers. In response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the need of promoting China’s foreign trade development, on 6 December, School of Public Administration, UIBE, CIWTO, UIBE and Beijing Re-code Trade Security and Facilitation Research Center jointly organized the Trade Facilitation Forum and the Launch of China Annual Report on Trade Facilitation.
  Lin Guijun, Vice President of UIBE，attended the forum and delivered a welcoming speech. Vice President Lin pointed out that as Chinese economy stepped into “new normal”, especially as China now faced complicated international trade environment, trade facilitation measures could help to reduce the cost of trade and enhance the efficiency of trade. Therefore, research on trade facilitation has a positive and significant role in promoting the development of China’s foreign trade. Analyzing China’s current implementation of WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation can promote trade facilitation reform and the implementation of trade facilitation measures, so as to further improve the level of trade facilitation. Professor Lin also proposed that on the basis of serious research and analysis of the present situation of trade facilitation in China, the government, academia and business community should establish a good communication mechanism, analyze and evaluate the level of trade facilitation using scientific methods, providing intellectual support for improving the quality of China’s foreign trade.   The event was hosted by Professor Fan Libo, Dean of School of Public Administration, UIBE. Jiang Xiaoping, Director of Beijing Re-code Trade Security and Facilitation Research Center, introduced the research process and contents of the annual report, as well as future research directions.       Experts and scholars from the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs, China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, UIBE and multinational companies had a roundtable forum on China's trade facilitation. The forum was hosted by Li Hailian, associate professor of Department of Customs Management, UIBE. Experts and scholars exchanged views and opinions on the development and research of China's trade facilitation. They pointed out that the study of trade facilitation should be further expanded, the construction of trade facilitation should solve practical problems in the process of trade and respect the Customs technical issues during the process of custom clearance. In addition, the construction of trade facilitation should take into account the dynamic changes in the environment and situation of trade, and make full use of the enterprises’ and social contributions to promote the upgrading of government services.   Through this seminar, the School of Public Administration of UIBE will further develop its specialty in the area related to Customs to promote the construction of think tank on trade facilitation studies, and provide scientific decision-making advice and technical support for the development of foreign trade.   Translators: GUO Zhengyi, SHAN Wen Reviser: SHAN Wen