Several Opinions of the State Council on Accelerating the Fostering of New Competitive Advantages in Foreign Trade

· Document Number：No. 9 [2015] of the State Council

· Area of Law： Foreign Economy and Trade

· Level of Authority： Regulatory Documents of the State Council

· Date issued：02-12-2015

· Effective Date：02-12-2015

· Status： Effective

· Issuing Authority： State Council

Several Opinions of the State Council on Accelerating the Fostering of New Competitive Advantages in Foreign Trade
(No. 9 [2015] of the State Council)
The people's governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government; all ministries and commissions of the State Council; and all institutions directly under the State Council:
Foreign trade is an important component of China's open economic system and an important driving force for national economic development. Under the historical background of significant changes in both the international environment and domestic development condition, maintaining China's traditional advantages in foreign trade and accelerating the fostering of new competitive advantages is a major issue which is vital to the overall development of China. To consolidate the traditional advantages in foreign trade, accelerate the fostering of new competitive advantages, realize sustained and sound development of China's foreign trade, and promote China's transition from a large trading country to a strong trading power, the following opinions are hereby offered:
I. Fully Understanding the Significance and Urgency of Fostering New Competitive Advantages in Foreign Trade
After over three decades' development through reform and opening-up, China has witnessed remarkable achievements in foreign trade and China took the lead in the world as the largest country of trade in goods in 2013, which has maximized an irreplaceable important role in promoting China's economic and social development, enhancing the comprehensive national strength and international influence, and strengthening the integration with the world economy. Currently, the world economy is still in the deep adjustment period after the international financial crisis, which is featured by sluggish total global demand, obviously slackened large-scale international industrial transfer, new breakthroughs brewed in the world's science and technology, and industrial revolution, and trade protectionism on the rise. Under the period of “superimposition of three periods”, China's economy has ushered in new normal of development. During the coming period, China's foreign trade will face important opportunities and still have its competitive advantages in export, and will also be confronted with severe challenges, and have significantly weakened traditional competitive advantages when new competitive advantages have not been formed. Enterprise innovation ability desperately needs to be strengthened. Brand products account for a low proportion. Homogeneous competition is common. Capacity of participating in the development of international trade rules needs to be improved. The foreign trade regime and business environment need to be further improved. The new circumstances and new requirements shall be adapted. The traditional advantages in foreign trade shall be consolidated without any efforts spared and the fostering of new competitive advantages shall be accelerated. The important role of export for economic development shall continuously be maximized. As the only way to consolidate the status of a large trading country and to build a strong trading power, and a strategic choice for promoting the sustained and sound development of China's economy, it is of great and far-reaching significance for the realization of the “two centenary” goals and the Chinese Dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
II. General Requirements
1. Guiding Thought. The spirit of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, as well as the Second, Third and Fourth Plenary Sessions of the 18th CPC Central Committee shall be thoroughly implemented; the decisions and deployment of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council shall be diligently implemented; the decisive role of the market in resources allocation shall be fully maximized and the role of the government shall be better maximized; the new normal mode of economic development shall be actively adapted; both international and domestic markets and both international and domestic resources shall be considered in an overall manner and be utilized comprehensively; joint efforts shall be made to adjust and optimize the trade structure and transform the development mode of foreign trade; the position of China's foreign trade in the global value chain shall be promoted; the quality and efficiency of foreign trade growth shall be enhanced; the sustained and sound development of foreign trade shall be realized; transition of China from a large trading country to a strong trading power shall be promoted; and greater contribution shall be made to the national economy and social development.
2. Basic Principles.
Reform shall be deepened and driving by innovation shall be realized. Foreign trade institutional mechanism reform shall be deepened and an innovative development environment shall be created. Scientific and technological innovation capacity shall be improved; business model and trade format shall be innovated on; new competitive advantages shall be integrated; and the endogenous power for foreign trade development shall be enhanced.
Mutual benefit and win-win result shall be realized by opening and guiding. By opening in a larger scope, in a wider field, and at a higher level and through combining “going out” and “bringing in,” trade growth shall be promoted; interests convergence with trade partners shall be expanded; a more harmonious and stable development environment shall be formed; and a larger market space shall be jointly created.
