.
Read in Chinese
Speakers:
Mr. Wang Wentao, minister of commerce
Mr. Wang Shouwen, China international trade representative and vice minister of commerce
Mr. Chen Chunjiang, assistant minister of commerce
Chairperson:
Ms. Xing Huina, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO
Date:
March 2, 2023
Xing Huina:
Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to the press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). Today, we are holding the eighth press conference in the series "Embarking on the New Journey — A Government Perspective." We have invited Mr. Wang Wentao, minister of commerce; Mr. Wang Shouwen, China international trade representative and vice minister of commerce; and Mr. Chen Chunjiang, assistant minister of commerce, to brief you on building up confidence, making great efforts and taking new steps for the high-quality development of commerce, and to take your questions.
Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Wang Wentao for a brief introduction.
Wang Wentao:
Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, it's my great pleasure to meet with you here again. First of all, on behalf of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your long-term interest in as well as support and help for China's commerce development.
In the past year, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, MOFCOM resolutely implemented the requirements for keeping the epidemic at bay, stabilizing the economy and ensuring safe development, coordinated epidemic prevention and control with commercial development, and pursued steady progress in commercial operations, which exceeded expectations. The consumer market remained basically stable; foreign trade and investment reached another record high, and has become a highlight of the national economy; outbound investment grew steadily, and new steps were taken in the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); and breakthroughs were made in bilateral economic and trade cooperation, with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement entering into force and the work team for China's accession to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) being formally established.
The 20th CPC National Congress drew up a grand blueprint for comprehensively building a modern socialist country, emphasizing that we will make sure that our implementation of the strategy to expand domestic demand is integrated with our efforts to deepen supply-side structural reform, and boost the dynamism and reliability of the domestic economy while engaging at a higher level in the global economy. Commerce development is an important component of the domestic economy, serves as an important intersection linking the domestic and global economy, and plays an important role in fostering a new development pattern. These are the "three important roles" that we proposed for commerce development. We will shoulder an important mission on advancing the path to Chinese modernization. We will bear in mind the country's most fundamental interests, never forget the mission, stick to the "three important roles," promote the high-quality development of commerce, better serve the fostering of a new development pattern, and make greater contributions on the new journey in the new era.
2023 is the first year in fully implementing the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress. MOFCOM will follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, resolutely implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and the decisions of the Central Economic Work Conference, fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy, better balance both domestic and international situations, coordinate epidemic prevention and control with commercial development, and development with security, recover and expand consumption, keep foreign trade stable and improve its structure, make greater efforts to attract and utilize foreign investment, promote high-level opening up, and pursue effective improvement of quality and reasonable growth of quantity to help set the stage for building a modern socialist country in all respects.
Next, my colleagues, Mr. Wang Shouwen and Mr. Chen Chunjiang, and I will take your questions. Thank you.
Xing Huina:
The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before asking your questions.
_ueditor_page_break_tag_
China News Service:
At the Central Economic Work Conference, it was said that the country would prioritize the recovery and expansion of consumption. At present, domestic consumption is showing a steady recovery and good development momentum, but at the same time, it is also affected and restricted by factors such as citizens' consumption willingness and consumption environment. What measures will MOFCOM take to recover and expand consumption this year? Thank you.
Wang Wentao:
Let me take this question. Thank you for the question. Recently, the consumer market has been the focus of much attention. Since the beginning of this year, from New Year's Day to now, the entire consumer market has been gradually and steadily recovering with an obvious momentum. Monitoring by big data business platforms showed that during this year's Spring Festival holiday, the passenger flow in key business districts in 36 large and medium-sized cities across the country increased by 27.8% compared with the same period in the previous lunar year. Some business districts were filled with people. The sales of key retail and catering enterprises increased by 6.8% compared with the same period of the previous year. Some shopping malls, supermarkets, theaters and tourist attractions in various places were bustling. Lines could be seen outside many restaurants, and the table turnover rate was high in some restaurants enjoying popularity online. Bookings for hotels and flights began to heat up again, and culture, entertainment, sports and fitness consumption rapidly increased. It's fair to say that consumption got off to a good start at the beginning of this year, showing an obvious trend of recovery.
It was stated at the 20th CPC National Congress that we would work to expand domestic demand and better leverage the fundamental role of consumption in stimulating economic growth. The Central Economic Work Conference emphasized that priority should be given to restoring and expanding consumption. I think these statements attach importance to the function and status of consumption, respectively. "The fundamental role" focuses on the function of consumption, while "being given priority" puts an emphasis on the status of consumption. In your question, you mentioned two keywords: restoring and expanding, so I would like to answer your question and introduce our specific thought and measures through these two words. Restoring mainly refers to our present work. Part of consumption was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially contact-based offline consumption. Therefore, our main task at present is to restore it, working to increase consumers' confidence and restore market vitality. Expanding refers to the future. On the basis of recovery, we will improve consumption conditions and innovate consumption scenarios, making efforts to promote consumption upgrading and the release of potentials. Based on stabilizing consumption in key areas and innovating and developing new-type consumption, we will focus on three aspects to restore and expand consumption.
First, we will carry out a series of "Year of Consumption Promotion" activities to boost consumers' confidence and consumption vitality. MOFCOM has designated 2023 as the "Year of Consumption Promotion" and will coordinate with relevant government departments and all localities, industries, associations, enterprises, and organizations to carry out a series of events to encourage purchases. We will create a strong consumption atmosphere with the theme of "Joys for All Year, Benefits for Everyone." Specifically, we have a plan of "6+12+52+N." "6" refers to six major themed activities. The months of January and February are the Spring Festival consumption season, and March is designated as the national consumption promotion month, for which we held a launch ceremony with the city of Beijing the evening before last. Following these events, we will also have consumption seasons focused on low-carbon, summer, autumn, and international exchanges, respectively, among others. "12" refers to 12 key expos, including the China International Import Expo (CIIE), which will help promote supply-demand matching and lead consumption trends. "52" indicates the 52 weeks in a year, during which various activities will be held regularly across the country, such as "A Happy Spring Festival with Ice and Snow, " "New Appliances, Green Lifestyle," and "Celebrating Asian Games, Enjoying Asian Specialties." "N" refers to supporting localities in holding distinctive consumption boost activities that align with their unique characteristics and consumption scenarios, such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Consumption Season, Shanghai 5·5 Shopping Festival, and Zhejiang's "Consumption in Zhejiang." With such activities being held one after another, we will ensure that there are constantly brilliant consumption promotion activities, achieving the goal of "holding activities of different themes for each quarter, new expos for each month, and new scenarios for each week." These activities are expected to bring about waves of consumption.
