The Thirteenth "National Colleges and Universities Foreign Trade Discipline Cooperative Group Meeting" and 2014 "International Forum of Foreign Trade Disciplinary Development" took place in Beijing, on Oct 18, with Long Guoqiang, director-general of the General Office of the Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC) taking part and giving a special report on "China's Comparative Advantage Conversion and Competitiveness Upgrade."

The report dwells on eight issues, such as the key industries, products and target markets for China's "going-out" strategy, the further opening-up of China's market and its rising status in the global value chain, FDI and industrial upgrade, outward foreign direct investment and industrial upgrade, coming up with systematic development strategies for the country to increase export competitiveness and status in the global value chain under the current international economic development pattern.