Sustained development shall be realized through overseas and domestic interaction. Balance between domestic demand and overseas market demand, balance between import and export, and balance between introduction of foreign capital and investment in foreign countries shall be promoted more actively; balance of international payment shall be gradually realized; and a new open economic system shall be established.
Overall planning shall be made and categorized guidance shall be offered. Planning guidance and coordinated promotion shall be strengthened. Measures shall be adjusted to local conditions and policies shall be implemented by different categories. Coordinated and interactive development of trade in goods and trade in services, trade and investment, traditional industries and emerging industries, as well as coastal areas and inland shall be realized.
Foundation shall be consolidated and priority shall be given to major problems. The combination of trade and industry shall be strengthened. The process of reforming global value chains and industrial chains shall be comprehensively attended. The international competitiveness of the industry shall be enhanced.
3. Objectives and tasks. The position of a large trading country shall be consolidated and the process of becoming a strong trading power shall be promoted. The proportion of the emerging markets, the central and western regions, general trade, service trade, and brand products to China's foreign trade shall be increased with great efforts. By 2020, the traditional advantages in foreign trade shall be further consolidated and substantial progress shall be made in the fostering of new competitive advantages without any efforts spared. Joint efforts shall be made to optimize the layout of the international market and promote market diversification; joint efforts shall be made to optimize domestic regional layout and promote the coordinated development of east-central-west regions; joint efforts shall be made to optimize the goods structure of foreign trade and improve the export value added and technical content; joint efforts shall be made to optimize the main operation structure and promote the joint development of various enterprises; and joint efforts shall be made to optimize the mode of trade and promote the transformation and upgrading of foreign trade.
The transition of China's foreign trade from scale-speed model to quality-benefit model shall be vigorously promoted. Efforts shall be made to realize five transitions: first, the transition of export dominated by goods to the combination of goods, services, technologies, and capital export shall be promoted; second, the transition of competitive advantage from price advantage to comprehensive competitive advantages with technology, brand, quality, and service as the core shall be promoted; third, the transition of growth power from mainly factor-driving to innovation-driving shall be promoted; forth, the transition of the business environment from main policy guidance to institutional norms and the creation of a lawful and international business environment shall be promoted; and fifth, the transition of the global economic governance position from mainly abiding by and adapting to international economic trade rules to active participation in the formulation of economic trade rules shall be promoted.
III. Vigorously Promoting the Adjustment to the Foreign Trade Structure
1. Adjustment to the structure of the international market shall be promoted. The transition of the import and export market structure from main traditional market to comprehensive development of diversified market shall be promoted. The traditional markets of the United States, Europe, Japan and other places shall be developed in an in-depth manner. Exploration of Latin America, Africa, and other emerging markets shall be intensified. Comprehensive consideration shall be given to the economic scale, development speed, resource endowment, level of risk, and other factors. Priority shall be given to the exploration of several emerging markets selected. The proportion of the emerging markets to China's foreign trade shall be gradually increased. The import of advanced technical equipment shall be expanded. The export of industries and products with high quality, high level, and comparative advantages shall be promoted.
2. The coordinated development of domestic regions shall be promoted. According to the state's key industrial layout and overall industrial transfer deployment, a new situation which helps maximize the regional comparative advantages and reasonable division of labor for industrial chains shall be formed. Eastern regions shall be encouraged to give priority to develop high-end industries, high added value sectors, and headquarters economy, improve the quality and efficiency of trade, and maximize the leading role in setting a model. Central and western regions shall be supported in actively undertaking the industrial transfer in eastern regions and jointly improving the scale and quality, in light of local realities. The pace of opening in border areas shall be accelerated; cross-border economic cooperation zones shall be orderly developed; and economic and trade contacts with neighboring countries shall be expanded.
3. The coordinated development of all types of foreign trade subjects shall be promoted. The leading enterprises of the industry shall be encouraged to extend the industrial chain and improve the international operation level. Building alliances with powerful enterprises with advantages, cross-regional mergers and acquisitions, and foreign investment cooperation shall be promoted. A group of large enterprises with transnational operation capability that deploy factor resources and distribute market network worldwide shall be established in an accelerated manner. Innovative, entrepreneurial, and labor-intensive micro, small and medium-sized enterprises shall be encouraged in developing. Enterprises shall be supported in taking the road of “specialized, sophisticated, special and new” and coordinated development with large enterprises. Private export-oriented enterprises with innovation capacity shall be supported in developing.