Second, we will stabilize and improve consumption in key areas, consolidating consumption fundamentals. Automobiles, home appliances, home furnishing, and catering are four major fields of consumption, contributing to one-fourth of the overall consumption. Therefore, they are key areas for restoring and expanding consumption. Last year, a series of policies were introduced to promote the sales of new energy vehicles and their positive impact was evident. The sales of new energy vehicles nearly doubled to exceed 6.8 million. The sales of new energy vehicles accounted for a bigger part of the sales of all types of automobiles. For every four cars sold, one is a new energy vehicle. This year, we will not only fully implement existing policies but also proactively introduce new policy measures. For instance, we will guide local departments to introduce new energy vehicles to rural areas, improve the operational charging environment and other services, and support purchases of new energy vehicles. Certainly, promoting new energy vehicles in rural areas presents more complicated issues than in cities, such as how to improve the supporting facilities including charging stations. We will coordinate with relevant departments to make proper plans and work harder to make steady progress. We will also expand the circulation of second-hand cars, promote purchases of green and smart home appliances in rural areas, and encourage the exchange of old appliances for new ones to stimulate household consumption of appliances and furnishings. Meanwhile, we will support the healthy development of new consumption forms and models to boost consumption vitality.
Third, we will advance the fostering and development of international consumption center cities, and innovate carrier scenarios. It is an important decision and arrangement made by the Party Central Committee to foster and develop international consumption center cities. In recent two years, we have collaborated with five cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Chongqing, to strengthen top-level design and overall planning. Backed by steady progress, we have achieved preliminary results. Shanghai has become a benchmark of the "first-store economy," Beijing has completed the upgrading and renovation of 22 traditional business districts, Tianjin's Golden Street and the Florentia Village outlet mall have been upgraded, Guangzhou has gathered new momentum through expos, and Chongqing has focused on cultivating the night economy and shaping the city brand of "sleepless Chongqing." Going forward, we will continue to focus on the three keywords: international, consumption, and center. We will strengthen the functional orientation and distinctive features of each city, and promote the implementation of plans for fostering and developing center cities through project-based management and checklists. We will also improve consumption carriers and the environment, navigate new consumption fashions and trends, and play a demonstrative and leading role in the expansion and restoration of consumption. Thank you.
_ueditor_page_break_tag_
CCTV:
China has spent a decade on building and improving its pilot free trade zones (FTZs). The 20th CPC National Congress proposed implementing a strategy to upgrade pilot FTZs. What will MOFCOM do next to constantly promote the country's FTZ construction, and how can we best play FTZs' role of testing ground for China's reform and opening up? Thank you.
Wang Wentao:
Thanks for your questions. The construction of pilot FTZs is a crucial strategic measure taken by the CPC Central Committee to deepen reform and opening up in the new era. It has been ten years since China established its first FTZ in Shanghai in September 2013. So far, we have established 21 pilot FTZs across the country, including the Hainan Free Trade Port, and basically shaped an innovative pattern of reform and opening up covering the east, west, north, south, and central regions. Over the past decade, we introduced a series of pioneer practices, continuously broke new ground, and had many institutional innovations on reform and opening up replicated in other places across the country, giving full play to the role of FTZs as testing grounds for China's reform and opening up. These are mainly demonstrated in the following aspects.
First, FTZs became a leading force for China's high-quality opening up. Many "firsts" occurred in FTZs. The first negative list for foreign investment access was rolled out at an FTZ, marking China's first step in adopting a foreign investment administration model of pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list. After seven reductions, the number of items on the FTZ negative list for foreign investment have been reduced to 27 from 190, and the number of items regarding the manufacturing sector on the list has dropped to zero. The expansion of opening up in the service sector illustrates that the country's opening up is widening. In the Hainan Free Trade Port, we put in place the first negative list for cross-border service trade, achieving fundamental change in the management model of service trade.
Second, the FTZs became vanguards for China to deepen its reforms. In FTZs, we first implemented the reform separating operation permits from business licenses, first carried out reform on foreign investment access system, established the first Single Window system for international trade, and opened the first batch of free trade accounts. Many "firsts" have been practiced and explored in FTZs and then applied nationwide. At present, 278 institutional innovations have been applied across the country, involving investment facilitation, trade facilitation, financial openness and innovation, operational and post-operational supervision, and reform of state-owned enterprises, which continuously released reform dividends.
Third, the FTZs became a lead for China's high-quality development. Relying on the advantages of China's super-large market and its own resources, FTZs have attracted global high-quality resource elements and seen more and more high-end industrial clusters taking shape. In 2022, the actual use of foreign capital in new and high-tech industries of the 21 pilot FTZs increased 53.2% year on year, far exceeding the national average. Their ability to attract investment and shape industrial clusters showed clearly. The FTZs have been building on their ability to support major national strategies, leveraging their strategic positions and advantageous situations.
The 20th CPC National Congress proposed accelerating the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and implementing a strategy to upgrade pilot FTZs. To implement the strategy, we should focus on the word "upgrade." To upgrade pilot FTZs, we will try and align with high international standards to promote opening up through institutional guarantees and give full play to the role of FTZs as comprehensive testing platforms for China's reform and opening up so as to explore new paths to comprehensively deepen reform and expand opening up. Our efforts will mainly be made in three aspects:
First, we will align with international economic and trade rules that hold high standards. We will focus on key fields like trade and investment, government procurement, intellectual property rights, and the environment and formulate and issue pilot reform measures. We will carry out trials in the free trade port and in some qualified FTZs, and be the first to establish institutional systems and regulatory models that are in line with high-standard international economic and trade rules in order to make breakthroughs in deepening reforms in relevant areas at home.
