Global openness has been on the decline and has seen a significant drop since 2008 while China has gained remarkable achievements in its expansion of opening up, according to the World Openness Report 2024 on Tuesday.
The report was released at the 7th Hongqiao International Economic forum in Shanghai, which surveyed 129 economies.
In 2023, the World Openness Index was around 0.75, around 5.4 percent lower compared with 2008. The report found that China has achieved "remarkable results" in its expansion of opening-up. Between 2008 and 2023, its openness index rose by 11.9 percent, which was among the biggest advancements globally.
"Since 2012, China has continued to reform its economy. It has further reformed foreign-related economic management systems, improved the market economy system, and optimized government management efficiency. The country has also advanced the modernization of the national governance system. All with the aim to better serve high-quality economic development," said Qu Weixi, director of Research Center for Hongqiao International Economic Forum.
The 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum opened on Tuesday and will last till Nov 10.
This year's CIIE has attracted participants from 152 countries, regions and international organizations, and achieved a new record with 297 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders set to attend.
Global openness declined in 2023, while China advanced opening-up: report
Global openness declined in 2023, while China advanced opening-up: report
Lebanon's Health Ministry said Saturday that Israeli strikes during the latest round of fighting have killed 2,020 people and wounded 6,436 others since hostilities escalated.
The ministry said the toll reflects cumulative casualties recorded across multiple regions amid continued Israeli airstrikes and cross-border exchanges of fire.
On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Israeli forces engaged in close-range firefights with Hezbollah militants, striking multiple targets and killing several militants while seizing various weapons. In the past 24 hours, the IDF targeted over 200 Hezbollah sites within Lebanon and continued to target Hezbollah rocket launchers to prevent attacks against Israel.
Additionally, the IDF's Home Front Command has tightened public safety guidelines, suspending or limiting educational activities in border communities, Upper Galilee, and Haifa Bay, while also restricting the size of gatherings in those areas.
Hezbollah, in its statement, claimed that its operations in southern Lebanon continued, attacking Israeli tanks and personnel. The group also targeted Israeli military infrastructure, soldiers, and vehicles in northern Israel.
The escalation followed renewed hostilities involving Hezbollah, which said it launched rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel on March 2 for the first time since a ceasefire on Nov. 27, 2024. The exchange prompted Israel to expand its military campaign across Lebanon.
Lebanon has since been hit by sustained strikes in several areas, with fighting spreading beyond border regions into other parts of the country.
Iran and the United States agreed to a ceasefire on Wednesday. Israel said it would abide by the truce but argued the agreement does not apply to Lebanon. That assertion was rejected by Iran and by mediator Pakistan.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that the disarmament of Hezbollah is a prerequisite for any ceasefire agreement with Lebanon.
In a video statement, he said Lebanon had approached Israel several times over the past month seeking to begin direct talks following Israeli military actions.
"I approved this, subject to two conditions: we want to achieve the disarmament of Hezbollah, and we want a real peace agreement that will last for generations," Netanyahu said.
Death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon reaches 2,020
