Shou Xiaoli:

We will have one last question.

ThePaper.cn: 

Aligning with international high-standard economic and trade rules and deepening reforms in relevant domestic fields are important tasks for attracting foreign investment. What work has MOFCOM done in this area? What are the considerations for the work in the next stage? Thank you.

Zhu Bing:

Thank you for your questions. In September last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to be more proactive in aligning with international high-standard economic and trade rules and steadily expand institutional opening up with regard to rules, regulations, management and standards, when presiding over the eighth group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee . Setting out from its responsibilities, MOFCOM is actively implementing the work from both internal and external aspects.

In the external area, we have taken the initiative to align with high international standards and promote the construction of free trade zones. In 2023, we signed free trade agreements (FTAs) with Ecuador, Nicaragua and Serbia, respectively, and signed a protocol to further upgrade the FTA with Singapore. In February this year, we signed an FTA early harvest arrangement with Honduras. At present, we have signed 22 FTAs with 29 countries and regions, covering more than one-third of total foreign trade. Moreover, the level of our negotiation and signing of FTAs is getting higher and higher. For example, in the new agreements signed with Nicaragua and Singapore, we made commitments to high-level trade in services and investment openness in the negative list. At the same time, we are actively promoting negotiations on FTAs such as Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area , and actively driving accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) , conducting multi-channel communication and consultation with members in accordance with the CPTPP accession procedures, and holding over 10 rounds of consultations with DEPA members at all levels to complete the preliminary discussions on all terms. Next, we will actively promote relevant FTA negotiations or upgrade negotiations, continue to expand the global network of high-standard free trade zones, further increase the proportion of zero-tariff products in trade in goods during the negotiations. We will expand the openness of trade in services and investment in the form of negative lists, expand the opening-up of telecommunications, medical and other service industries in an orderly manner, expand market access for digital products and other markets, and actively align with high-standard economic and trade rules such as the digital economy, green economy, standards certification and government procurement, and promote institutional opening-up.

In the internal area, we have taken the initiative to align with international high-standard economic and trade rules and conduct pilot reforms in relevant fields. Currently, in accordance with the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we have actively aligned with international high-standard economic and trade rules such as the CPTPP and DEPA to deepen reforms in relevant domestic fields, and have achieved positive results. At the same time, we have also taken the initiative to conduct preliminary trials in the alignment of international high-standard economic and trade rules. Last year, we submitted to the State Council and issued the Several Measures for Conducting the Pilot Program of Aligning with International High Standards and Promoting Institutional Opening Up in Eligible Pilot Free Trade Zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port, the Overall Plan for Comprehensively Aligning with International High-standard Economic and Trade Rules and Promoting High-level Institutional Opening-Up of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone , and the Work Plan to Support Beijing in Pursuing the Initiative for the National Comprehensive Demonstration Zone for Further Opening-Up of the Service Sector . We have put forward more than 180 pilot measures in total. Next, MOFCOM will follow the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and work with relevant departments to proactively align with high-standard economic and trade rules, further promote legislation, amendments and policy adjustments in relevant domestic fields, and deepen domestic reforms. At the same time, we will promote the implementation of various pilot measures to deliver results, organize reviews and evaluations in a timely manner, and do a good job in replicating and promoting the pilot measures. We will also give full play to the role of platforms such as pilot free trade zones, free trade port and national comprehensive demonstration zones for expanding opening-up in the service sector, promote preliminary trials at a deeper level and in a wider range of areas to accumulate more experience for the country's high-level institutional opening-up, serve to build a new development pattern, and promote high-quality development. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you to all the speakers and friends from the media. Today's briefing is hereby concluded. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Zhang Rui, Wang Qian, Guo Yiming, Liu Sitong, Xiang Bin, Liu Qiang, Liu Caiyi, Yan Xiaoqing, Lin Liyao, Ma Yujia, Wang Ziteng, Yuan Fang, Yan Bin, Zhang Junmian, Li Huiru, David Ball, Rochelle Beiersdorfer, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.