Second, we will improve the market access management. We will enhance stress tests, an important function of the FTZs, in investment and service trade. Next, we will further shorten the negative list for foreign investment and expand opening-up in the modern service industry. In the service trade sector, we will introduce negative lists for cross-border trade in services, one for FTZs and one for other places across the country, and implement a new model for managing cross-border trade in services on a larger scale.
Third, we will promote integrated reforms and collaborative innovations. We will enhance trans-department, trans-sector, and trans-industry coordination and intensify systematization, integration, and collaboration of pioneer projects so as to adapt to the current situation of new industries, new models, and new forms of business. We will further improve liberalization and the facilitation of trade and investment, strengthen institutional and integrated innovation, and focus on a new generation of information technology and biomedicine. We will also explore institutional innovation to accelerate the building of a modern industrial system and maintain security and stability for the country's industrial and supply chains. Thank you.
_ueditor_page_break_tag_
Hong Kong Bauhinia Magazine:
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI. I would like to ask, what achievements have been made in economic and trade cooperation under the framework of the initiative? What new measures will MOFCOM take to promote the high-quality development of the BRI? Thank you.
Wang Wentao:
Mr. Chen will answer this question.
Chen Chunjiang:
Since General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the BRI in 2013, MOFCOM has worked with relevant parties to steadily promote economic and trade cooperation along the Belt and Road and made noticeable progress. Trade and investment between China and participating countries have steadily expanded, infrastructure connectivity has been strengthened, and cooperation in industrial chains and supply chains has been constantly enhanced. In terms of trade, from 2013 to 2022, China's trade in goods with countries along the Belt and Road doubled from $1.04 trillion to $2.07 trillion, with an average annual growth rate of 8%. In terms of investment, from 2013 to 2022, China's two-way investment with countries along the Belt and Road exceeded $270 billion. As of the end of 2022, Chinese enterprises had invested a total of $57.13 billion in overseas economic and trade cooperation zones in countries along the Belt and Road, creating 421,000 jobs for local people. In terms of project construction, from 2013 to 2022, the total value of newly-signed contracts and the total turnover of completed projects in countries along the Belt and Road exceeded $1.2 trillion and $800 billion, respectively, accounting for more than half of the total value of overseas projects contracted.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI. Standing at this new starting point, MOFCOM will thoroughly implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches on jointly building the BRI, and decisions and deployments made at the 20th CPC National Congress. We will jointly prepare for the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and continue to deepen and consolidate economic and trade cooperation along the Belt and Road. We will lay more focus on the following five aspects.
First, we will concentrate on improving quality. We will optimize the trade structure and expand imports of quality goods while continuing to expand trade with participating countries. We will get more deeply involved in the global industrial division of labor and cooperation and improve the two-way investment structure. We will also promote the negotiation and signing of free trade agreements with more participating countries and speed up the building of a free trade zone network covering the Belt and Road countries. We will make good use of trade corridors, promote cooperation in building the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and improve the quality and efficiency of the China-Europe Railway Express service.
Second, we will expand areas of cooperation. We will meet the development needs of participating countries and seek the conclusion of bilateral cooperation agreements on green development, the digital economy, and the blue economy. We will promote all-around cooperation in green infrastructure, green energy, green industries, and green trade and further bolster the green development of the BRI. We will actively foster new forms and models of digital cooperation, promote the development of "Silk Road e-commerce," and create pilot zones for "Silk Road e-commerce" cooperation.
Third, we will launch more quality projects. We will promote the construction of high-quality infrastructure projects with participating countries and expand tripartite and multi-party market cooperation. We will focus on the areas of poverty reduction, health, education, and others, and introduce more "small but beautiful" projects to enhance local people's sense of gain and recognition. We will promote the upgrading of overseas economic and trade cooperation zones and jointly build demonstration zones for economic and trade innovative development with ASEAN countries.
Fourth, we will build more platforms. We will give full play to the role of multilateral and bilateral economic and trade mechanisms and platforms and promote the establishment of more working groups on unimpeded trade and investment cooperation. We aim to successfully deliver various kinds of exhibitions, such as the China and Central and Eastern European Countries Expo, the China-Arab States Expo, and the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo. We will earnestly implement the outcomes of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summits, the China-Arab States Summit, and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit and promote the implementation of the nine programs for China-Africa cooperation.
Fifth, we will strengthen guarantees. We plan to provide high-quality public service products and continuously issue guidelines for overseas investment and cooperation by country and region. We will also promote the signing and upgrading of investment protection agreements with participating countries to provide more guarantees for the high-quality development of the BRI. Thank you.
_ueditor_page_break_tag_
CNBC:
Some time ago, foreign enterprises were faced with multiple investment options, and some of them even considered options other than China. But recently, many senior executives have said they plan to visit China for market research. What's MOFCOM's comment on this situation? What's your considerations and plans for attracting foreign investment in 2023?
Wang Wentao:
Thank you for your question. The first half of your question refers to some considerations and choices among foreign enterprises, which are temporary and exceptional cases. The second half mentioned that many senior executives from foreign companies plan to visit China, which represents a long-term trend. Recently, my colleagues and I have had many face-to-face exchanges with senior executives of foreign enterprises. From our meetings, we can tell that many executives are still optimistic about China's economic prospects and willing to continue to invest in China and further explore the Chinese market. Some companies have said that the Chinese market is indispensable, rather than optional. We truly appreciate their remarks.
Statistics showed that China utilized 1.2 trillion yuan of foreign investment last year, up 6.3% year-on-year, or 189.1 billion US dollars, up 8% year-on-year. Since the beginning of this year, it has continued to grow. In January, the utilization of foreign investment was 127.7 billion yuan, up 14.5% year on year, or $19 billion, a year-on-year increase of 10%. Clearly, there have been ups and downs during different months or years. On many occasions, a major project may bring about an increase in foreign investments, which was normal. Over the long run, the Chinese market is an irreplaceable option for global enterprises.
The Chinese government has attached great importance to the utilization of foreign investments. Not long ago, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, published an important article in the Qiushi Journal, elaborating on several major issues involving current economic work, one of which was that we would make greater efforts to attract and utilize foreign investments. It was a strong signal and an important deployment of the goals set at the Central Economic Work Conference as well as a guiding principle for our key tasks of this year. We will step up efforts to promote investment, improve services, expand opening up, optimize the business environment, strive to retain high-quality foreign investment, and bring in more high-quality foreign investment. I would like to answer this question in the following four aspects.
