2020-12-23 15:51
Official Reply of the State Council on Approving the Deepening of the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services
(Letter No. 79 [2018] of the State Council)
The people's governments of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei Province, Heilongjiang Province, Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Shandong Province, Hubei Province, Guangdong Province, Hainan Province, Chongqing, Sichuan Province, Guizhou Province, and Shaanxi Province; and the Ministry of Commerce:
The Ministry of Commerce's request for deepening the pilot reform of innovative development of trade in services was received. The official reply is hereby made as follows:
I . The Overall Proposal for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services submitted by the Ministry of Commerce is approved in principle, and it is approved to deepen the pilot program of innovative development of trade in services in provinces and cities (areas) including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hainan, Shenzhen, Harbin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Suzhou, Weihai, Xiong'an New Area of Hebei, Liangjiang New Area of Chongqing, Gui'an New Area of Guizhou, Xixian New Area of Shaanxi. The duration of deepening the pilot program is two years, starting from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020.
II . When deepening the pilot program, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era shall be followed as guidance, the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee shall be fully implemented, the overall advancement of overall layout for "economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress" and the coordinated advancement of the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy shall be effected, the concept of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development shall be adhered to, the supply-side structural reform shall be taken as the theme, systems and mechanisms, policies and measures, and opening-up paths compatible with the innovative development of trade in services shall be extensively explored, and the optimization of the business environment shall be accelerated, so as to maximize the vitality of the market and create a new height for innovation in trade in services systems.
III . The people's governments (administration commissions) of the pilot regions shall strengthen the organizational leadership on the work of the pilot program, be responsible for the promotion of the implementation, comprehensive coordination, and supporting measures of the work on the pilot program, focus on taking the lead in administrative systems, opening-up paths, promotion mechanisms, policy systems, regulatory regimes, development modes and other aspects, and explore paths for the innovative development of trade in services across the country. The people's governments of relevant provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall intensify the guidance of and support for the work on the pilot program and encourage the pilot to conduct exploration courageously and blaze new trails.
IV . The relevant departments of the State Council shall, in accordance with the division of functions, strengthen the coordinating guidance of and policy support for the work on the pilot programs, take the initiative to lead opening up, innovate policy means, and combine the efforts to promote the innovative development of trade in services. The Ministry of Commerce shall strengthen overall coordination and supervisory assessment and promptly summarize and promote the experience in the pilot programs together with relevant departments.
V . During the period for deepening the pilot program, the implementation of certain provisions of the relevant administrative regulations, documents issued by the State Council, and departmental rules approved by the State Council shall be temporarily adjusted, and the specific adjustments shall be separately issued by the State Council. The relevant departments of the State Council shall adjust the rules and regulatory documents formulated by them according to the Overall Proposal for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services. The Ministry of Commerce shall promptly report the major issues in the pilot program to the State Council for instructions.
Annexes:
1. Overall Proposal for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services (Omitted)
2. Opening-up and Facilitation Measures for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services (Omitted)
3. Tasks and Policy Guarantee Measures for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services (Omitted)
State Council
June 1, 2018
Annex 1
Overall Proposal for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services
Giving priority to the development of trade in services is an important measure to promote economic transformation and upgrading and high-quality development. In February 2016, the State Council replied and approved the launch of pilot programs for innovative development of trade in services. Since then, the pilot areas have taken the initiative to innovate and explore new mechanisms, models and paths for the development of trade in services, which has achieved positive results and effectively promoted the innovative development of trade in services. In order to further deepen the pilot program of innovative development of trade in services and reform and innovate the development mechanism of trade in services, this proposal is formulated.
I. General Requirements
(I) Guiding Philosophies
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era shall be followed as guidance; the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee shall be comprehensively implemented; the philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared development shall be kept firmly in mind; the supply-side structural reform shall be taken as our main task; the enthusiasm and creativity of the localities shall be fully maximized; pilot projects in the management system of trade in services, path of opening up, promotion mechanism, policy system, regulatory system, development mode and other aspects shall be carried out; and the optimization of the business environment shall be accelerated, so as to maximize the vitality of the market, stimulate innovative development of trade in services, promote the high-quality development of China's trade in services, continuously cultivate the core competitive advantage of "Chinese services" and promote the formation of a new pattern of overall opening up.
