On the afternoon of December 18, 2025 (local time), the Washington launch event for the "Global Value Chain Development Report 2025" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report 2025") was held at the School of International Service (SIS) at American University in Washington, D.C., USA. The event was jointly hosted by Professor Robert Koopman, Chief Editor of the Report 2025 and former Chief Economist of the World Trade Organization, and the American University School of International Service. It attracted over 70 professionals from government agencies, international organizations, renowned think tanks, and universities.

The attendees represented a broad spectrum, including U.S. government departments, multilateral institutions, research organizations, and academia. Officials and researchers from international bodies such as the U.S. Department of Commerce, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, and the World Bank, alongside experts from key Washington think tanks like the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), as well as scholars from universities including Georgetown University, American University, and Syracuse University, participated in discussions and exchanges.

Professor Yin Xiaopeng, Chairman of the Academic Committee of our institute, delivered a speech on behalf of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE). He noted that based on systematic data and cross-country comparative analysis, the "Report 2025" offers a strong response to the current international discourse on "de-globalization," emphasizing that global value chains are not retreating but are undergoing a phase of "reorganization" characterized by diversification, regionalization, and enhanced resilience. He stated that UIBE and its Academy of Global Value Chains will continue to provide evidence-based public knowledge products to inform international policy dialogue and multilateral cooperation.

Subsequently, Ms. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, and Professor Fukunari Kimura, President of the Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO), delivered video remarks. They pointed out that against the backdrop of profound changes in the global economic and geopolitical environment, global value chains are far from ending; instead, they are being reconfigured in more diversified and resilient ways. The "Report 2025," with its solid data foundation and systematic analysis, provides an important factual basis and policy insights for understanding this process.

During the report introduction and chapter presentations, Professor Robert Koopman, Chief Editor of the "Report 2025," followed with a more systematic overview of the report's overall framework, key findings, and policy implications.

Joseph Mariasingham, Chief Statistician at the Asian Development Bank, introduced recent trends in trade, investment, and production organization within global value chains, focusing on Chapter One. Anthony Moncada, an independent consultant based in Washington, D.C., analyzed the resilience-oriented reconfiguration trends of global value chains and the new opportunities for Latin America and Africa, drawing on Chapter Two. Meng Bo, Senior Research Fellow at IDE-JETRO, highlighted Chapters Three and Four, elaborating on the restructuring of the global electric vehicle value chain and the impact of environmental policies on the green transition and inclusive development of value chains, respectively. Presenting Chapter Six, Mike Cheng, a scholar from Georgetown University, systematically analyzed the influence of financial conditions and institutional environments on countries' paths and depth of integration into global value chains from the perspective of foreign direct investment and trade finance. Victor Stolzenburg, Senior Economist at the World Trade Organization, introduced the development context and institutional implications of targeted trade agreements as a new form of global governance, focusing on Chapter Eight. Assistant Researcher Huang Shaopeng from our institute, who serves as Deputy Chief Editor for this edition, provided a thematic introduction to Chapter Five, "Industrial Policy in a Strategically Contested Global Economy." This chapter systematically reviews the recent resurgence and institutionalization trends of global industrial policies, comparatively analyzes the main policy tools adopted by different economies in areas such as subsidies, tax incentives, public procurement, and strategic investment, and emphasizes the cross-border spillover effects of industrial policies and their profound impact on the structure of global value chains and the international competitive landscape.

The event also featured in-depth exchanges on topics such as "Re-globalization and Global Value Chain Restructuring," "Cross-border Spillover Effects of Industrial Policies," and "New Forms of Trade and Investment Governance." Among the panelists were two former WTO Deputy Directors-General: Anabel González (currently Vice President of the Inter-American Development Bank, former WTO Deputy Director-General and former Minister of Trade of Costa Rica) and Angela Ellard (currently Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, former WTO Deputy Director-General and long-term Chief Trade Counsel for the U.S. Congress). Other panelists included Dr. Jiemin Guo (former Senior Economist at the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and former senior official at the OECD), Adam Jakubik, Economist at the International Monetary Fund, Mary Lovely (renowned China expert and international trade scholar, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics), and Jake Colvin, President of the National Foreign Trade Council.

Participants unanimously agreed that the launch of the "Report 2025" comes at a critical juncture when the global economy faces high uncertainty and policy divergence. The report combines academic depth with policy relevance, providing an important basis for government departments in formulating industrial and trade policies, while also offering systematic insights for academia and the business community to understand the future evolution of global value chains.

Against the backdrop of profound adjustments in the global economic and geopolitical landscape and challenges to multilateral cooperation, this Washington launch event is not only an important international milestone following the Beijing and Geneva launches for the "Report 2025," but also serves as a significant platform for deepening international communication and academic exchange. Through in-depth interaction with international organizations, policymakers, academia, and think tanks from various countries, the "Report 2025," grounded in solid research and objective data, promotes constructive dialogue on issues such as global value chains, industrial policy, and global governance. By deepening international cooperation and academic exchange, the report continues to convey a moderate, rational, and professional Chinese perspective, making a positive contribution to enhancing understanding, strengthening communication, and seeking consensus amid differences in a complex environment.