In promoting investment, the ministry will initiate a "Year of Investing in China" program. We will pool all resources and work with local governments to attract investment through a series of regular and diversified activities. These activities mainly integrate moves to bring in outside resources with the drive to go global. The focus is to establish platforms and open more channels, thus demonstrating investment opportunities offered by different provinces and regions across the country and showcasing the golden brand of "Investing in China." In terms of "bring in outside resources," we will launch activities such as ceremonies, themed forums, and special promotion campaigns hosted by certain local governments. In addition, events like "Multinational companies tour in China" and CIIE in provincial regions will be held to boost foreign investment. In terms of "going global," we will support local governments and companies to visit the United States, Europe, and some places in Asia and the Gulf region, and launch some key promotion projects in a targeted way. At the same time, we will make use of exhibitions and fairs, give full play to the role of overseas business agencies and investment promotion agencies and carry out investment promotion activities at various levels and in different forms so as to create a better platform and bridge to facilitate investment.
In improving services, we will provide targeted services to foreign-funded enterprises. During the pandemic, we held regular discussions with foreign-funded enterprises and chambers of commerce to acquire an understanding of the problems they had encountered and help solve their problems. Under the foreign trade and foreign investment coordination mechanism, there is a special work group for major foreign investment projects, which collects information on issues concerning foreign-invested enterprises, promoting the settlement of those issues, and providing better services for foreign investors, thus creating a sound business environment for foreign-funded enterprises.
In pursuing higher-quality opening-up, we will explore to reasonably shorten the negative list for foreign investment and further lift or ease restrictions on access for foreign investment. In particular, we will give full play to the pioneering and leading role of platforms such as the pilot FTZs, the Hainan Free Trade Port, the demonstration and pilot projects for wider opening-up of the service sector, and national-level economic development zones. We will promote opening-up at a greater and higher level in line with high-standard international economic and trade rules, and steadily move ahead with institutional opening-up.
Besides, we will optimize the business environment for foreign investors. We will thoroughly implement the Foreign Investment Law and its implementing regulations to apply national treatment to foreign enterprises with high standards. Issues many foreign enterprises raise, such as those regarding government procurement, bidding and standards formulation, will be key focuses of our work. We will work with relevant departments to conduct research and roll out policy measures to ensure foreign enterprises have equal access to those opportunities. We will establish cross-department complaint and coordination mechanisms at all government levels, improve complaint handling, step up the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors, and foster a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment. Thank you.
_ueditor_page_break_tag_
CGTN:
China has been following the trend of regional economic integration, and actively promoted the building of FTZs. At the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC decided to advance the Free Trade Area Strategy. Then, at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, it announced that the nation would implement the strategy of upgrading FTZs. Moreover, the report to the 20th CPC National Congress proposed to expand the globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas. My questions are, what achievements have been made so far in relation to these fields? What kinds of considerations will the ministry take into account for the next step?
Wang Wentao:
Mr. Wang Shouwen will answer this question.
Wang Shouwen:
Thank you for your questions. The Party Central Committee has attached great importance to the construction of FTZs and free trade agreements. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, a series of arrangements have been made. The Ministry of Commerce has paid great attention to the Free Trade Area Strategy and adopted measures to implement this strategy, as made by the Party Central Committee. As such, we have seen many achievements.
First, the circle of friends of the free trade zone is expanding. Before the 18th CPC National Congress, we built 10 FTZs; after the 18th CPC National Congress, we added nine FTZs in the past 10 years. There were 18 free trade partners before the 18th CPC National Congress, and now we have 26. It can be said that we have initially established a network of free trade agreements with neighboring countries as the basis that will also benefit the Belt and Road participants and serve the whole globe. In particular, we made some new progress in the construction of the FTZ last year. The Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) and the protocol on upgrading the China-New Zealand free trade agreement were launched. We also signed an FTA early harvest agreement and launched FTA negotiations with Nicaragua. We also started the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area negotiations and made positive progress in the FTA negotiations with six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). After these FTAs came into effect, they played a vital role in our foreign trade. So far, the import and export volume with our FTA partners reached 14.25 trillion yuan last year, rising by 7.7% over the same period, accounting for 34% of our total foreign trade.
Second, the world's largest free trade bloc was officially launched, that is, the RCEP agreement officially entered into force on Jan. 1 last year, giving a strong impetus to the growth of trade and investment within our region and globally. After this agreement entered into force, the Ministry of Commerce attached great importance to it, and we, together with five other departments, issued the Guidelines on High-Quality RCEP Implementation to promote the formation of good experiences and innovative practices in the implementation of RCEP in more than 30 provincial-level regions. We have also carried out a series of external works to enhance the implementation of RCEP. For example, some countries have signed the RCEP agreement, but their parliaments have yet to ratify them. Therefore, China and other countries have worked together on it, and now all 15 member countries have ratified the agreement. Last year, China's exports to other RCEP members grew by 17.5%, accounting for 27.6% of China's total exports. RCEP has played a vital role in the development of our foreign trade.
Third, we have made progress in actively promoting accession to high-standard economic and trade agreements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the DEPA, which represent the highest international standards in the field of economic and trade rules. In relation to the CPTPP, China has had extensive contact and exchanges with its members at different levels. For the DEPA, we have also had excellent communication with its members. On Aug. 18 last year, members of the DEPA agreement decided to set up a working group for China's accession. In November last year, the three members of DEPA and China held a quadripartite ministerial conference. In December last year, the quadripartite held a kick-off meeting of chief negotiators. In addition, we attach great importance to the construction of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) and support the promotion of some work plans within the framework of APEC to promote the FTAAP to take more steps forward.
The reporter mentioned earlier that the 20th CPC National Congress proposed to expand the globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas. Last year's Central Economic Work Conference also stressed that China will actively seek to join high-standard economic and trade agreements such as the CPTPP and the DEPA, and to deepen domestic reforms to align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, regulations and management. In this regard, the MOFCOM, in accordance with the deployment of the CPC Central Committee, will continue to expand its globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas, and we are prepared to take a series of measures to fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress.