4. Adjustment to the commodity structure of foreign trade shall be promoted. Different guidance shall be strengthened for the export of different categories of enterprises in the industry. The leading role of textile, clothing, bags, shoes, toys, furniture, plastic products, and other labor-intensive products worldwide shall be continuously consolidated and promoted. Intensive processing capacity and the characteristic development level of agricultural products shall be enhanced. The comprehensive competitive advantages of electric power, rail transit, communication equipment, ship, engineering machinery, aerospace, and other equipment manufacturing and export of large complete sets of equipment shall be enhanced; and joint efforts shall be made to expand export of goods of investment category. The international competitiveness of energy-saving and environmental protection, a new generation of information technology, new energy, and other strategic emerging industries shall be further enhanced. Import of advanced technical equipment, key components, and other items shall be expanded. Industrial structure adjustment, optimization, and upgrading shall be promoted. The import of energy resource products shall be stabilized and the strategic reserve system shall be improved. The import of general consumer goods shall be reasonably increased and backflow of consumption abroad shall be directed. Trade balance shall be promoted. Zero tariff treatment shall continuously be implemented for some products imported from the least developed countries.
5. The optimization of the mode of trade shall be promoted. General trade shall be strengthened. The scale of general trade shall be expanded. The added value of general trade export products shall be increased. Export of brand products shall be increased. The value-added effect of brands shall be maximized. The profitability shall be improved. Processing trade mode shall be innovated on. The transformation and upgrading of processing trade in coastal areas shall be promoted, to extend towards the high end of the industrial chains of brands, research and development, allocation, and settlement centers; and qualified enterprises shall be steadily promoted to transfer complete machines, spare parts, supporting raw materials, research and development settlement, and other items to inland and border areas, form industrial clusters, and build a new pattern of development. The innovative development, transformation and upgrading of border trade shall be accelerated.
6. Service trade shall be vigorously developed. Service trade facilitation shall be promoted. New forms of service shall be fostered. The development of research and development services, technology transfer, and other science and technology service industries shall be strengthened. Tourism, transportation, and export of labor services and other traditional services shall be stabilized and expanded; opening-up of finance, logistics, and other service industries shall be expanded; priority shall be given to the fostering and expansion of communications, finance, accounting, and other emerging service trade; the international level of the service industry shall be enhanced; and the proportion of service trade in foreign trade shall be increased. The improvement of the system, standards, specifications, and supervision system for the domestic service market shall be promoted. Facilitated cross-border flow of professional talents and professional services shall be promoted. Service outsourcing shall be actively developed.
IV. Accelerating the Enhancement of International Competitiveness in Foreign Trade
1. The enhancement of the technical content of exported products shall be accelerated. The transformation of traditional industries with modern technologies shall be accelerated. The quality, level, and technical content of labor intensive products shall be enhanced. Development of traditional industries towards the middle and high-end direction shall be promoted. The capital market shall be utilized to vigorously support the merger and acquisition of traditional industries. Joint efforts shall be made to establish the technological innovation system with enterprises as the mainstay, with market orientation, and with a combination of industries, academia, research institutes, and traders. Investment in technological innovation shall be increased and original innovation of enterprises shall be supported. Enterprises shall be encouraged to introduce advanced technologies by import, overseas merger and acquisition, international bidding, launch recruitment, and other ways, to promote digestion, absorption, and re-innovation. Domestic enterprises shall be supported in establishing overseas research and development centers through self-building, joint venture, cooperation, and other ways. Multinational companies and overseas scientific research institutions shall be encouraged to set up research and development institutions in China. Enterprises and industry associations shall be supported in participating in the formulation of international standards. The internationalization of Chinese standards shall be vigorously promoted. Overseas popularization and application of technical standards in communications and other fields shall be supported.
2. The fostering of foreign trade brands shall be accelerated. A statistical system for export brands shall be researched and established. Enterprises shall be directed to strengthen brand building. Qualified regions, industries, and enterprises shall be encouraged to establish a brand promotion center, to introduce brand products with core technologies. Enterprises shall be encouraged to establish brands; strong enterprises shall be encouraged to acquire brands; and regional and industrial brands shall be vigorously fostered. Enterprises shall be supported in carrying out overseas registration protection of trademarks and patents, and carrying out rights protection overseas. A variety of ways shall be adopted to intensify overseas promotion of Chinese brands.
