China first stop for billionaire Michael Bloomberg's New Economy Forum
前紐約市長邁克爾•布隆伯格(Michael Bloomberg)準備發起一個新的經濟論壇，與世界經濟論壇(World Economic Forum)達沃斯年會分庭抗禮。這個新的論壇旨在討論中國崛起對美國主導地位構成挑戰後的新全球秩序。
這位金融數據業億萬富翁邀請了兩位長期關注中國的人士——前美國國務卿亨利•基辛格(Henry Kissinger)和前美國財政部長漢克•保爾森(Hank Paulson)——設計這個“新經濟論壇”(New Economy Forum)。他們與中國國際經濟交流中心(China Center for International Economic Exchange)合作，後者自稱是“中國特色的智庫”，由中國國家發改委主管，並由前中國副總理曾培炎擔任理事長。這個新論壇將於今年11月在北京舉行為期兩天的首次會議。
自克勞斯•施瓦布(Klaus Schwab)的世界經濟論壇於1974年在瑞士達沃斯舉行首次會議以來，這個滑雪勝地已成為全球政商兩界精英的代名詞。但布隆伯格告訴英國《金融時報》，他的論壇將更側重於讓來自發達經濟體和新興經濟體的私營和公共部門領導人共同努力，找出應對從經濟包容性到環境可持續性等各種挑戰的“可行解決方案”。
他說：“達沃斯已經存在了很長時間：這是一個非常大的會議，它關注世界上的許多問題。新論壇聚焦於世界和作為一個崛起中大國的中國，以及我們大家如何共同努力。”
基辛格曾幫助策劃了理查德•尼克鬆(Richard Nixon) 1972年訪華，還為後來的多位美國總統提供如何與北京打交道的建議。他說他看到美中兩國在經過了一段漸行漸近的時期之後，如今正擺出日益敵對的姿態。
他說，“在（特朗普）政府目前主要關注的問題上，我們現在跟中國人不在一個頻道上”，但他認為美國除了更好地理解中國以外“別無選擇”。
他表示：“中美之間相互理解可以提供一個和平與繁榮的框架——否則我們會讓整個世界陷入分裂，這將導致一戰前那樣的局麵。”
布隆伯格表示，許多商界人士對美國決策的短視感到擔憂，這與習近平“一帶一路”倡議(BRI)等中國項目所蘊含的長遠思考形成鮮明對比。
他說：“他們在世界上行事時考慮的是未來數十年，遺憾的是，現在美國考慮的隻是下一個臨時預算決議。”
新論壇的幾位創始人已邀請到不少人參會，其中包括前美聯儲(Fed)主席珍妮•特耶倫(Janet Yellen)、唐納德•特朗普(Donald Trump)的前首席經濟顧問加裏•科恩(Gary Cohn)，以及埃塞俄比亞和哥倫比亞等形形色色國家的幾十家企業的首席執行官。但布隆伯格表示，會將嘉賓人數控製在400人。與之形成對照的是，世界經濟論壇每年在瑞士山間的會議有大約3000人參加。
他說：“這不是一場你去跟每個人吃晚飯、去跟電影明星對酌的聚會。這是一場嚴肅的聚會，我們希望讓到場的每個人都做出貢獻。”
保爾森表示，論壇的組織者希望盡量不讓論壇成為又一場清談。他說：“你需要促成真正的對話，而不是讓人們照著談話要點念或者發表演講。你還需要搞清楚如何支持那些解決方案。”他讚揚了布隆伯格對數據、結果以及務實態度的重視。
3M首席執行官英格•圖林(Inge Thulin)表示，吸引我的是，這個論壇承諾采取切實行動，並關注新興市場。“全球經濟出現了深刻變化，需要有平台來討論這一點，”他表示，“我不會說達沃斯的壞話，但未來20年、30年或50年，經濟增長將來自哪裏？顯然是發展中市場。”
曾在2016年考慮參加美國總統選舉的布隆伯格，一直通過一係列渠道（從他的彭博慈善基金會(Bloomberg Philanthropies charity)到彭博全球商業論壇(Bloomberg Global Business Forum)），宣揚他對從氣候變化到槍支管製等一係列問題的立場。去年，彭博全球商業論壇取代了克林頓全球倡議(Clinton Global Initiative)在聯合國大會(UN General Assembly)期間於紐約舉行的年度活動。
“新經濟論壇”將由布隆伯格的金融數據公司內部的新聞、雜誌和會展業務——彭博傳媒(Bloomberg Media)——運營。
“目前主要的全球論壇都是從西方的視角出發設計的，”彭博傳媒首席執行官賈斯廷•史密斯(Justin Smith)表示，“如果你考慮全球經濟的未來並希望把重要的公共和私營部門領導人聚集在一起，這就是另一個群體了。”
譯者/何黎
China first stop for billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s New Economy Forum – and he’s got some big players on board
Media mogul Michael Bloomberg is launching a new global conference, betting that his inclusion of some of the world’s most influential policymakers and CEOs will prove to be a better forum to address issues of global concern than Davos, G20 or other high-profile talk shops.