First, we will seek progress while maintaining stability and improving the comprehensive utilization rate of existing FTAs. We will improve the utilization rate of the 19 FTAs just mentioned and give full play to their benefits. Last year, the comprehensive utilization rate of the 19 FTAs was nearly 80%, with some exceeding 98%, but the utilization rate of some FTAs is still relatively low. Therefore, we have to take a series of measures to guide enterprises through training to use these FTAs well and give full play to them, laying a better foundation for expanding the globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas.
Second, we will comprehensively promote the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN FTA negotiations this year. We hope to create new highlights like the digital and green economy to make this agreement stay up-to-date with the times and make it more modern. In February this year, we completed the FTA with Ecuador and aimed to sign it this year formally. We also strive to complete the FTA negotiations with Nicaragua this year. We continue to promote the FTA negotiations with the GCC, Israel, and other countries and regions and strive to make more progress. We also have some upgraded FTA negotiations with Peru, South Korea, and Singapore and we strive to achieve good results.
Third, we will continue to facilitate the process of joining CPTPP and DEPA. In terms of CPTPP, Mr. Wang Wentao mentioned that our domestic pilot FTZs should deepen reforms in accordance with the high standards and rules of CPTPP, and we will work on these goals. As for DEPA, we have made a series of arrangements, including ministerial-level as well as department or bureau-level negotiations, to make substantive progress in joining DEPA. Regarding APEC, we will continue to promote the development of the FTAAP, further contribute to regional development, and work with all parties to advance regional economic integration. Thank you.
_ueditor_page_break_tag_
21st Century Business Herald:
We learned that county-level commercial systems are vital to comprehensively promoting rural revitalization, and relevant arrangements have been made in the "No. 1 central document." What progress has been secured in this regard? Going forward, what measures will MOFCOM take to strengthen county-level commercial systems and promote rural consumption? Thank you.
Chen Chunjiang:
The report to the 20th CPC National Congress states that continuous efforts will be made to pursue the integrated development of urban and rural areas and facilitate the flows of production factors between them. The county-level commerce has its root in rural areas and serves the work, life, and employment of more than 7 million county residents. It connects urban and rural areas and constitutes an important channel for the flow of goods, services, and production factors between them. Relevant arrangements were made in the No. 1 central document. Over the past several years, we have worked with related departments to promote the development of county-level commercial systems and striven to improve the rural consumption environment, increasing service quality and making initial progress along the way. These are mainly reflected in four respects:
First, the commercial network has been continuously improved. In 2022, a total of 983 comprehensive county-based business and trade service centers and 3,941 township markets and business and trade centers were transformed. The transformation work underlines the importance of converting facilities, not traditions, to retain as many of the features and heritage of rural markets as possible.
Second, logistics services have been constantly accelerated. A total of 506 county-level logistics centers and 650 township-level express delivery outlets have been built. Direct express delivery services are now available in 95% of administrative villages. Currently, more than one-third of counties can have their express parcels sent to villages within a day.
Third, e-commerce livestreams have been promoted extensively. Livestream marketing has become an effective tool for rural residents to start businesses and increase income. Last year, rural online businesses (online shops) totaled 17.3 million nationwide, up by 6.2% year on year. Among these, 5.73 million, or 33.1%, were livestream e-commerce businesses.
Fourth, the circulation of agricultural products has been improved. A total of 890 wholesale markets for agricultural products and farmers markets have been transformed and upgraded. A total of 960,000 tons of refrigeration storage capacity has been added. The production and marketing connection of agricultural products has become closer, and circulation has become smoother and more efficient.
Over the past few years, we have witnessed major improvements in rural logistics systems, business facilities, and the consumption environment. However, shortcomings still exist. As for infrastructure, the business outlets in some areas are scattered, and delivery costs are still relatively high. Therefore, further integration and optimization are needed. Regarding the supply of goods and services, goods are often not high in grade, and service provision functions are not rich in variety. In terms of market entities, most are family-based workshops with traditional operation modes, whose levels of digitalization and developing chains are relatively low compared with those in cities. As to market demand, since many villagers have gone elsewhere to find employment, and the majority who have stayed are senior citizens and children, chain businesses and enterprises lack the motivation to invest in rural areas.
Looking forward, we will earnestly implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and follow the deployment of the No. 1 central document. We will stay problem-oriented, shore up the weak links of county-level commercial development, focus on providing channels at the community level, promote further recovery and expansion of rural consumption, and better contribute to rural revitalization.
First, we will thoroughly implement the three-year action plan for country-level commerce. We will summarize the previous work experience and apply it at a faster pace, and strive to basically establish relatively improved commercial systems in counties, townships, and villages by 2025 to better meet the work and life needs of rural residents.
Second, we will speed up efforts to improve the rural consumption environment, act on market principles, and give play to the guiding role of government funds. We will transform and upgrade a group of township markets and a new type of rural convenience stores, improve the logistics systems at the county, township, and village levels, develop new modes such as real-time retail and joint delivery, create consumption scenarios, and stimulate consumption potential.
Third, we will promote the high-quality development of rural e-commerce. We will follow the development trends of the digital economy, develop livestream e-commerce, cultivate agricultural product brands, and sell them via e-commerce across the country to increase rural residents' incomes.
Fourth, we will foster a group of county-level commercial models. We will act on local conditions; explore to make innovations; stimulate localities, enterprises, and the public; and develop a group of county-level commercial models, giving full play to their demonstrating and leading roles. Thank you.
_ueditor_page_break_tag_
Economic Daily:
The report to the 20th CPC National Congress stated that China would resolve the most pressing difficulties and problems that are of great concern to the people. At present, residents in some urban communities are still facing serious living inconveniences. In recent years, the Ministry of Commerce has started the development of 15-minute community life circles to solve the problem. What progress has been made in this regard? And what will you do next to promote the work?
Wang Wentao:
Your questions are related to the development of community businesses. Studies have shown that more than half of urban residents' daily consumption and expenditure is concentrated within one-kilometer reach of their community, which is a distance of a 15-minute walk. Within that reach, the consumer market has tremendous potential. To build 15-minute community life circles in cities is to accelerate the development of community businesses, which allows residents to enjoy convenient and quality life and services near their residences. This is not only an important way to boost consumption, but also an important measure to improve people's well-being and warm their hearts.
