希拉里新经济外交政策内部解读

    并非如此。我们所说的是不同类型的挑战。正如国务卿希拉里所讲，上世纪90年代世贸组织取消了有害关税，如今我们需要有机构能针对关税以外的种种市场扭曲现象提供解决方案。它意味着要订立和执行新的协议及机制来确保公平竞争——这些协议的形式和权限范围需要我们去努力敲定。

    这些如何促进美国的就业增长？

    首先，这些努力与奥巴马总统“出口额五年翻番”的目标直接相关。其次，就我们通过外交渠道建立全球竞争新规则而言，这将对从汇率到非关税壁垒以及投资限制等方方面面产生影响，进而影响到美国公司的全球竞争力。而美国公司的竞争力直接等同于美国国内的就业机会。第三，我们正在寻找新的创造性机会来加强美国公司获得各类商机的能力。

    当前美国国内的政治环境对于对外援助不是太有利。这部分预算目前属于美国国会计划削减的范畴，国务卿希拉里此举是否意味着她认为有必要让公众了解这个问题？

    我们的确想告诉人们，此举事关美国人民当前面临的首要问题，即经济复苏、创造就业和增长。她当然希望将这两方面联系起来。她希望告诉人们，为何以外交和发展形式进行投资是有益的。但她也认识到当前预算紧张，需要我们更仔细地推敲我们运用的手段，确保我们花的每分钱都能获得最大的价值回报。我们并不是不打算花一百亿美元在埃及和突尼斯实施什么大型方案。我们运用的是从长远来看更有效的工具，也就是通过贸易和投资合作伙伴关系，帮助这些国家实现与邻国的经济融合，然后再同欧洲和美国的经济实现融合。

    根据新战略，美国国务院宣布计划聘用一位全职经济学家。你们已找到人选了吗？

    还没有。目前我们正在确定候选人名单。

    你们有了大致想法吗？你们是想找一个学院派的专家，还是华尔街式的经济学家？

    我们希望广泛接触具有不同背景的候选人，通过面对面的交流确定适合的类型。但我认为，选择华尔街式专家的可能性较小，具备国际经济学术背景的人可能性更大。不过，我这么说并不是想要预先设定什么。

    Not at all. This is about a different set of challenges. As the Secretary said, just as the WTO eliminated harmful tariffs in the 1990s, today we need institutions that can provide solutions to the variety of market distortions that go beyond tariffs. That means creating and enforcing new agreements and mechanisms to guarantee fair competition -- the shape and scope of these is something we have to work through.

    How will this lead to job growth here?

    First, these efforts are directly connected to the President's goal of doubling exports over five years. Second, to the extent we can use diplomacy to put in place on new rules of the road for global competition, that will have an impact on everything from currency to non-tariff barriers to restrictions on investment, all of which have an impact on our companies' ability to compete around the world. And that translates directly into American jobs. Third, we're looking for new, creative opportunities to enhance the capacity of American companies to find different types of business opportunities.

    The political environment's not very friendly to foreign aid right now. Is part of the idea here that she needs to make the case publicly, while this budget's on the chopping block in Congress?

    We do want to show people this matters to the top priority that Americans have right now, which is economic recovery, job creation and growth. She definitely wants to make that connection. She wants to show people why there's a benefit to investing in the tools of diplomacy and development. But she also recognizes that tough budgetary times increase the need for us to be more sophisticated in the tools we use, to ensure we are getting maximum bang for our buck. We're not spending $10 billion on some huge plan for Egypt and Tunisia. We're using tools that, over the long run, will be more effective: trade and investment partnerships to help integrate those economies with their neighbors and then with Europe and the United States.

    As part of this new approach, the State Department has announced plans to bring on a full-time economist. Have you hired anyone yet?

    Not yet. We're in the process of compiling a short list of candidates.

    Is there a profile that you have in mind? Are you looking for an academic or are you looking for more of a Wall Street type?

    We want to talk to people from a broad range of backgrounds, and in the course of those conversations shape the right profile. But I think it's less likely to be a Wall Street type, and more likely to be someone with more of an international economic academic background. But I don't want to put the cart before the horse in saying that.