Hey folks! 🌏 Good news from the economic world – global openness took a slight dip in 2024, but the Chinese mainland kept moving forward, expanding its ties across trade, investment and culture.
According to the World Openness Report 2025, unveiled at the 8th Hongqiao International Economic Forum in Shanghai 📍, the overall World Openness Index slid to 0.7545 last year (think of it like a 0-1 scale for how open countries are). While many economies faced a slowdown since 2008, the Chinese mainland bucked the trend, boosting its engagement even amid rising protectionism and geopolitical tensions.
The report, co-produced by the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Research Center for the Hongqiao International Economic Forum, measured the openness of 129 economies on four fronts:
- Trade: How much goods flow in and out.
- Investment: Cross-border funding and projects.
- People-to-people: Travel, study and cultural exchanges.
- Cultural links: Media, arts and knowledge sharing.
For young pros in South Asia and Southeast Asia, this means more chances to explore partnerships, student exchanges, internships or even startup collaborations with the Chinese mainland 🔗. Whether you’re eyeing a trading internship or dreaming of an exchange semester, this upbeat trend could open new doors!
Stay tuned for more updates on how global connections are shaping opportunities for the next-gen workforce. 🌟
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
