Ministry of Commerce： Focus on 7 aspects and put forward 80 measures to promote high-level institutional opening up.

　　Cctv newsOn the morning of December 8, the State Council Press Office held a routine briefing on the State Council policy, introducing the situation of promoting the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone to fully meet international high-standard economic and trade rules, and answering reporters’ questions.

　　Tang Wenhong, Assistant Minister of Commerce, introduced that the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to implement the strategy of upgrading the Pilot Free Trade Zone and steadily expand the institutional opening of rules, regulations, management and standards. Not long ago, the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader made important instructions on further promoting the construction of the Pilot Free Trade Zone, emphasizing the need to meet international economic and trade rules with high standards, further promote institutional opening, and let the Pilot Free Trade Zone play a better exemplary role. Last week, when General Secretary of the Supreme Leader delivered an important speech at the symposium on deepening the integration and development of the Yangtze River Delta, he once again stressed that the promotion strategy of the free trade pilot zone should be vigorously implemented and the Lingang New Area of the Shanghai Free Trade Pilot Zone should be opened to the outside world at a higher level.

　　Recently, the State Council issued the Overall Plan for Promoting the High-level Institutional Opening of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone by Fully Docking International High-standard Economic and Trade Rules.

　　In order to implement the decision-making arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the Ministry of Commerce, together with relevant departments, thoroughly studied the rules and provisions of international high-level free trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA). On the basis of the first batch of conditional pilot free trade zones in June this year, it was reported to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council for approval and formulation of the Overall Plan, which focused on seven aspects and put forward 80 measures.

　　First, accelerate the expansion and opening up of service trade. Promote the high-level opening of key areas such as finance and telecommunications, enhance the facilitation of cross-border investment and financing, support multinational companies to set up fund management centers, improve the quality of telecommunications services, and lead the institutional opening of service industries.

　　The second is to improve the level of liberalization and facilitation of trade in goods. Optimize and improve the import management of imported repair goods, commercial password products, medical devices and other specific goods, pilot the implementation of facilitation measures such as simplifying domestic quarantine procedures and expanding the subject of pre-ruling, and strive to build a scientific, convenient and efficient management model.

　　The third is to take the lead in implementing high-standard digital trade rules. Support the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone to take the lead in formulating important data catalogues, explore the establishment of a legal, safe and convenient cross-border data flow mechanism, accelerate the empowerment of digital technology, promote the application of electronic bills, promote the open sharing of data, and build new advantages in the development of digital trade.

　　The fourth is to strengthen intellectual property protection. Strengthen the protection of trademarks, patents and geographical indications, further strengthen administrative supervision and judicial protection, and comprehensively enhance the ability of intellectual property protection.

　　The fifth is to promote reform in the field of government procurement. In line with international common rules, further optimize procurement procedures, improve procurement management, strengthen procurement supervision, and build a standardized, transparent, scientific and strict government procurement management system.

　　The sixth is to promote the reform of relevant "post-border" management systems. Deepen the reform of state-owned enterprises, strengthen the protection of workers’ rights and interests, support international cooperation in the field of green and low carbon, encourage the import and export of environmental products and services, and create a fair, transparent and predictable development environment.

　　Seventh, strengthen the construction of risk prevention and control system. Improve the regulatory rules, innovate the regulatory methods, improve the regulatory system with clear rights and responsibilities, fairness and justice, openness and transparency, simplicity and efficiency, and promote the whole process supervision.

　　In the next step, the Ministry of Commerce, together with Shanghai Municipality and relevant departments, will thoroughly implement the decision-making arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, accelerate the implementation of pilot measures, release the dividend of reform and opening up as soon as possible, form more replicable and scalable pilot experiences, and explore new paths and accumulate new experiences for comprehensively deepening reform and opening up.