Hosted by Bloomberg in partnership with the government-backed China Centre for International Economic Exchanges and co-chaired by the former US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, the New Economy Forum boasts an advisory board that includes the philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the former Chinese central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan and Bain & Company chairwoman Orit Gadiesh.
The forum’s inaugural session will be held November 6-8 in Beijing, a venue choice Bloomberg Media Group CEO Justin Smith called “critical”.
“As much as you try to establish a global, truly diverse audience for any event, where you hold it is hugely symbolic,” Smith said in an interview.
“In 2018, if you want to have a serious conversation or learn more about the future of the global economy, Beijing would be at the top of that list.”
Bloomberg, Paulson, elder statesman Henry Kissinger (who is an honorary chairman of the forum) and other high-profile participants have been critical of US President Donald Trump’s hard-line policies toward China, underscoring how much of a counterpoint the event will be to Trump’s approach to Beijing.
These dignitaries, including former top White House economic adviser Gary Cohn – who resigned after differences with Trump over his plan to slap punitive trade tariffs on imports from China – have been very vocal about the need for closer coordination with Beijing to avert an all-out trade war or direct military conflict.
“Contrary to what the president of the United States said, no one wins a trade war. The whole world would lose; consumers would lose, so we need to get out of this situation,” Paulson said at a China Institute event in New York last month.
“The first thing we need to do is ratchet down the rhetoric and look for solutions and I think China has been pretty moderate with their rhetoric.”
Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, another member of the forum’s advisory board, called Trump “the greatest source of instability across the Asia-Pacific region because no one knows which way he’s going to jump”.
Rudd, now president of the New York-based Asia Society Policy Institute, made his comments while moderating an ASPI conference in December.
And Bloomberg himself said he is working with people in Washington to fight Trump’s policies.
US media mogul Michael Bloomberg vows to stop Donald Trump’s trade war with China
“Leaders in Washington are considering new trade policies that would unfortunately harm our economy, would kill jobs, would slow innovation, and strain ties with nations around the world, including China, and we cannot let that happen,” the former New York City mayor said during a conference at his namesake company’s headquarters last month.
“Other countries around the world, again, including China, are responding with their tariffs and we don’t need a trade war. We’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Bloomberg’s ranking of climate change as the world’s top challenge also draws a sharp contrast between the forum’s spirit and the policies of Trump, who pulled the US out of the Paris climate accord last year.
“The Bloomberg New Economy Forum will promote collaboration among participants to address the greatest challenges facing the planet, among them climate change, inequality and social disruption created by new technologies,” the company said in a press release.
Climate action by the US and China was key to the agreement’s goal to keep the average global temperature increase to within 2 degrees compared with the pre-industrial era level because the two countries are the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters.
Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg gives US$50 million to coax countries into abandoning coal
“The laws of nature apply equally in China and the United States and the rest of the world,” Rhodium Group founder Daniel Rosen said recently at an event in Washington.
“Environmental pressures are going to be pressing profoundly on both of us. Our security, our politics, our economics are all going to be deeply in a state of disruption as a result of environmental pressures,” Rosen said on a panel discussing the future of US-China relations, hosted by the Centre for Security and International Studies.
Paulson and others said they saw Bloomberg’s ability to turn data into actionable solutions, as he did with his global financial news and data company, as a source of confidence in the inaugural session of the forum.
“I think that the stellar participants in this really need to voice that the challenges are huge, and existing conferences aren't doing the trick. They are coming in short,” Paulson told South China Morning Post.
“I think what we need is a pragmatic, data-driven, result-oriented, solution-oriented approach, and anybody that knows Mike Bloomberg knows that this is the approach he's taken everywhere.”
By limiting the participants to sitting and former high-level government officials and the leaders of some of the world’s largest technology companies, the organisers said, the forum would be able to facilitate public-private partnerships tasked with addressing social problems caused by climate change and technological disruption.
Participation would be limited to about 400 people as opposed to more than 3,000 for Davos, according to Bloomberg’s Smith.
“There’s all sorts of cross-border issues where business can play a role, so what I think is that these discussions involving leaders and business can come up with ideas and approaches that will help deal with some of these modern issues and maybe even come up with informing how some of the global governance institutions might be adapted or changed,” Paulson said.
Beijing should use ‘first rate’ economic team to launch reforms, former US treasury secretary Henry Paulson says
Participation by others including India’s former central bank governor Raghuram Rajan, who is billed as an event host, is part of Bloomberg’s efforts to bring “new economic powers … India, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America” into initiatives around challenges the forum is trying to solve.
Yasir Al Rumayyan, chief executive of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and Dangote Group CEO Aliko Dangote, whom Forbes magazine has identified as Africa’s richest person, are both listed as founding partners of the Bloomberg forum.
Bloomberg, who was elected New York mayor in 2001 and served three terms, was viewed as a possible independent candidate in the 2016 US presidential contest.
He ultimately decided against a White House run, saying he feared a three-way race would help elect Trump, whose views he opposed.
Bloomberg later threw his support behind the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