(II) Basic Principles
Key breakthroughs and prioritized development. In order to deepen the pilot program, the key points and directions shall be grasped; the concept of giving priority to the development of trade in services shall be formed; and the concentration of resources and policies shall be promoted. The development of an open economy in the new era shall be promoted, and long-term development goal of trade in services shall be centered on; the major institutional obstacles and policy shortcomings faced at different stages shall be targeted at; and key breakthroughs shall be made in the pilot areas, so as to drive the innovative development of trade in services across the country. Focusing on the resolution of large trade deficit in service trade, great attention shall be attached to expanding the export of services.
Driven by innovation and transformational development. The innovation-driven development strategy shall be deeply implemented; the business environment shall be optimized; innovation and entrepreneurship shall be supported; the vigorous development of new technologies, new industries, new forms and new modes in the field of trade in services shall be promoted; and the industrial transformation and upgrading and economic restructuring shall be accelerated. The export of new services led by "Internet +" shall be pushed forward, so as to create new highlights for open development.
Vertical and horizontal joint operation and coordinated development. The new trend of development of services in the era of digital economy shall be followed; the horizontal collaboration and vertical joint operation shall be strengthened; and all departments shall work together to guarantee and guide the opening up and innovation in the pilot regions. The sharing of experience among the pilot regions shall be promoted, and the innovation and experience of the pilot regions shall be integrated and shared with the pilot free trade zones and the pilot program of expanding opening-up in the service trade of Beijing Municipality.
Orderly deepening and sustained development. The new situations and new characteristics of trade in services shall be continuously adapted to; reforms shall be deepened orderly; and innovations shall be promoted in a sustained way. The pilot tasks shall be implemented one by one; the experience shall be summed up and promoted constantly; and the all-round reform and development of trade in services shall be pushed forward steadily.
II. Regions and Period of Deepening the Pilot Program
The regions involved in deepening the pilot programs are provinces and municipalities (regions) including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hainan, Shenzhen, Harbin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Suzhou, Weihai, Hebei Xiong'an New Area, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Guizhou Gui'an New Area, and Shaanxi Xixian New Area. The period for deepening the pilot program is 2 years, starting from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020.
III. Tasks of Deepening the Pilot Program
(I) Further improve the management system. The overall planning, policy coordination and information sharing of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Meeting for the Development of Trade in Services of the State Council shall be strengthened. The cross-sectoral coordination and decision-making mechanism for local trade in services shall be enhanced. The legislative exploration of local laws and regulations in the field of trade in services shall be accelerated, and experience shall be gathered around market access, management, promotion, statistics and monitoring. A mechanism shall be fully developed to evaluate and assess the performance of the local governments in the promotion of trade in services.
(II) Further expand the opening up to the outside world. The opening up and facilitating measures shall be launched in phases in the pilot regions. The experience of opening up from the pilot free trade zones and the pilot program of expanding opening-up in the service trade of Beijing Municipality shall be drawn upon to promote the opening up of the service industries to the outside world. The two-way opening up of emerging service industries shall be expanded. Explorations shall be made to improve the market access system for trade in services under the modes of cross-border delivery, overseas consumption and mobility of natural persons, and the restrictive measures shall be gradually relaxed or canceled, in order to push forward the opening up to the outside world in an orderly manner. Pilot regions shall be supported to explore the establishment of an early warning mechanism for the risks arising from the opening up of the service industries.
(III) Further cultivate market players. The national and regional public service platforms shall be established and operated scientifically, and the integration and coordinated utilization of existing public service platforms shall be enhanced, so as to improve the efficiency of services. Financial institutions shall be encouraged to innovate financial services that adapt to the characteristics of trade in services on the premise of controllable risks and business sustainability. The building of a number of overseas promotion centers for trade in services shall be assessed and conducted. The platform of China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services shall be made full use of. The trade promotion institutions and associations shall function better. The pilot regions shall be facilitated to strengthen cooperation with key service trading partners, and relevant enterprises shall be encouraged to tap into the international market.