In the past two years, we have worked with related authorities and fully implemented the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee. We have started the development of 15-minute community life circles in 80 cities in two batches, and introduced services into communities and residential areas. So far, we have built 1,402 community life circles covering more than 32 million residents. The pilot cities have attached great importance to this work, and many of them have incorporated it into local projects concerning people's livelihoods.
Residents in pilot areas have said that their lives have become easier, faster, and smarter than before. Their basic needs, including three daily meals and necessities, have been met in the community life circles. On this basis, we are striving to meet their personalized, diversified, and specific needs. A survey showed that the residents' comprehensive satisfaction rating reached 93% in pilot areas. Local examples include neighborhood centers and smart food markets in Jiangsu province, Zhejiang province, and Shanghai; community workshops and community libraries in cities such as Ji'nan and Fuzhou; and dynamic maps of life service outlets in 10 cities, including Beijing and Tianjin, with the supply and demand for community consumptions being monitored dynamically through big data.
Next, we will make a summary on the basis of the preliminary work and offer solutions to the problems. We will launch a three-year initiative to build 15-minute community life circles nationwide. Generally speaking, we will adopt city-specific or community life circle-specific measure to meet people's needs. We will not follow a uniform standard or sample, but provide personalized, diversified, and specialized solutions. We will improve the layout plan for community consumption, strengthen consumption platforms and facilities, provide more convenient and smarter services, and diversify consumer businesses. We will encourage all cities at and above the prefecture level, where conditions permit, to take action and build 15-minute community life circles in various forms by 2025 to meet the basic daily needs of the people.
Based on the problems and needs of great concern to the people, as well as the preliminary pilot experiences, we will focus on the matters of people's urgent needs. First, we will develop convenience stores and breakfast stalls. Convenience stores allow people to buy necessities within a 15-minute walk. Breakfast stalls are an urgent need of the people. We will promote more chain, branded convenience stores and breakfast stalls to enter communities and introduce some special, traditional, and entrepreneurial market players.
Second, we will develop food markets and repair shops. Food markets include large markets and small vegetable shops. We will upgrade them in line with certain standards with more focus on the environment, hygiene, and quality control to assure people in their consumption. Repair shops are mainly engaged in services such as duplicating keys and repairing shoes to meet residents' daily needs.
Third, we will offer better elderly care and child care. We will build and improve service facilities to alleviate people's concerns.
In a word, our work will promote consumption and serve as an important people's well-being project. We will stay problem-oriented and solve issues that are of urgent concern to the people. We will work to transfer the list of people's needs into a list of satisfaction over 15-minute community life circles and build them into happy circles of community for residents. Thank you.
_ueditor_page_break_tag_
The Poster News APP:
With its foreign trade reaching another record high in 2022, China remains the world's largest goods trader. At present, with rising risks, such as the global economic recession and a slowdown in the growth of external demand, China's foreign trade faces a challenging environment for development. How does the Ministry of Commerce view foreign trade in 2023? What upcoming measures will be adopted to stabilize foreign trade? Thank you.
Wang Wentao:
As you mentioned, China's foreign trade set a record high in 2022. The volume of trade in goods surpassed 40 trillion yuan for the first time, standing at 42.1 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 7.7%, leading the world for six consecutive years and making a great contribution to the stable performance of the macroeconomy. The contribution of net trade exports in goods and services was responsible for 17.1% of GDP growth, driving GDP growth by half a percentage point. At the beginning, I mentioned this was a highlight of last year's economic work.
With the rising risks of global economic recession and the probability of stagflation, the external environment poses severe challenges to us. According to the WTO's prediction, global trade in goods this year will only increase by 1%, down 2.5 percentage points from 2022. In other words, the possibility of expanding the global foreign trade pie this year is relatively small. We must think about continuing to harness our strengths under such circumstances. The problem now is, as you mentioned, how we should view foreign trade in 2023 and what we intend to do under such circumstances.
How should we view foreign trade in 2023? This year's mounting pressure on foreign trade is due to weakening external demand. Under such circumstances, many enterprises have reported decreased orders and delays in placing orders. Moreover, bulk orders become small orders, and standing orders become short-term orders. Some media, especially economic media, have also provided an analysis. These are all current situations. Apart from weakening external demand and rising risks such as a global economic recession, protectionism and geopolitics have also led to challenges for Chinese enterprises.
What do we intend to do? According to the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, we will build China into a trader of quality, which requires us to stabilize the volume of foreign trade. Building a trader of quality consists of three pillars: upgrading trade in goods, developing new mechanisms for trade in services, and promoting digital trade. We will work on the above three aspects. Generally speaking, we will stabilize trade volume and improve trade structure this year. We will stabilize trade volume first. Meanwhile, with the upgrade in industries, economic development, and enhanced comprehensive strengths, we need to improve the foreign trade structure to strengthen its comprehensive competitiveness.
We will prioritize the following three aspects regarding stabilizing trade volume. First, we will maintain the continuity of policies. By doing so, we intend to anchor market expectations. Last year, foreign trade was confronted with severe challenges. In response to the impact of COVID-19 and uncertainties in external demand, we consecutively issued two policies to stabilize foreign trade, which created 42.1 trillion yuan of foreign trade volume last year. We are researching some policies mainly based on business entities' needs. We are listening to the opinions of relevant provinces and enterprises and get to know their difficulties. Considering all these difficulties, we will introduce policies in line with international rules to promote the development of foreign trade. Second, we will stabilize the market. We will stabilize traditional markets such as the U.S., Europe, Japan, and South Korea and expand emerging markets. Latin American countries and the Belt and Road partner countries have enormous market potential. Last year, trade growth between China and ASEAN surpassed traditional markets. ASEAN has become China's largest trading partner. Third, we will stabilize the trade channels. We will use traditional channels such as the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) to launch trade promotion activities. At the same time, we will also encourage enterprises to participate in overseas expos, and encourage local governments, trade promotion institutions, and business associations to carry out a diverse range of trade promotion activities. According to media reports, since China downgraded its response measures against COVID-19, some enterprises have organized teams to travel overseas to obtain orders. These are proactive actions taken by enterprises.
