Phoenix TV:

My question is for the General Administration of Customs (GAC). We know that currently, there are five special customs regulation zones in Pudong. After the release of the guideline, what measures will the GAC take to support the development of the special customs regulation zones in Pudong? Thank you. 

Sun Yuning:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 1990s, China has successively approved the establishment of five special customs regulation zones in the Pudong New Area, including Waigaoqiao bonded area, Waigaoqiao Port comprehensive bonded area and Yangshan special comprehensive bonded area. These special regions have played an important role in attracting foreign investment and advanced technologies, promoting innovative development and fostering new forms of foreign trade, and carrying out institutional innovation and stress tests. I have a set of data here. In 2020, the total imports and exports in the five special customs regulation zones reached 1.1 trillion yuan, accounting for 53% of the total in Pudong and 32% of the total in Shanghai, respectively, over the same period. From this data, we can see that these special regulation areas are of great significance for the high-level reform and opening-up of the Pudong New Area. The promulgation and implementation of the guideline have brought new historical opportunities and also put forward higher requirements for the development of the special customs regulation zones in the Pudong New Area. Next, the GAC will introduce specific measures to implement the guideline and increase support in the following three aspects:  

First, we will accelerate the institutional opening of the special customs regulation zones, support institutional innovation in Yangshan special comprehensive bonded area, and improve supporting measures and information systems. We will promote a series of innovative measures, including the direct release of goods at customs, with only enterprises outside the bonded area being required to make declarations, and completely canceling customs account books to unleash the dividends of reform. We will advance the policies of Yangshan special comprehensive bonded area in the other qualified special customs regulation zones in Pudong, facilitate the development of strategic emerging industries, and let qualified enterprises enjoy convenient customs clearance measures adopted in Yangshan special comprehensive bonded area.  

Second, we will support the development of advanced manufacturing sector in the special customs regulation zones. We will enhance policy assistance in fields like integrated circuits, biological medicine and civil aviation, take key technologies as a breakthrough point, support the innovative development of advanced manufacturing sector in Pudong, and build world-class industrial clusters.  

Third, we will realize the joint development of the special customs regulation zones. We will assist local governments in making full use of the policies in the special customs regulation zones, better carry out industrial planning and investment attracting and selecting, and encourage each zone to complement each other's advantages and seek differential and complementary development. We will support these special areas to perform the bonded display and trading function, and give play to the driving and spillover effects of the China International Import Expo (CIIE). We will assist Shanghai Futures Exchange in exploring the establishment of a national commodity warehouse receipt registration center, and in carrying out the bonded futures delivery of crude oil and fuel oil, and facilitate the cross-border flow and efficient allocation of all kinds of factors. I believe that the special customs regulation zones will play a bigger role in and make greater contributions to the high-level reform and opening-up of the Pudong New Area. Thank you.