3. The improvement of the quality of export products shall be accelerated. International advanced quality standards shall be actively adopted. Generally accepted international product testing and certification system shall be established. Enterprises shall be encouraged to organize production and quality inspection according to international standards. The building of export product quality safety demonstration areas shall be promoted. Mutual recognition of inspection systems and certificates of key export markets shall be promoted in an accelerated manner. The establishment of a traceability system for important products shall be strengthened. The product quality safety risk warning and rapid response mechanism shall be improved. The public platform for export product quality test shall be establish and improved. Export enterprises shall be supported in carrying out quality management system certification. Quality enhancement of agricultural exports shall be strengthened. Negotiations with foreign parties on technology quality shall be intensified. The quality safety level of food stuff and agricultural products exported shall be stabilized. Infringement upon intellectual property right through export and unlawful act of exporting counterfeit and inferior quality products shall be seriously cracked down on.
4. The establishment of an export product service system shall be accelerated. Enterprises shall be encouraged to treat after-sales service as an important way to develop the international market, enhance service quality, and improve the service system. Enterprises shall be encouraged to establish the service assurance and support system, improve after-sales service standards, and enhance users' satisfaction in a planned way for different markets and different products, through cooperating with distributors, self-building, and other ways. Information technology shall be actively utilized to develop remote monitoring and diagnosis, operation maintenance, technical support, and other new business types of after-sales services. After-sales maintenance service centers and spare parts production bases shall be established abroad for electricity, communication, rail transport, and other large complete sets of equipment, to drive the export of Chinese equipment and services.
5. The fostering of new trade modes shall be accelerated. The development of cross-border e-commerce shall be vigorously promoted. The pilot project of comprehensive reform of cross-border e-commerce shall be actively developed. Guiding opinions on promoting the development of cross-border e-commerce shall be researched and formulated without any efforts spared. A group of cross-border e-commerce platforms and enterprises shall be fostered. Enterprises shall be vigorously supported in exploring the international market with cross-border e-commerce. Cross-border e-commerce enterprises shall be encouraged to integrate into the overseas retail system through standardized “overseas warehouse” and other modes. The development of market purchase trade shall be promoted; a number of commodity markets which integrate domestic and foreign trade shall be fostered; the implementation of market purchase trade on commodity markets which integrate domestic and foreign trade shall be promoted; and commodity export shall be expanded. A group of foreign trade integrated service enterprises shall be fostered and customs clearance, logistics, tax refund, finance, insurance, and other integrated services capabilities shall be strengthened.
6. The construction of regional opening carriers shall be strengthened. The reform and opening-up of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (“SHFTZ”) shall be deepened and the experience of pilot reform shall be replicated and promoted across this country. The building of such three free trade zones as China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, China (Tianjin) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone shall be promoted; expansion and other work of SHFTZ shall be completed effectively; the scope of the pilot project shall be gradually expanded; and a highland of reform and opening up with various characteristics shall be formed. New approaches for the transformation and upgrading of an open platform shall be actively explored. State-level economic and technological development zones, national high and new technology industrial development zones, areas under special customs supervision, and other various zones shall be turned into China's high-end manufacturing, logistics, research and development, sales, settlement, and maintenance centers.
7. The building of foreign trade platforms shall be accelerated. The building of foreign trade transformation and upgrading bases shall be accelerated and a group of comprehensive, professional, and enterprise-type bases shall be fostered. The building of trade promotion platform shall be accelerated; several internationally well-known and influential national exhibition platforms shall be fostered; and internationally renowned professional exhibitions of key industries shall be created. A group of import promotion platforms shall be fostered, to maximize their role of promoting import. The fostering of internationally influential securities, commodities, and financial derivatives markets shall be strengthened; and capacity of participating in competition on the international market shall be enhanced. The building of international marketing network shall be accelerated; and enterprises shall be encouraged to establish overseas exhibition centers, distribution centers, wholesale markets, and retail outlets, among others.