(IV) Further innovate the mode of development. The pilot free trade zones and the economic and technological development zones shall be relied on in order to build a number of export bases with characteristic services. The policy advantage of the zones under special customs supervision shall be given to full play, so as to develop trade in services such as warehousing logistics, research and development design, inspection and testing, maintenance, international settlement, distribution, exhibition, and focus on building export bases with characteristic services for digital products and services, maintenance, research and development design. Explorations shall be made to promote digitalization of trade in services, digital technology shall be employed to enhance the tradability of services, and the rapid development of service trade of digital contents in the new forms and modes shall be promoted. The overall export of "service +" supported by digital technology and led by high-end services shall be pushed forward. The emerging trade in services shall be expanded actively by focusing on the development of service outsourcing, trade in technology and trade in culture.
(V) Further improve the level of facilitation. The regulation system and mode of customs clearance shall be further reformed, so as to provide customs clearance facilitation for the import and export of goods and articles related to trade in services, like relevant goods and articles for exhibition, maintenance, R&D and design. The level of facilitation in cross-border delivery and mobility of natural persons shall be enhanced; the visa facilitation policies shall be improved; the mechanism for the flow of overseas professionals shall be perfected, the channels for overseas high-level talents to innovate and start businesses in China shall be smooth and the mutual recognition of professional qualifications shall be promoted. The level of facilitation in mobile payment and consumption services shall be improved, and efforts shall be made to actively develop inbound tourism.
(VI) Further improve the policy system. The "Guidance Catalogue for the Key Fields of Service Export" and other relevant catalogues in the field of trade in services shall be revised and perfected; the existing funding channels shall be made full use of; the overseas service markets shall be actively expanded; and the export of emerging services and the import of key services shall be encouraged. The income tax policies for export-oriented service enterprises in the pilot regions shall be studied and perfected. In combination with the full implementation of the reform of replacing business tax with value-added tax, tax exemption shall be implemented in service export, and zero tax rate shall be applied to eligible service exporters, so as to encourage the expansion of export of services. The role of the guidance funds for innovative development of trade in services shall be given to full play. The support for export credit insurance and export credit for trade in services shall be enhanced. The financing channels for enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be expanded. The measures for the administration of foreign exchange shall be improved. The cross-border use of RMB in trade in services shall be accelerated.
(VII) Further improve the statistical system. The statistical monitoring, operation and analysis system for trade in services shall be improved; the direct reporting system for key contact enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be established and improved; the direct reporting of statistical data of key contact enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be carried out; the number of enterprises monitored shall be properly increased; and the statistics on trade in services of foreign affiliates in the pilot regions shall be conducted, so as to achieve full coverage of direct reporting of systemically important enterprises engaging in trade in services. An information sharing and data exchange mechanisms for government departments shall be set up, so as to realize the sharing of relevant working data of member entities of the coordination mechanism for the development of trade in services.
(VIII) Further innovate the regulatory mode. A monitoring mechanism for the operation of key contact enterprises engaging in trade services shall be established; the measures for interim and ex post regulation shall be innovated; and tax fraud and subsidy fraud shall be effectively prevented. Explorations shall be carried out to establish a regulatory system for trade in services through which commerce, customs, taxation, foreign exchange and other departments share information and cooperate in law enforcement. The credit records of service trade market players shall be fully established and incorporated into the national credit information sharing platform. The credit information shall be available to the public through the national enterprise credit information publication system and the website of "Credit China" in accordance with the law, so as to implement joint incentives for honesty and joint sanctions for dishonesty. The management mode of trade in technologies shall be explored and innovated. The management issues relating to trade in services shall be gradually incorporated into the "single window system" of international trade.
IV. Organization and Implementation
As the primary responsible parties for the pilot program, the people's governments (management committees) in the pilot regions shall detail the work plan in accordance with the local situations, strengthen the organization, implementation, comprehensive coordination and supportive measures, implement the pilot tasks one by one, and report the achievements of the pilot program and the reproducible and promotable experience to the Ministry of Commerce on an annual basis. The people's governments of relevant provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government should strengthen the guidance and policy support for the pilot program. The members of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Meeting for the Development of Trade in Services of the State Council shall refer to the local development foundation, industrial structure and resource advantage of the pilot regions, strengthen coordination and guidance, provide active support and do a good job in implementing opening-up measures, policy guarantee and experience promotion according to the division of responsibilities. The Ministry of Commerce shall fully maximize the role of the Office of the State Council's Inter-Ministerial Joint Meeting for the Development of Trade in Services, strengthen planning, coordination, follow-up and supervision, actively promote the pilot programs, ensure the implementation of the tasks, carry out summarization, evaluation, replication and promotion of experience, and report the major matters to the State Council.