经济全球化是当今世界经济发展的客观趋势，中国的现代化建设将在经济全球化的国际环境下进行。全球化的趋势在中国经济生活中到处可见。
中国于2001年末加入了世界贸易组织，因此要遵守世界贸易组织的市场准入、国民待遇等原则。企业竞争不仅表现为国内竞争，而且最重要的是国际竞争。
目前，中国有实力的大企业积极 开拓国际市场，实行跨国经营战略。在中国企业走向国际市场的时候，大批国际跨国公司纷纷在中国投资，设立经营机构，成为外资流入中国的主要形式。同时，中国政府为了鼓励外商投资也采取了各种优惠措施。
通晓外语、具有国际化运作经验、掌握国际运作规则的人成为企业争夺的焦点。
为适应加入WTO的需要，在计划经济体制下建立起来的各种经济制度纷纷被废止和更新，新的经济规则逐步建立和完善。
中国人的思想意识也逐步趋于开放和国际化。能够从世界的角度来看待和分析问题，并且更加 善于学习和接受新鲜事物。
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Following are some of the common terms you are likely to hear in any discussion about the global economy:
Balance of trade
Difference in trade (value of a country’s import and export of merchandise), expressed as a monetary figure, between any two countries or any two regions. If country A imports more than they export to country B, then country A has a deficit in their balance of trade with country B, whereas country B has a surplus in their balance of trade with country A.
WTO
World Trade Organization, established in 1995, is responsible formonitoring national trading policies, handling trade disputes, and enforcing the GATT (General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs) agreements, which are designed to reduce tariffs and other barriers to international trade and to eliminate discriminatory treatment in international commerce.
Competitive advantage
A nation’s competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade. Companies gain advantage against the world’s best competitors because of pressure and challenge. They benefit from having strong domestic rivals, aggressive home-based suppliers, and demanding local customers. Competitive advantage is created and sustained through a highly localized process. Differences in national values, culture, economic structures, institutions, and histories all contribute to competitive success.
Free trade
Trade or commerce carried on without such restrictions as import duties, export bounties, domestic production subsidies, trade quotas, or import licenses. The basic argument for free trade is based on the economic theory of comparative advantage: each region should concentrate on what it can produce most cheaply and efficiently and should exchange its products for those it is less able to produce economically.
Capital flow
Movement of large sums of money from one country to another to seek higher rates of return and for investment purposes.
GNP
Gross National Product, total value of goods and services produced in an economy over a particular period of time, usually 1 year. The GNP growth rate is the primary indicator of the status of the economy. Made up of consumer and government purchases, private, domestic and foreign investments, and the total value of exports.
GDP
Gross Domestic Product, same as GNP, with the exception that the total value of goods and services excludes foreign investments and the total value of exports.
Repatriation of profits
Return of the financial assets or generated income of an organization or individual from a foreign country to the home country.
Tariffs
Tax on imports or exports usually imposed to raise revenue or to protect domestic firms from import competition. May also be designed to correct an imbalance of payments. The money collected under tariffs is called duty or customs duty.
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以下是一些探讨全球经济的常用术语：
进出口贸易差额
两国或两地区之间以货币量来表示的贸易差额（一国贸易额也即该国的商品进出口总额）。如果A国对B国的进口总额大于出口总额，那么A国与B国的贸易出现了贸易逆差，而B国则出现贸易顺差。
世界贸易组织
世界贸易组织成立于1995年，负责管理各国贸易政策，解决贸易争端，以及执行关贸总协定的各项协议。关贸总协定是用以通过在国际贸易活动中降低关税和减少其他非关税壁垒，以期达到消除国际商务歧视待遇的。
竞争优势
一个国家的竞争力依赖于该国产业例新和升级的能力。各公司企业由于压力和挑战的存在而获得可以超越世界上最强大竞争者的优势。他们由于有强大的国内竞争对手，有雄厚实力的国内供应商和苛求的国内消费者而收益匪浅。竞争优势的获得和保持是通过一个高度本地化的过程来实现的。各国在民族价值、文化、经济结构、组织机构和历史方面的差异都有助于在竞争中获得成功。
自由贸易
自由贸易是指在没有进口关税、出口补贴、国内生产补贴、贸易配额或进口许可证等因素限制下进行的贸易或商业活动。自由贸易理论产生的基本依据是比较优势理论：各地区应致力于生产成本低效率高的商品，来交换其那些无法低成本生产的商品。
资本流动
大笔资金在国与国之间流动以寻求较高的回报率和较好的投资机会。
国民生产总值
国民生产总值指一国经济在一段时期内，通常是一年，包括货物和服务在内的所有产品的总值。它是衡量一个国家经济地位最主要的指标。这其中包括国民和政府采购，私人投资，国内和外国投资，以及出口贸易总额。
国内生产总值
国内生产总值除了不包括外国投资和出口贸易总额外，和国民生产总值完全一样。
利润回流
组织或个人从国外迁回国内的金融资产或收益。
关税
通常是为了增加财政收入或保护国内企业免受进口产品的竞争压力而征收的进出口税。有时也是为了调整国际收支差额上的 不平衡。这种税往往被称作关税或海关关税。