V. Comprehensively Enhancing the Level of Economic and Trade Cooperation with Countries along “One Belt and One Road”
1. Trade cooperation shall be deepened. Export of labor-intensive products and other advantageous products to countries along the line shall be stabilized. The opportunity of the construction of infrastructure in countries along the line shall be seized; and export of large complete sets of equipment, as well as technology, standards, and services shall be promoted. The trend of industry transformation and upgrading in countries along the line shall be followed. Export of electromechanical products and high-tech products shall be accelerated. Agricultural products inspection and quarantine cooperation and access negotiations with relevant countries shall be conducted in an accelerated manner and trade of agricultural products with countries along the line shall be expanded. Import from countries along the line shall be expanded and trade balance shall be promoted.
2. Industrial investment shall be vigorously expanded. China's competitive industries and production capacity shall be driven to go abroad; production capacity cooperation between China and foreign countries shall be promoted; and the development space shall be expanded. Enterprises of nuclear power, power generation, power transmission and transformation, rail transport, engineering machinery, automobile manufacturing, and other industries with high technological level shall be encouraged to invest in countries along the line. Enterprises of the light and textile industry, food processing, and other industries shall be supported in investing and establishing enterprises in countries along the line. In-depth cooperation in agriculture, livestock and aquatic, agricultural machinery, and agricultural products circulation, and other fields shall be carried out. Cooperation in energy resources shall be deepened and maritime economic cooperation shall be strengthened. The construction of overseas industrial parks, science parks, and other parks shall be supported. And the progress of industrial agglomeration shall be promoted.
3. The surrounding economic and trade development pattern shall be optimized. Cooperation in power transmission, optical cable communication, and other fields shall be consolidated and expanded; and international big pathways connecting Central Asia, Russia and Mongolia, the New Eurasia Continental Bridge, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and other regions shall be formed in an accelerated manner. With the key economic and trade industrial parks as the cooperation platform, joint efforts shall be made to promote the building of experimental zones subject to prior development and opening, cross-border economic cooperation zones, and border economic cooperation zones, and several international economic cooperation corridors shall be jointly created. The building of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor shall be sturdily promoted. Chinese enterprises shall be directed to participate in the construction in an orderly manner.
VI. Striving to Build A Mutually beneficial and Win-win New International Cooperation Pattern
1. Effective interaction between foreign trade and foreign investment shall be accelerated. The reform of outbound investment management system shall be deepened; a management mode dominated by recordation shall be implemented; and the facilitation level of outbound investment shall be enhanced. The signing of high-level investment agreements shall be promoted in an accelerated manner and the formulation of investment rules shall be promoted. Chinese equipment's “going out” shall be vigorously promoted; international production capacity cooperation shall be promoted; and the level of cooperation shall be enhanced. Joint efforts shall be made to promote strong and qualified enterprises of household appliances, machinery equipment, and other industries to accelerate overseas industrial cooperation and to actively and steadily develop merger of overseas technologies, marketing networks, and other items. Mutual beneficial cooperation in international energy resources development and processing shall be deepened; and cooperation in overseas investment in agriculture shall be steadily promoted, to promote import and export of relevant industries. Outbound investment cooperation shall be innovated on and support shall be granted to greenfield investment, joint investment, etc., to drive export of China's products, technologies, standards, and services.
2. The quality and level of foreign investment utilization shall be further enhanced. The scale and speed of foreign investment shall be stabilized and the quality of foreign investment shall be enhanced. Foreign investment utilization management system shall be innovated on and the administration model of pre-establishment national treatment plus Negative List shall be explored and implemented. Undertaking of transfer of international manufacturing industry and promotion of domestic industry transformation and upgrading shall be combined. Foreign investment shall be actively directed to emerging industries, high and new technologies, energy conservation and environment protection, and other fields. Multinational companies shall be encouraged to set up regional headquarters, purchase centers, and financial management centers in China, promote the combination of introduction of foreign capital and introduction of foreign knowledge, and further maximize the role of foreign capital as a carrier of introducing advanced foreign technologies, management experience, and highly-competent people.
3. The implementation of the strategy of free trade zones shall be accelerated. The leading role of the multilateral trading system in global trade development shall be continuously maintained. The strategies of free trade zones shall be accelerated in an opening attitude. The acceleration role of free trade zones shall be maximized in trade and investment. The Free Trade Agreement between China and South Korea and the Free Trade Agreement between China and Australia shall be signed as soon as possible; upgraded negotiations on the China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone shall be actively promoted; the negotiation and construction process of China, Japan and South Korea, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), China - Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, China - Israel, China - Sri Lanka, and other free trade agreements shall be promoted; the building of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific shall be steadily promoted; and negotiations on free trade agreements with other economic and trade partners shall be launched at appropriate time. Economic integration between the Mainland and Hong Kong and Macao shall be vigorously promoted. Institutionalization of cross-strait economic and trade cooperation shall be continuously promoted. Top-level design shall be strengthened; negotiations shall be actively conducted for the building of free trade zones with countries and regions along “One Belt and One Road;” and a free trade zones network with high standards which is based on the surrounding areas, covers areas of “One Belt and One Road,” and faces the world shall be formed in an accelerated manner.
VII. Creating A Legally Regulated International Business Environment
1. A market environment featuring fair competition shall be optimized. The trade regulation of countries of mature market economy shall be learnt from and drawn on. The system of foreign trade laws and regulations in line with China's national conditions and international practice shall be improved. The construction of the credit system for foreign trade enterprises shall be strengthened. A coordination mechanism between commerce, customs, quality inspection, industry and commerce, and other departments shall be established. An import and export enterprises credit assessment system shall be explored and established. Chinese enterprises with positive credit status shall be disclosed or recommended to the public by appropriate ways. Intellectual property right protection shall be strengthened. Enterprises manufacturing and selling infringing, counterfeit and forged commodities in violation of laws shall be investigated and punished according to the law. A mechanism to provide convenience to those honest and lawful enterprises and to discipline the dishonest and illegal ones shall be established. A new model to foreign trade management order shall be explored, established, and standardized. The import and export management of key industries and the competitive self-discipline mechanism shall be improved. Compliance review of foreign trade and industrial policies shall be strengthened. Bilateral dialogue and cooperation shall be strengthened. The United States, Europe, and other developed countries shall be urged to relax export control against China.
2. The level of trade facilitation shall be improved. Reform of trade facilitation shall be intensified and trade costs shall be reduced. Construction of big customs clearance shall be promoted. Information exchange, mutual recognition of supervision, and mutual assistance in law enforcement among relevant port administration departments shall be comprehensively realized. Regional customs clearance integration reform shall be accelerated; efficient and convenient customs clearance system shall be established; and paperless customs clearance shall be implemented. The pertinence and effectiveness of customs inspection shall be intensified. The building of electronic ports shall be accelerated and the building of the international trade “single window” shall be promoted. An international trade supply chain management mechanism shall be establish and improved. The implementation of mutual recognition of “authorized economic operators (AEO)” shall be promoted. Import and export-related operating services and charges shall be reviewed and regulated, to effectively reduce the burden on enterprises.
3. The power of discourse in the rules for international economy and trade shall be enhanced. The reform of the global economic governance system shall be promoted. The formulation of multilateral, regional, and bilateral international trade rules shall be promoted and directed. The operation of the multilateral trading system shall be further deeply involved in. The formulation of international export control rules and control lists shall be extensively participated in. Cooperation in global value chain shall be actively participated in; the building of the accounting system of added trade value shall be strengthened; and a global value chain rules formulation and interest sharing mechanism shall be established and improved.
4. Trade friction shall be actively responded. A departmental coordination mechanism for response to trade friction departments shall be established. The building of trade friction and trade barrier early warning mechanism shall be strengthened. Public services for early warning information of trade frictions shall be strengthened. Legal technical consulting and services shall be actively provided. Relevant industries and enterprises shall be directed to respond to trade friction. Multilateral and bilateral negotiations on rules shall be actively attended and the rules of the World Trade Organization shall be fully utilized, to effectively resolve trade frictions and disputes. Laws, policies, and measures on foreign trade and investment shall be analyzed and investigated. Discriminatory trade barriers and measures involving China shall be investigated and coped with. Trade remedy investigations shall be launched according to the law, to safeguard safety of domestic industries and the lawful rights and interests of enterprises.
