ThePaper.cn:

What are the achievements and experiences that China's pilot FTZs have secured in terms of expanding opening-up in 2021? How will the MOFCOM arrange the work on pilot FTZs this year? Thank you.

Guo Tingting:

Thank you. I'll take your questions. In 2021, the MOFCOM has worked with relevant government bodies and resolutely implemented the decisions made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. We have been playing our part to help foster a new development paradigm. A series of new measures were introduced in pilot FTZs to expand opening-up, and new progress was made in various fields.

First, the MOFCOM released China's first negative list for cross-border trade in services at the Hainan Free Trade Port. The list outlined 70 special management measures in 11 categories and was a breakthrough of China's management model of trade in services. It is also another important measure taken by China to pursue high-level institutional opening up.

Second, the MOFCOM introduced a total of 19 reform and innovative measures concerning trade and investment facilitation and promotion in pilot FTZs. These measures cover five aspects, including the facilitation of trade, investment, international logistics, and financial services in supporting the real economy and exploring the role of the judiciary in guaranteeing trade and investment facilitation. 

Third, the MOFCOM updated the negative list for the market access of foreign investment in its 2021 edition. The number of special administrative measures applied in this edition was reduced to 27, and all measures applied to the manufacturing industry were removed. The openness of China's service industry continues to expand.

Fourth, the MOFCOM promoted the latest group of 18 "best practice cases" involved in trade and investment facilitation, financial services that support real economy, SOE reforms, environmental protection, and other fields. A total 278 achievements concerning systemic innovation were promoted on a national level, which facilitates the continuous improvement of China's business environment.

In 2021, the actual use of foreign capital of all 21 pilot FTZs in China reached 213 billion yuan, and their import and export volume hit 6.8 trillion yuan, up 19% and 29.5% year on year, respectively. With less than four-thousandths of China's land area, these 21 pilot FTZs have achieved 18.5% of the country's foreign investment and 17.3% of the foreign trade, making a great contribution to stabilizing foreign trade and investment.

Looking forward, the MOFCOM will follow the decision being made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, doubling the efforts to carry out planning for and promoting the high-quality development of pilot FTZs. The MOFCOM will work to dovetail the construction of pilot FTZs with fostering a new development paradigm and give full play to the exemplary and leading role of pilot FTZs in promoting reform and opening up. Specific measures are as follows:

First, we will further expand the high-level opening-up. We will pilot to align policies in the pilot FTZs where conditions permit and the free trade port with internationally high-standard economic and trade rules in a bid to promote high-level institutional opening up. We will also work to introduce a negative list for cross-border trade in services in pilot FTZs.

Second, we will further carry out deeper reforms. Focusing on key sectors, crucial links, and fundamental institutional arrangements, we will establish pilots of deeper reform, get rid of institutional barriers, and work to achieve more high-quality institutional innovation results. More economic administrative powers at the provincial level will be delegated to pilot FTZs.

Third, we will further take the lead in promoting high-quality development. We will encourage pilot FTZs to carry out integrated innovation throughout the entire industrial chain based on the actual local situation. We will also support them to attract global resources and factors of production of the industrial chain and develop featured and dominant industries in a bid to build more world-leading industrial clusters.

That concludes my response. Thank you.