To build a new development pattern, we need to advance opening-up at a high level

To build a new development pattern, we need to advance opening-up at a high level

In the past few years, China experienced a period of sustained and rapid expansion of foreign trade, which played a huge role in economic development and people’s livelihood improvement, but there are also problems such as extensive expansion methods, vicious competition at low prices, excessive consumption of resources and environment, and excessive trade surplus. To build a new development pattern in the new era and new journey, we need to promote a high level of opening-up, steadily expand institutional opening-up of rules, regulations, management, standards, and so on, and effectively elevate the quality and level of our country’s participation in international circulation.

(Building a trade powerhouse with high standards)

We need to build ourselves into a strong trading country with high standards, foster new growth areas in international economic and trade cooperation, and engage in global industrial division of labor and cooperation at a higher level and on a wider scale.

We will expand the network of high-standard free trade areas for the world, actively promote accession to high-standard economic and trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership (DEPA), actively compare relevant rules, regulations, management, and standards, and deepen domestic reforms in relevant areas.

We will optimize and upgrade trade in goods, innovate development mechanisms for trade in services, and vigorously develop digital trade.

We will improve the brand, quality, and channels of export products, make greater efforts to expand international markets, stabilize the scale of foreign trade, and improve the trade mix.

(Creating a first-class business environment)

We will actively foster a market-oriented, law-based, and world-class business environment, and do more to attract and make good use of foreign investment.

We will further expand market access, appropriately reduce the negative list for foreign investment, and open up the modern service sector more.

We will ensure the national treatment of foreign-invested enterprises, promote fair competition, and protect the rights and interests of foreign investors and their operations in accordance with the law.

We will provide targeted services for foreign-funded enterprises, actively respond to their concerns, solve various practical problems, provide maximum convenience for foreign investors to engage in trade and investment negotiations in China, and take effective measures to stabilize and retain enterprises under pressure to relocate.

We will actively promote the implementation of landmark foreign-funded projects, and pay more attention to attracting small and medium-sized foreign enterprises to invest in China.

(Optimize regional open layout)

We need to improve regional opening-up, implement the strategy of upgrading pilot free trade zones, and leverage the role of international circulation in promoting balanced and sustainable economic development in China.

We will consolidate the leading position of the eastern coastal region in opening up, raise the level of opening up in the central and western regions and the northeast, accelerate the development of new land and sea routes in the western region, and build a number of regional development hubs that serve high-level international circulation.

We will give full play to the pioneering and pilot role of open platforms such as pilot free trade zones, the Hainan Free Trade Port, various development zones, and bonded zones, and actively explore and pilot rules, regulations, management, and standards for high-standard economic and trade agreements on the premise of ensuring safety, so as to continuously improve the quality and level of international trade and investment cooperation.