Making New Ground in Pursuing Opening Up on All Fronts
Since the third plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in late 1978, China’s opening up has proceeded from individual locations to a broader area, starting from Shenzhen and other special economic zones and spreading to places along the eastern coast, along the Yangtze River, in border regions, and further to the hinterlands in central and western China. The course of opening up is marked by such milestones as development of Pudong in Shanghai, entry to the WTO, pilot free trade areas, proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative, and building a global community of shared future.
In 2018, China saw its total import and export value exceeding 30 trillion yuan, and it utilized 885.6 billion yuan of foreign investment, both reaching a record high. The first China International Import Expo was held in Shanghai, attracting more than 3,600 enterprises worldwide and 400,000 domestic and overseas customers. Deals agreed were worth nearly $60 billion.
Opening up was key to China’s economic growth, and high-quality economic development in the future can be achieved only with greater openness. To open wider on all fronts, the country has to adapt to new conditions.
China will pursue the Belt and Road Initiative as a priority, give equal emphasis to “bringing in” and “going global,” follow the principle of achieving shared growth through consultation and collaboration, and increase openness and cooperation in building innovation capacity. With these efforts, new ground will be made in opening China further through links running eastward and westward, across land and sea. In addition, China need to change its opening-up pattern from one based on the flow of products and factors to one based on institutions and rules.
China is practicing the system of pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list across the board, reforming investment and trade management and industry and commerce system, building a business environment based on the rule of law, international rules and facilitation. With extensive openness spreading to rules and institutions, mindset and cultural sector, and ideas and concepts, the country is advancing its reform through opening for further development.
全面开放新格局
中共十一届三中全会以来，中国的对外开放，由点到面、由浅入深，从深圳等经济特区率先启动，扩展到东部沿海、沿江、沿边与中西部内陆地区；从浦东开发开放，到加入世界贸易组织；从设立自由贸易试验区、共建“一带一路”，到构建人类命运共同体。2018年，中国外贸进出口总值首次突破30万亿元，全年实际利用外资8856．1亿元，双双创下历史新高。同年，首届国际进口博览会亮相上海，来自五大洲的3600多家企业，超过40万的中外采购商踊跃参会，成交额近600亿美元。中国经济发展是在开放条件下取得的，未来中国经济实现高质量发展也必须在更加开放条件下进行。推动全方位对外开放，就是要适应新形势、把握新特点，以“一带一路”建设为重点，坚持引进来和走出去并重，遵循共商共建共享原则，加强创新能力开放合作，形成陆海内外联动、东西双向互济的开放格局，推动由商品和要素流动型开放向规则等制度型开放转变。中国正全面推行国民待遇原则加负面清单管理模式，推进投资贸易管理制度、工商制度变革；建设法治化、国际化、便利化的营商环境；深化规则、制度层面、思维方式、文化与观念层面上的对外开放，借助开放推进改革、促进发展。
