Since its entry into the WTO in 2001, China’s foreign trade has maintained rapid growth of over 20% year on year, hitting $3.6 trillion in 2011. And the proportion of China in the world trade has increased from 4.3% to 10.4%, making it the world’s largest exporter and second largest importer.
Along with the significant expansion in foreign trade, China has been facing a large number of frictions with its trading partners, mainly in the area of anti-dumping. Statistics show that China was made defendant in 14% the world’s anti-dumping cases, the largest rate among all countries. The antidumping cases involved almost all categories of China’s export commodities, and most of the imposed anti-dumping tariff rates were high enough to block the Chinese enterprise from the markets they used to have a good share of.
The rapid growth of China’s foreign trade as well as the increasingly tense trade relations means higher requirements of the nation’s accountants in the field of international trade. For example, accounting is an important part in the prevention and defense of anti-dumping cases. Lack of favorable accounting information is the biggest obstacle for Chinese enterprises to win anti-dumping lawsuits. Besides, unfamiliarity with the introduction of accounting proof puts Chinese companies at a disadvantage.
Standards on occupations in international trade unveiled
In order to enhance the competence of people working in the field of international trade, the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, and China National Standardization Management Committee, issued the National Standard GB/T 28158-2011 on the occupational classification and qualification management in the field of international trade, which was made effective on July 1, 2012. The Standard divided international trade personnel into four categories - business operations, documents, accounting and translation. It also divides accountants in the field of international trade into four grades –starter accountant, assistant accountant, accountant and senior accountant.
With a view to implementing the Standard and training accountants in international trade, the 2012 Seminar on the Training of International Trade Accountant was held on September 20. The seminar was held by the Commerce Branch of China International Trade Promotion Committee (CCPIT), together with the Xiamen Netinnet Education Science and Technology Limited Company.
Present at the seminar were Ren Guiying, deputy director of the Center of Commercial International Exchanges and Cooperation in Commerce and Training of SASAC, Wang Xi, deputy director of the Education and Training Department of the Commerce Branch of CCPIT, Dong Xiaobo, Vice President of the Chinese Society of Business Accounting, Li Yiyang, former director of the Adult Continuation Education Office of the Ministry of Education of China, Jia Chunxia, vice president of the Business Accounting magazine, Zhang Sida, Chairman of Xiamen Netinnet Comapny, Wang Tingting, director of the Accounting and Finance Department of Xiamen Huaxia Vocational College, Chen Niandong, deputy director of the School of Management of Minjiang University, and Kang Rong, editor of Tsinghua University Press.
International trade accountant tests initiated
With a view to meeting the demand of the economic development for international trade accountants, the Commerce Branch of CCPIT, in cooperation with Xiamen Netinnet Company, established the International Trade Accountant Test Center, and the International Trade Accountant Training and Test Administration Office.
“In Hong Kong, it is often said‘accounting is the language of business’, meaning that corporate decision makers, the management, investors or bankers must have the basic knowledge of accounting,” Wang Xi said, “we can also say that the international trade accounting is the language of international business. People engaged in international business should have the basic knowledge and skills of international trade accounting.”
“The training and examination program is authoritative, practical and international,” Wang Xi told the reporter.
The Test includes three categories - the Assistant International Trade Accountants, International Trade Accountants and Senior International Trade Accountants, with target applicants being college students of accounting, international trade and international business, professionals engaged in international trade accounting and financial management, people preparing to work in international trade accounting and financial management, and those working in places related to international trade, such as export-oriented manufacturing enterprises, import and export trading companies, trade promotion agencies and banks involved in the international settlement.
Training and examinations of assistant international trade accountant includes two subjects - the practice of international trade and the practice of international trade accounting, which involve not only the traditional settlement of international trade, export tax rebates, but also content on SMEs’overseas expansion capital, the shift from turnover tax to value-added tax, etc. Training and examinations of in- ternational trade accountants and senior international trade accountants will be carried out in compliance with the national standards. It will also cover the latest international trade accounting practices, such as “anti-dumping” accounting.
According to Wang Xi, the examination center will also give full play to CCPIT’s advantage in foreign exchanges and cooperation, by conducting bilateral mutual recognition of the certification in international trade accounting with the United Kingdom, Taiwan and other foreign financial accounting institutions, to enhance the international influence of the certifications of the Test.
As the executive director of the Test Center and the Training and Examination Office, Cai Lihuang, Director of Education of Xiamen Netinnet, shared her thoughts on the training and testing of international trade accountants, particularly on how to use stateof-the-art technology to enhance the competence and abilities of accountants.
Training of hands-on accountants
When asked about the reason for choosing to partner with Xiamen Netinnet, Wang Xi said Netinnet is the leading enterprise in China engaged in accounting education software development, with the largest market share in the country. It has over 800 undergraduate, vocational and vocational institution users. More than 3 million students have used its software on an accumulative basis.
The distinctive features of Netinnet software is high-quality simulation and practicality. It simulate in three dimensions the real working environment, business processes and accounting documents. “This ensures that our test is not just an examination, but stresses practice and application,” Wang Xi told the reporter.
In addition, Netinnet has developed advanced cloud learning platform. Students do not need to load the software, and can learn accounting online through a browser. No operating costs will be incurred. Netinnet has been appointed platform provider for the accounting skills segment of the National Vocational Skills Competition and other influential competitions.
“The company’s major clients are colleges for the moment. Next, we will expand in the market of training schools and institutions,” Zhang Sida, Chairman of Netinnet told the reporter. Zhang is very optimistic about the future of the company. His confidence is derived from the strength of the company and the corporate culture, but also from the huge market. “On the one hand, the demand for accounting talents is huge; on the other, the school education is not kept up with the real needs of the enterprises, giving birth to a huge market of training. The training business is not affected by the economic crisis. People are more likely to increase input in training in the economic downturn,” said Zhang.
Participants in the seminar discussed ways to enhance the training of international trade accountants. While agreeing that with China’s economic and social development, the industries have more urgent demand of international trade professionals, they gave their opinions and advices in the regard.
“At present, vocational school training is still departed from the real needs of the companies. A lot of the graduates in accounting have never even seen a check. Vocational education should be integrated with the industries and businesses, and provide practical training,” said Li Yiyang. He praised Netinnet’s software as very practical and offering schools an excellent tool of education. Li stressed that the CCPIT’s training and examination program must cover the most advanced accounting knowledge and practice.
Wang Tingting, expressed her hope that the exam training office should integrate online software and offline materials, enhance the practicality and operability of the textbooks, so as to ensure that students obtain hands-on knowledge and skills after getting the certification.
Jia Chunxia and Chen Niandong both suggested that real corporate cases should be included in the training, in order to enhance the students’ ability in executive judgment and decisionmaking.