剧情简介
以下为英文全文: Q:What‘syouropiniononthecurrentworldeconomicdevelopment?WhatchangesdoyouthinkCOVID-19hasbroughttotheworld?Willitchangethetrendoftheworldeconomy? A:COVID-19hasdrawnattentiontothecostoffailingtoadequatelyaddressobviousgrayrhinoriskslikethethreatofpandemicsandweaknessesinaccesstohealthcare.Italreadyhascutshort-termeconomicgrowthforecastsandhasimposedanuncertaintytaxontheglobaleconomy.Forcountriesthatmovedquicklytogetthenovelcoronavirusundercontrol,theoutlookisbrighter.ButwithCOVID-19nowhereclosetoundercontrolinacountryasbigandimportanttotheglobaleconomyastheUnitedStates,theglobaleconomyisgoingtosufferlongerthanitwouldhaveifmoreAmericans-bothpolicymakersandindividualcitizens—hadtakentheriskmoreseriously. Untilwehavevaccinesandacriticalmassofpeoplehasreceivedthem,theviruswillbeaweightkeepingtheglobaleconomyfromatruerebound. Wewillcontinuetoseesupply-chaininterruptions,mostdisturbinglyincludingfood.Wewillcontinuetoseeincreasinginequality,alongwithrisingsocialinstabilityincountriesliketheUnitedStates. Thisinequalityalsowillbeadragoneconomiesbecausethemoremoneyisconcentratedinthehandsofthesuper-wealthy,thelessthereisfortheleast-welloff,whoneeditthemost,toconsumeandkeepeconomieshumming. Andaslongasthereareeconomictroubles,toomanypolicymakerswillbetemptedtopursuebeggar-thy-neighborpoliciesontrade,climateandglobalcooperationingeneral. Lowinterestrateswillpostponedebtcrisesforcompanies,individuals,andcountries,buthighdebtlevelsremainadangerfortheglobaleconomyespeciallyifgrowthdoesnotpickupmorequickly. Q:SinceCOVID-19,U.S.stockshaverisenrapidly,whatdoyouthinkoftheU.Sstockmarket? A:Putpolitely,theUSstockmarketisadisasterwaitingtohappen.Pricesarewayoutoftouchwitheconomicreality,evenaftertherecentlosses.AndjustaswesawwiththeDutchTulipMania,eventuallyinvestorswillrealizethattheunderlyingvalueofthepapertheyholddoesnotjustifyitsprice.Someonesaidtomerecentlythatthecurrenteconomyremindsthemof2007,whenthedeepcracksinthehousingmarketalreadywereshowingbutthedominoeffecthadnotyetrippledthroughtheeconomyandmarkets.That’swhatitfeelsliketodaytometoo.Justlikeinthesubprimecrisis,manyofthepeoplehurtwillbethe“littleguys.”TheUSstockmarkethasattractedmanysmall,socalled“retail”investors,manyofwhomusedtheirgovernmentstimuluscheckstoinvestinpennystocks.Theyaretakingbigrisksdespitethefactthatinstitutionalinvestorshavemoreinformationandthepowertomoveagainstthem. Q:What‘syourviewontherelationshipbetweenU.S.andChina,isthereariskofdecoupling? A:Iamdeeplyconcernedthatwearealreadyseeingdecoupling,particularlyaroundtechnology.Businessesdonotwantdecoupling,butthecurrentadministrationintheUnitedStateshasmadeChinathebogeymantodistractAmericansfromitsownfailings.IhopeandbelievethatthenextUSadministrationwilltakeamuchmoreconstructiveapproach. Infact,thecurrentpolicieshavehurttheUSfarmorethanChinaontheinvestmentside,asforeigndirectinvestmentfromChinaintotheUnitedStateshasplummetedbutU.S.investmentintoChinaroseforthefirsthalfoftheyear.Butit’snotjustamatterofourtwocountries:thewholeworldisaffected.Decouplingintechnologywillresultinaninefficient,two-tracksystem.TheBetamaxversusVCRcompetitionforthevideorecordingmarketinthe1970sand1980swasnotaconstructivecompetition.Whatweareseeingtodayisfarworse,especiallysincetechnologyismostusefulwhenitiscompatibleglobally.Ialsoamconcernedbecausetheclosercommercialtiesarebetweennations,thelowertheoddsofgeopoliticalconflicts. Q:Whatarethe“GrayRhinos”youseesofar? A:Ihavebeguntohesitatetoanswerthisquestionbecausetheconceptworksbestwhenpeopleidentifygrayrhinosforthemselves.ButingeneralIhavebeenfocusingmyattentiononatrioofbigglobalpolicyissuesthatarecloselyrelatedtoeachother:climatechange,financialfragilities,andinequality.Centralbanksandinvestorshaveincreasinglysoundedthewarningthatclimatechangeposeshugefinancialriskstorealestatevaluesincoastalanddroughtandwildfire-proneareasandthusinturntoinsurers,supplychains,businesses,andmunicipalfinances,creatingahugepotentialdominoeffect.Becausewehavewaitedsolongtoact,thewithdrawalofinvestmentfromfossilfuelindustrieswillbesteeperandcreateabiggershockthanitwouldhaveotherwise.Financialfragilities–inparticularassetbubblesthataresuckingmoneyoutoftherealeconomy—worseninequalityanddragdowneconomicgrowthwhichinturnworsensfinancialfragilities.Andclimatechangeworsensinequalitybecausetheplacesthathavecontributedtheleasttogreenhousegasesarethemostvulnerabletoextremeweatherandhavetheleastresourcestoprotectthemselvesorrebuild.Climatechangealsoisthawingpermafrostandreleasingmorepathogens. Q:HowdoyouthinkofRMB‘sinternationalization? A:Therearetrade-offstotheinternationalizationoftheRMB.Onthepositiveside,itmakesmanytransactionssimpler.Andhavinganadditionalalternativereservecurrencytothedollarisattractive.Butinternationalizationalsomeansgivingupalotofcontrolovermonetarypolicyandinturncouldcreatepotentialinternaleconomicshocks.Inwhateverdecisionsaremade,it’simportanttoconsiderthewinnersandlosersandmakesurethatthosewhoaremostvulnerabletounintendedconsequencesareprotected. Q:Chinahasnowproposeda‘dualloop’strategywhichfocusesontheinternalloop,whatdoyouthinkofit? A:Domesticdemandandconsumptionaresoimportanttoastrongeconomy.Stimulatingdomesticdemand--ietheinternalloop—haslongbeenachallengeforChinaandIamhappytoseeitgettingpriorityattention.Balancinginvestmentandconsumptionsuccessfullywilldeterminehowsuccessfulthepolicyis.Onewayofincreasingconsumptionistoprovideabetterriskumbrellatopeopleloweronthesocio-economicladder.Becauseyouarestartingfromalowerbaseandanyadditionaldiscretionaryincomehasabiggerimpact,youcanincreaseconsumptionmorequicklythanwithhigherincomepopulations.Ifpeoplearenotasworriedaboutcoveringemergencyhealthcarecostsorsavingforretirementorhavingtohelptheirparentsinretirement,theycanpumpmoremoneyintotheeconomy.Itwouldalsobeworthconsideringatargetedbasicincomeforpeopleinindustriesthatarebeingdisruptedandmaybetoooldtoinvestingainingnewskillsorareyoungenoughthattheycanaffordtoinvesttimeandenergyinnewskillsbutneedfinancialhelp.Thistrickle-upstrategywouldhelpbusinessesandinturninvestors,soeveryonewouldbenefit,unliketrickle-downstrategiesthatneverreallytrickledowntoeveryone. Q:ThereshapingoftheglobalindustrialchainisnowwidelydiscussedinChina,what‘syouropiniononit? A:Definitelyweareseeingsupplychainchanges:diversificationoflocations,re-thinkingofthe“justintime”leansupplychainmentalityaspeoplerealizethathavingextrainventoryonhand.Idonotsupporteffortstoraisetradebarriers.Atthesametime,Ithinkthatfocusingonregionalsupplychainsmakessensefromaclimateperspective.Transportinggoodsallaroundtheworldcreatesatremendouscarbondebt,sothelessdistancethingstravelandthesmallercarbonfootprint,thebetter.Whilerecognizingthatcalculatingcarbonfootprintsofgoodsiscomplicated,Iwouldliketoseeallproductsincludeatleastaroughestimatesothatpeoplecanchooseandrewardcompaniesthatreducetheirenvironmentalimpact. Q:Chinaisformulatingthenextfive-yearplan(2021-2025),canyougivesomesuggestions? A:Thenextfive-yearplanshouldmakesuretoprioritizeaddressingthethreebiggrayrhinosImentioned:addressingfinancialfragilities,theclimatecrisis,andinequality.Alloftheseareriskpreventionpolicydirectionsthatalsosupportgrowth.Providingbroadaccesstocreditwhilediscouragingoverindebtednesswillsupportqualitygrowth.Climatemitigationmeasureswillspurinnovation,createjobs,andultimatelycanreducefinancialfragilitiesbyslowingclimatechangeandtheeconomicimpactofextremeweather.Bothwillhelptoaddressinequality,butbyreducinginequalitythroughbettersupporttovulnerablepopulationsChinawillstrengthenthefoundationoftheeconomy. Q:CanyougivesomeadvicetotheyoungeconomistsinChina? A:Don‘tjustwriteforothereconomists;thinkaboutwaystorelateyourworktotherealworld,notjusttheory,andtocommunicateitinanaccessibleway.It’ssoimportanttodevelopeconomicliteracy,riskliteracy,andpolicyliteracyamongthepublic.Whenapopulationunderstandsthedifficulttrade-offsthatpolicymakersmustmake,itiseasiertocommunicateandimplementthosepolicieswithlessopposition.