Innovation, reform key to world economy recovery

BEIJING - Innovation and structural reform are key to recovery of the global economy, which is a prescription given by China at the 2016 Group of 20 (G20) Summit for the world economy that has yet to recover from the global financial crisis in 2008.

Innovation

World leaders have agreed to raise mid-to-long term growth potential through innovative growth in the two-day G20 Summit concluded in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou on Sept 5.

Consensus has been reached to encourage the creation of innovation ecosystems that catalyze creativity and support the combination of creative ideas with entrepreneurship, science and technology for innovative growth and job creation, according to the G20 Blueprint on Innovative Growth.

"The G20 Blueprint on Innovative Growth represents an ambitious agenda toward a new paradigm for growth based on knowledge and on new and cleaner technologies," Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer told Xinhua in an interview, "Many countries have, since the global financial crisis of 2008, relied too heavily on monetary and fiscal easing."

World leaders, international institutions, and company representatives have echoed the emphasis when attending the second "Investing in Africa Forum" held on Wednesday in Guangdong which called for innovative ways to rejuvenate economic growth.

"I think innovation and making better use of technology is going to be very helpful. I've seen it in Africa," said Haleh Bridi, director of external communications and partnerships at the World Bank Africa region, while attending the forum.

Bridi said because of innovation, Africa has moved from being a continent where nobody has a phone to one where almost everybody uses a cell phone.

"This telephone revolution has really changed the face of Africa, and this can happen in so many other sectors, including in education, as you can get the top notch education online today," Bridi said.

Structural reform

Since the global financial crisis broke out in 2008, there has been broad consensus that structural reforms are required to get the world economy back on track.

"There is widespread recognition that structural reforms are required," said BCG Chairman Hans-Paul Burkner in an interview with Xinhua.

Structural reform is key to higher productivity and potential output plays an essential role in achieving strong, sustainable and balanced growth, as well as promoting innovative growth, according to the G20 Blueprint on Innovative Growth.

The Group of 20 should use multiple policy tools including fiscal, monetary and structural reform to ward off short term risk and explore medium- and long-term growth potential, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a press conference on Sept 5.

The Business 20 Summit (B20) which concluded on Sept 4 in Hangzhou also worked to discuss structural reforms to improve labor and capital deployment, as well as to create conducive environment to spur efficiency and innovation.