VIII. Improving the Policy System
1. Reform of foreign trade system shall be deepened. Foreign trade policy coordination mechanism shall be improved. Convergence and cooperation between policies of taxation, finance, industry, and trade, among others, shall be strengthened. Foreign trade promotion policies and systems shall be improved. Administration of imports and exports of commodities shall be improved according to the law, according to the safety standards, the environmental protection standards, social responsibilities, and other requirements. The building of a supervision system after foreign trade administrative approval items are delegated to lower levels shall be strengthened. Interim and ex post supervision shall be intensified. Customs clearance, quality inspection, tax refund, and foreign exchange management methods, among others, shall be optimized. The integration and optimization of areas under special customs supervision shall be accelerated. Support shall be granted to the development of cross-border e-commerce, foreign trade comprehensive service platform, market purchase trade, and other new trade modes.
2. The coordination of trade policies and industrial policies shall be strengthened. The Catalogue for Guiding Industry Restructuring and the Catalogue of Industries for Guiding Foreign Investment shall be amended at appropriate time. The international development of strategic emerging industries shall be promoted. The direction of the world's science and technology and industrial development shall be closely tracked. Breakthroughs shall be made in a group of core technologies. Guiding and pillar industries shall be formed in an accelerated manner. The interaction between trade policies and industrial policies shall be strengthened. Advantageous industries and production capacity shall be encouraged to expand development space outwards. The industrial layout shall be adjusted and coordinated regional development shall be promoted. International industry cooperation shall be further deepened, to enhance international competitiveness.
3. Fiscal taxation policy shall be improved. The contents and ways of support shall be further enriched and improved on the basis of the existing supportive policies; direction of social investors shall be strengthened; public services shall be improved; foreign trade structure and layout shall be improved and optimized; and innovative development, brand fostering, enhancement of the quality of products and services, as well as the building of international marketing network and overseas service agencies shall be promoted. The development of border trade shall be promoted. A policy promotion system supporting the development of service trade shall be improved and supported. The structure of import and export tariffs shall be further optimized. Generally accepted international tax refund policies shall be gradually implemented and the export refund sharing mechanism shall be further improved.
4. Financial policies shall be improved. Financial institutions shall be encouraged to provide financing support to enterprises overseas. Financial institutions shall be supported in flexibly utilizing working capital loans and other ways to strengthen credit support for profitable enterprises. Utilization of foreign exchange reserves shall be actively innovated on. Enterprises shall be supported in “going out” through entrust loans of foreign exchange reserves, and a variety of other ways. Long term systematic arrangements for financing insurance shall be researched and established, to maximize the role of promoting and safeguarding the development of foreign trade. Use of RMB in cross-border trade and investment shall be expanded and the RMB exchange rate formation mechanism shall be continuously improved. Financial institutions shall be encouraged to provide more direct or indirect investment and financing products to enterprises, develop hedging products and risk management tools meeting the development needs of the real economy, and help enterprises effectively avoid exchange rate risks. Financing guarantee and re-guarantee institutions supported by the government shall be vigorously developed; the mechanism of cooperation between banks and guarantee companies shall be improved; and products and services shall be continuously innovated on. Financial institutions shall be encouraged to “go out;” the overseas layout of financial institutions shall be accelerated; and the capacity of serving entity enterprises shall be improved.
5. Public service capacity shall be improved. The collection and issuance of relevant laws, access policies, and technical regulations, among others, on key markets shall be strengthened. The building of a public information service platform for technical trade measures shall be accelerated. The role of embassies and consulates in providing market information, responding to trade frictions, and other respects shall be maximized. The management system reform of associations shall be deepened, to maximize its greater role in the exchange of industry information, the building of the system of industrial standards, organizing enterprises in participating in domestic and foreign exhibitions, promoting industry self-regulation, and other respects. Training on foreign trade talents shall be strengthened and a favorable environment for the development of foreign trade talents shall be created. Vocational education and training shall be vigorously developed, to improve the vocational skills of workers.
IX. Strengthening Organization and Implementation
Fostering new competitive advantages in foreign trade is a long-term systematic work involving a wide range. All parties concerned shall strengthen coordination and form joint forces therefor. The Ministry of Commerce shall, in conjunction with relevant departments, develop action plans on fostering new competitive advantages in foreign trade and establish coordination mechanisms. All departments shall research and develop specific work plans without any efforts spared. Local people's governments at all levels shall, in light of local realities, issue relevant targeted measures and effectively implement the policies.
State Council
February 12, 2015