We will adopt three major measures concerning optimizing the foreign trade structure. First, we will improve the modes of trade. While developing general trade, we will support the transformation and upgrading of processing trade and its shift (to the central and western regions). We will take coordinated steps to promote the rapid and healthy development of new forms and models, which are now growing rapidly, including cross-border e-commerce, overseas warehouses, and the maintenance of bonded goods. Concerning trade in services, based on the pilot program launched earlier, we will advance the building of national demonstration zones for the innovative development of trade in services. Second, we will optimize the layout of foreign trade supply chains. We will implement the coordinated regional development strategy, improving trade quality in the eastern regions and raising the trade proportion of the central, western and northeastern regions. At present, there is an increasingly strong tendency for the shift of industries to the central, western, and northeastern regions. The advantages in locations, resources, and costs of production factors of these regions are gradually emerging, including labor and land resources. In terms of transport, as the China-Europe Railway Express and new land-sea transit routes have been further developed, transport is improving, providing a stronger driving force for industrial relocation. Concerning the layout of supply chains, the costs of production factors in coastal areas continue to increase, but the central, western, and northeastern regions still have huge potential. Third, we will upgrade the product structure and foster new growth drivers for trade. We will consolidate our traditional strengths. Meanwhile, as China's industries move towards a medium-high level, we will continue to nurture new areas of trade growth during this process. Among the three new leading industries that have been frequently mentioned, automobiles, especially new-energy vehicles, as well as lithium batteries and photovoltaic products, have made an impressive performance in exports. They have experienced rapid export growth and developed a new growth driver. We will also support localities in exploring the organization of the digital trade expo, accelerate the construction of a digital pilot zone for global trade in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and continue to improve trade digitization, providing more growth drivers for trade.
To conclude, we face a challenging situation this year but have strong confidence. We will fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and make efforts to stabilize trade volume and improve trade structure. At the same time, we will hear the opinions and demands of business entities and formulate targeted policies and measures to enable better development of enterprises on the international market. Thank you.
_ueditor_page_break_tag_
Hong Kong Commercial Daily:
Statistics from China and the U.S. have shown that the bilateral trade in goods in 2022 hit a record high. However, the U.S. recently rolled out measures to crack down on China-related enterprises and products, drawing wide attention from all parties. How does MOFCOM see the future development of China-U.S. economic and trade ties? Thank you.
Wang Shouwen:
Thank you for your question. Apart from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, unilateral protectionism measures by the U.S. have also taken a toll on China-U.S. trade ties in past two years. Nevertheless, the China-U.S. trade volume has hit a record high. Statistics from China suggest that the bilateral trade volume was over $750 billion last year, demonstrating that China-U.S. trade ties are highly complementary and resilient enough to resist pressure.
Over the past three years, U.S. agricultural products exported to China as a share of U.S. total export volume have steadily increased, approaching one-fifth in 2022. Thus, China has become the largest export market of U.S. agricultural products. Each year, the U.S. receives a revenue of $15 billion from exporting intellectual property services to China. Therefore, the China-U.S. trade relationship is quite complementary and resilient.
However, their ties' complementarity and resilience have not been fully leveraged. In 2022, the growth rate of China's global exports was 6 percentage points higher than that of China's exports to the U.S., while the growth rate of U.S. global exports was 16 percentage points higher than that of U.S. exports to China. The volume of China-U.S. trade indeed increased to a record high, but the growth was not fast due to the undeveloped potential. As you mentioned, the U.S. has taken restrictive measures in China-U.S. trade, which hindered the bilateral trade ties, decreased the comparative advantages of the U.S. and the competitiveness of its products, and damaged the confidence and willingness of the two countries' enterprises to enhance cooperation. Is the U.S. a reliable cooperation partner and source of product supply for Chinese enterprises? Measures taken by the U.S. not only harmed its own interests but also violated WTO rules. The U.S. has imposed Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods for over four years. The WTO ruled that Section 301 tariffs do not comply with WTO rules. Under the pretext of protecting national security, the U.S. added some Chinese enterprises to its export control list. That was an abuse of the concept of national security and a violation of WTO rules. China has sued the U.S. in the WTO.
Going forward, given China-U.S. trade ties have the huge potential to grow and are highly complementary, we should maximize mutual benefit and win-win cooperation in terms of bilateral trade and economy. A report by the U.S.-China Business Council suggests that U.S. exports to China provided 1 million jobs in the U.S. Meanwhile, Chinese exports to the U.S. helped bring down inflation in the U.S., benefit U.S. consumers, and increase the competitive advantages of U.S. enterprises. In the future, we will further strengthen China-U.S. trade and economic cooperation based on mutual benefit and win-win results.
In November 2022, President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Biden in Bali, Indonesia. The leaders of the two countries agreed that their teams should conduct coordination and dialogues on economic and trade ties. China stands ready to work with the U.S. to implement the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders. The two sides shall exchange honest views, coordinate with each other, and communicate about lifting bilateral trade and investment restrictions according to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, abiding by WTO rules and the rules of the market economy and free trade. We call for a stable and reliable China-U.S. trade and economic environment to boost confidence for cooperation between enterprises of the two countries. I believe that China-U.S. trade and economic cooperation will reach new levels.
The U.S. will host APEC meetings this year. The U.S. and China can take this opportunity to hold bilateral, regional and multilateral talks. This will enable them to address the concerns of both sides in the trade and economic sectors. Thank you.
_ueditor_page_break_tag_
Yicai:
The fast development of digital trade in recent years has initiated reforms in traditional trade forms and rules, becoming a new engine driving economic growth. What measures will MOFCOM take to advance digital trade development? Thank you.
Wang Wentao:
I will answer your question. Currently, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is advancing, and the boom of the global digital economy has given rise to digital trade characterized by digital ordering and delivery, with data as a key factor of production, and with digital services as its core. This is also a new trend in international trade. Some even say it will be a new engine for future trade growth. All kinds of trade negotiations now involve digital trade, and hence digital trade deserves close attention at present and in the future.
