The policy of opening up to the outside world will continue to drive China's economic growth, although the way it drives growth is different from the past few decades, "Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz said recently. Stiglitz came to Hong Kong on the 18th to attend the International Forum on "China's Economic Operation and Policy". This American economist expressed optimism about China's economic development in the context of a multipolar world. Stiglitz evaluated that China's reform policies implemented in the past few decades have achieved significant results, especially in improving residents' income, achieving large-scale poverty alleviation, and achieving innovative results, leaving a deep impression on all concerned. Stieglitz believes that the proposal for accelerating high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement in the 15th Five Year Plan is "completely correct". He pointed out that although China has entered the international forefront in some fields, it still needs to learn from other countries. The international intellectual community is essentially a global community, which is why it needs to remain open at all times. "Stiglitz analyzed that China's early opening-up to the outside world, on the one hand, achieved manufacturing product export advantages by introducing new ideas and technologies; On the other hand, significant investments in research, human capital, and education have bridged the knowledge gap with developed countries. Now, China is committed to cutting-edge research in various fields. Of course, there are still many fields to catch up with, but this means that more resources will be tilted towards the forefront of science. ”Stieglitz said. In 2024, China's GDP will grow by 5% year-on-year, and its contribution to world economic growth will remain at around 30%. Looking ahead, Stiglitz believes that China can play a more important driving role in global economic growth. China still has vast space to maintain rapid economic growth. ”He believes that in the next step, China needs to expand domestic total demand through more effective policies, especially focusing on the huge demand generated in the fields of healthcare, education, and elderly care during the urbanization process in the next 20 years. When it comes to the development of Hong Kong, Stiglitz believes that "One Country, Two Systems" provides Hong Kong with stronger adaptability and greater flexibility. With China's continued active foreign trade and steady growth in overseas investment by Chinese companies, China will continue to play an important role in the global landscape. The future world pattern will become increasingly complex, and Hong Kong's role as a 'bridge' will become more important, "said Stiglitz. He stated that as an international financial center, Hong Kong's legal system and language environment have unique advantages. He suggested that Hong Kong promote economic diversification, reduce dependence on the financial industry, and continue to maintain effective regulation of the financial sector. Stieglitz suggested that Hong Kong should focus on developing areas such as education, healthcare, tourism, and innovative research. He believes that "currently placing innovation and education at the core of economic development in Hong Kong is correct." He pointed out that in terms of healthcare, Hong Kong has world-class universities that can provide cutting-edge knowledge and resources for groups seeking international top medical services. In terms of education, Hong Kong has significant geographical advantages in the Asian region. This year, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region proposed in the policy address that the integrated development of education, technology, and talent will help Hong Kong establish abundant talent resources, knowledge reserves, and technological innovation capabilities, and enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness. The World Intellectual Property Organization released the "2025 Global Innovation Index" Top 100 Innovation Clusters in September this year, and the "Shenzhen Hong Kong Guangzhou" innovation cluster ranked first in the world for the first time. Faced with the impact of global economic uncertainty, Stiglitz believes that Hong Kong, as an international financial, trade, and shipping center, is inevitably subject to fluctuations, but has made great progress in adapting to new changes at this stage. The theme of the forum held on the 18th is "Economic Transformation in a Multi polar World Pattern". Stieglitz stated that the process of world multipolarity will bring significant changes to geopolitics and economy. In the process of economic transformation, all economies need to adapt to an international environment full of volatility and uncertainty. (New Society)