Recently, the State Council officially approved the establishment of six pilot free trade zones in Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Hebei, Yunnan and Heilongjiang, and officially printed and distributed the overall plan on August 26. So far, the number of China's free trade zones has increased to 18. At the regular briefing on the policies of the State Council held by the State Council Reform Office on the 26th, the relevant responsible person introduced the relevant information. Experts pointed out that the establishment of a new batch of pilot free trade zones will further improve the new pattern of comprehensive opening up, which is linked at home and abroad, and the East West two-way opening up. The higher level of opening up demonstrates China's firm determination to support the building of an open world economy.
Four "highlights" reflect a higher level of openness
"The central government has decided to set up a new batch of pilot free trade zones in six provinces and regions, including Shandong, in order to stimulate the endogenous power of high-quality development and better serve the overall strategic layout of opening up through differentiated exploration in a wider range, more fields and more levels." According to Wang Shouwen, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy Representative of International Trade Negotiation, the overall plan of the six pilot free trade zones has the following characteristics:
——Focus on system innovation. On the basis of fully drawing on the successful reform pilot experience of the existing pilot free trade zones, and focusing on investment, trade, finance, in-process and post event supervision and other aspects, we propose systematic and integrated reform pilot tasks with different characteristics.
——We will focus on expanding opening up. based on their respective regional advantages, deepen economic and trade cooperation with neighboring countries and regions, and better serve the overall strategic layout of opening up.
——Highlight and lead high-quality development. Give full play to the advantages of strategic superposition, solve the problems of development through institutional innovation, promote the reform of development quality, efficiency and power, and gather new industries, new formats and new models.
——Highlight service and integrate into the national major strategy. We will further standardize international economic and trade rules, make full use of the resource endowment and location advantages of various places, form a pilot pattern with different emphasis and characteristics, and actively serve national strategies such as the construction of the "the Belt and Road", the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, the development of the Yangtze River economic belt, the revitalization of the northeast, the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region, and the building of a marine power.
Wang Shouwen said that in the next step, the Ministry of Commerce will work with relevant local authorities and departments to quickly develop the task division ledger of the overall plan and promote the implementation of the overall plan pilot tasks. At the same time, we will timely summarize and refine experience and practices, replicate and promote them throughout the country, and give full play to the role of the pilot area of reform and opening up.
First layout in border areas
"The establishment of new pilot free trade zones in Shandong, Jiangsu and Hebei will achieve full coverage of pilot free trade zones in China's coastal provinces." Wang Shouwen introduced that three of the six newly established free trade zones are located in the east coast. This layout aims to connect points to form a line and an area to form a frontier zone for opening up to the outside world. It gives full play to the radiating and driving role of coastal areas in hinterland, and better serves the overall layout of opening up to the outside world, which is a combination of land, domestic and overseas, and east-west two-way mutual aid.
Among the six newly established pilot free trade zones, Guangxi, Yunnan and Heilongjiang are in the border areas, which is the first time that China has laid out pilot free trade zones in border areas. Wang Shouwen pointed out that this will be conducive to boosting border opening up through reform and innovation, radiating and driving border development, and providing replicable and referential reform experience for China to further close economic and trade cooperation with neighboring countries and improve the level of opening up and development of border areas.
Specifically, Guangxi will form an important gateway for the organic connection between the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the Silk Road Economic Belt by deepening the opening and cooperation with ASEAN, promoting the construction of new international land and sea trade channels, exploring the development and opening up of border areas, etc; Yunnan will, through cooperation and development with Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and other neighboring countries, build an important node connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia, and promote the formation of China's radiation center and opening frontier towards South Asia and Southeast Asia; Heilongjiang will build a central hub for regional cooperation with Russia and Northeast Asia by promoting the all-round revitalization of Northeast China, deepening industrial restructuring, and building a transport and logistics hub for Russia and Northeast Asia.
Give greater reform autonomy to the new free trade zone
In this year's Government Work Report, it is proposed to "give the pilot free trade zone greater autonomy in reform and innovation". Wang Shouwen introduced that, specifically, the Ministry of Commerce will give greater reform autonomy to the newly established six pilot free trade zones in five aspects——
Focus on trade facilitation. The six overall plans put forward a series of policies and measures in terms of trade facilitation. For example, the Jiangsu plan proposed to optimize the customs clearance process at ports, promote the systematic construction of average goods release and customs clearance time; Yunnan proposed to implement "one port and multiple channels" regulatory innovation.
Focus on investment facilitation. For example, the approval or record management authority of foreign talent intermediaries, non vessel carriers, and foreign capital operating international ship management business will be given to the pilot free trade zone or relevant places.
Focus on financial innovation to serve the real economy. Hebei proposed a "sandbox mechanism" for financial supervision, and carried out equity crowdfunding pilot in Xiong'an Equity Exchange; Shandong proposed to carry out the pilot reform of capital project income payment facilitation.
Focus on facilitating the introduction of talents. For example, the Guangxi plan proposes to give the free trade pilot zone the provincial management authority of foreign talents, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan talents; The Yunnan plan proposes to establish a long-term management mechanism for foreign migrant workers.
Focus on system and mechanism innovation. The six overall plans all proposed to support local governments to build a simple, efficient and clear management system and staffing system for the pilot free trade zone. For example, the Shandong Plan and the Jiangsu Plan proposed to delegate all provincial economic and social management authority that can be delegated to the pilot free trade zone.
"The overall plan of the six new pilot free trade zones has been well designed in terms of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, financial services to the real economy, talent management and institutional innovation." Wang Shouwen said, "Next, we will, based on the implementation effect of relevant reform pilot tasks, carefully study with relevant local authorities and departments, and give the pilot free trade zone greater reform autonomy."