China's digital trade has seen rapid growth in recent years. For example, about 2.5 trillion yuan of trade in services was achieved via digital means in 2022, a 78.6% increase compared with five years ago. As I mentioned earlier, cross-border e-commerce has also been thriving. Last year, the foreign trade volume of China's cross-border e-commerce reached 2.1 trillion yuan, a 30.2% increase compared with two years ago. The 20th CPC National Congress articulated the goal of accelerating China's transformation into a high-quality trader in three aspects, namely, trade in goods, trade in services, and digital trade. This has elevated the importance of digital trade to a new level. China has the world's largest number of internet users and relatively abundant data resources. Meanwhile, encouraging progress has been made as we have created several application scenarios. These have laid a solid foundation for us to develop digital trade. In other words, China's digital trade growth has a solid foundation, promising prospects, and ample potential. Looking ahead, we will seize the opportunity of digital trade development and accelerate its growth by focusing on the following four aspects:
First, we will strengthen top-level design concerning digital trade. Policy documents on promoting the opening-up and innovative development of digital trade are being drafted. In other words, we will issue policies at the national level to boost digital trade.
Second, we will enhance the development of digital trade platforms. We will implement measures to support the innovative development of national digital service export bases and enhance their strength, quality and size. We will also develop leading companies in digital trade, ensure the success of the Global Digital Trade Expo, and make steady progress in the construction of digital trade demonstration zones. Expos, demonstration zones, leading companies, and export bases are the means we need to develop digital trade.
Third, we will foster new business forms and digital trade models. We will proactively support the trade of digital products and continuously improve trade in digital services. We will also steadily promote the trade of digital technologies and proactively explore trade in data. We will intensify our efforts to use digital technologies to empower trade activities from start to finish and improve trade digitalization. Silk Road e-commerce is another way to build cooperation overseas, and it has proven popular in many countries. We will proactively develop Silk Road e-commerce and promote the sustained development of cross-border e-commerce.
Fourth, we will establish and improve governance systems for digital trade. We will step up the formulation of basic institutional arrangements and standardized systems for data resource property rights, transaction circulation, cross-border transmission, and security and protection. Digital trade has been involved in many high-standard international economic and trade pacts, such as the DEPA and the CPTPP. We will proactively promote the process of joining DEPA and CPTPP and constructively participate in formulating and negotiating international rules and standards. Digital trade is thriving, and many rules are yet to be determined. As a country with abundant digital resources and a vast digital economy, China is bound to be a key player in digital trade. We will proactively participate in formulating rules for digital trade, offer more Chinese solutions, and contribute more Chinese ideas to the sector. Thank you.
_ueditor_page_break_tag_
Hong Kong Economic Herald:
In recent years, with the development of network information and digital technology, the global division of production in the service sector has accelerated, placing higher demands on countries to open up their service sectors. How will MOFCOM continue to promote the opening-up of China's service sector?
Chen Chunjiang:
Thank you for your question. The service sector is a major part of the Chinese economy, accounting for more than 50% of China's GDP. The further opening-up of the service sector will enable the introduction of various high-quality production factors and help construct a modern industrial system to serve the new development pattern and pursue high-quality development. The 20th CPC National Congress proposed building a new system of efficient and high-quality services and promoting more integration of modern services with advanced manufacturing and modern agriculture. The Central Economic Work Conference proposed increasing the level of opening-up in the modern service industry. In accordance with the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we will actively pursue the high-level opening-up of the service sector, improve the institutional environment, stimulate market vitality, and better meet the needs of daily work and life. This year, we plan to focus on three aspects of work.
First, we will ease market access for the service sector. Since 2017, China has revised the negative list for foreign investment five consecutive times, canceling or relaxing foreign equity caps in value-added telecommunications services, securities, banking, insurance, cultural performances, and other services. In the future, we will proactively align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, and study further measures to cancel or ease restrictions on foreign investment in the service sector for industries with large domestic market demand, strong industrial driving effects, sufficient foreign investment willingness, and controllable risks. We aim to attract more global high-end service companies and elements to enter the domestic market.
Second, we will promote the institutional opening-up of the service sector. We will fully leverage the leading role of FTZs and ports and take the lead in standardizing domestic laws and regulations that affect the free and convenient trade of services at the Hainan Free Trade Port, achieving internal and external consistency in terms of both allowing firms in and letting them do business. We will roll out a series of measures to open up the service sector, earnestly implement the negative list for cross-border trade in services at the Hainan Free Trade Port, and issue a national version and a pilot free trade zone version of the negative list for cross-border trade in services to improve the level of liberalization and facilitation of trade in services. We will steadily enhance the construction of comprehensive pilots and demonstrations for the expansion and opening-up of the service sector. We will drive forward the issuance of plans to deepen the development of a national integrated demonstration zone for greater openness in the services sector in Beijing. Moreover, we will adjust supporting laws and regulations in newly added pilot areas, encourage pilot and demonstration areas to explore experiences that can be replicated and promoted based on their development positioning, and leverage the guiding role.
Third, we will accelerate innovation and the development of trade in services. Mr. Wang Wentao already said that we would promote the introduction of guiding opinions on the opening-up and innovative development of trade in services. We will do a good job of reviewing and concluding the pilot project of comprehensively deepening innovation and developing trade in services. On this basis, we will upgrade to build national demonstration zones for the innovative development of trade in services. We will formulate management measures for exporting bases providing characteristic services, establish service outsourcing demonstration cities with high standards, and support the fast development of new models and formats of service outsourcing, such as crowdsourcing and crowd innovation, cloud outsourcing, and platform subcontracting. We will support building international trade services cooperation zones where conditions permit and pursue the high-standard development of Belt and Road cooperation in the service sector. Thank you.
Xing Huina:
Today's press conference is hereby concluded. Thank you to the three speakers and all our friends in the media. Goodbye.
Translated and edited by Zhang Liying, Zhou Jing, Lin Liyao, Qin Qi, Ma Yujia, Liu Caiyi, Xu Xiaoxuan, Duan Yaying, Xu Kailin, Liu Jianing, Zhu Bochen, Yan Bin, Wang Qian, Zhang Rui, Liu Sitong, Zhang Junmian, Huang Shan, He Shan, Li Huiru, Yang Xi, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.
