Experts share views on domestic, global issues

For many people around the world, 2019 was a bumpy ride. The eventful year brought more uncertainty, new problems to solve and significant questions to answer in 2020. China Daily invited experts from various fields to answer 20 questions that members of the public said they are most concerned about.

The trade war between the world's largest and second-largest economies is having a tremendous influence, not only on the two countries but on the whole world. With China and the United States having agreed on a phase one deal in the waning moments of 2019, can the two sides settle their differences and work together to stabilize the global economy? That is one of the most pressing questions people have.

For China, the easing of trade tensions and its deepening reform and opening-up measures are bringing hope that the country will be able to maintain a healthy growth rate, and it's wondering how it can build on its achievements along the path of eliminating poverty.

Domestically, 2019 was an unusually chaotic year for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Riots provoked by radicals since June greatly damaged Hong Kong's economy, local people's livelihoods and the rule of law, and many are wondering if that will continue in the year ahead. They also wonder how relations across the Taiwan Straits will fare.

Internationally, the worrying anti-globalization trend is expected to continue in 2020. There are concerns that the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union will continue to drag on and that the U.S. might destroy the World Trade Organization system.

In contrast, with the Belt and Road Initiative, which promotes a new wave of inclusive globalization, people are wondering how it fared last year and what progress it has made.

People are also curious and concerned about how new technology including 5G, blockchain and bio-identification will impact their lives, and whether efforts will be made to strengthen scientific ethics.

There are also concerns about the militarization of space, as the U.S. is creating a military space force. And people wonder what China has planned for space this year.

At home, households are paying great attention to issues closely related to their well-being－the prices of everyday consumables, such as pork, for example, and trends in housing prices and the prospect of a higher retirement age. In addition, there are questions about what will be done to stop bullying in school, improve undergraduate education and harmonize doctor-patient relationships.

Experts give us their views and forecasts on these issues, which will unfold over the year ahead.