Opening the Door Wider — Comments on Promoting High-level Opening to the Outside World in the New Era (First Half)

《 The People’s Daily 》（ December 23, 2021   01 version）

        Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has unswervingly advanced high-level opening-up, promoted reform, development and innovation through opening-up, and promoted the building of an open world economy, thus opening up broad space for development and achieving mutual benefit and win-win results with other countries.

        From today on, the Dong-A Ilbo has published a series of reviews to fully demonstrate China’s brave and courageous progress on the road of high-level opening-up in the new era.

        ——The editor

        By the riverside of the Huangpu River, China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone will be set up and a new area near The Harbor will be built to support Pudong’s high-level reform and opening-up and set sail in its socialist modernization drive.

        On the coast of the South China Sea, a great wave of opening-up is coming forward — The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Hainan Free Trade Port has been promulgated and implemented, the first negative list for cross-border trade in services has been issued, and a high-quality free trade port with Chinese characteristics has been built.

        From promoting high-quality belt and Road cooperation, to building the pilot Free Trade Zone and the Hainan Free Trade port, from reducing the negative list for foreign investment, to hosting the China International Import Expo for four consecutive years… Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has unswervingly opened up to the outside world at a high level, opened up broad space for development, and achieved win-win results with other countries.

        This year marks the 20th anniversary of China’s accession to the World Trade Organization. In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the fourth CIIE, President Xi Jinping pointed out, “Since China’s accession to the WORLD Trade Organization (WTO), China has continued to open wider to the outside world, which has invigorated the surging tide of China’s development and also invigorated the spring water of the world economy.” This is the most vivid, accurate and concise summary of China’s relations with the rest of the world as it continues to open up to a higher level.

        On the road of high-level opening-up, China in the new era is forging ahead bravely despite wind and rain.

        To adapt to economic globalization and take advantage of China’s super-large market, we will adopt a more proactive opening-up strategy

        Openness brings progress, while isolation leaves one behind. To gain advantages, initiative and future in China’s development, we must adapt to economic globalization, take advantage of China’s super-large market and adopt a more proactive opening-up strategy. Opening up at a high level and opening up new prospects for win-win cooperation is a major strategic plan made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to coordinate the overall strategy for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and major changes unseen in the world in a century. It is an objective requirement for shaping a new development pattern.

        Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has continued to reinforce each other in opening up at home, better integrate “bringing in” with “going global”, build an open economy featuring mutual benefit, diversity, balance, security and efficiency, and constantly enhance China’s new advantages in international economic cooperation and competition.

        ——Deepen reform and open to the outside world. Further reduce tariffs to stimulate import potential, further relax market access to promote investment liberalization, further open up the financial sector, promote the opening of the service sector, accelerate the opening of telecommunications, education, medical care, culture and other sectors… In the new era, China is committed to promoting reform, development and innovation through opening-up and building an open world economy.

        French red wine, Belgian chocolate, Russian flour, Thai natural latex pillow… Now, the import and Export Commodities Exhibition and Trade Center in Xinglong Comprehensive Security Zone in Changchun, Jilin province has become a “window” for citizens to purchase imported commodities. “Especially on weekends, more people come to shop, with an average of 3,000 visitors per day.” Relevant person in charge of the center said.

        ——Overcoming difficulties and opening up firmly. In the face of century-old changes and epidemics, China has always stood on the right side of history and on the side of human progress in the face of unilateralism and setbacks in economic globalization. It has unswervingly upheld genuine multilateralism and the stability of global industrial and supply chains. We should make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all.

        “We will fully implement the Foreign Investment Law and its implementation regulations, and further reduce the negative list for foreign investment access… China continues to introduce policies and measures to further open up, which further strengthens our investment confidence.” Bayer, a multinational pharmaceutical company, said.

        ——Benefiting the world and opening up. While enjoying its rights and developing itself, China has actively fulfilled its obligations. China has actively participated in such mechanisms as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It has taken an active part in addressing climate change and safeguarding global food and energy security, and has continued to provide more assistance to other developing countries within the framework of South-South cooperation.

        Opening to the outside world is expanding a grand picture, and an all-directional and all-field opening to the outside world is becoming more evident

        “China’s opening-up is all-directional and all-sectors, and we are speeding up efforts to form a new pattern of all-round opening-up.” The sonorous words of President Xi Jinping are a strong commitment and unswerving actions.

        Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has been opening up to the outside world in a grand way. A thousand races are going on in foreign trade, foreign investment and overseas investment, and an all-dimensional and all-field pattern of opening up has become increasingly evident.

        More open highlands——

        Since 2013, China has set up 21 pilot free trade zones in batches from the east to the west, and built the Hainan Free trade port. This has created a new trend of opening-up featuring coordination between east, west, north and south, and land and sea. As new frontiers in opening-up, pilot free trade zones and free trade ports have become pacesetters and leaders in China’s all-round opening-up.

        “At present, we are actively expanding the pilot import and export management system of ‘liberalizing the first line and controlling the second line’.” Shi Zongwei, head of Haikou Customs, said the Hainan free Trade port is speeding up pressure tests for high-level opening up to provide better services for enterprises.

        Open environments are better——

        We will continue to shorten the negative list for foreign investment, improve systems for promoting and protecting investment and information reporting, and strengthen protection of intellectual property rights. Last year, China ranked 31st in the world in terms of ease of doing business, ranking among the top 10 economies with the most improved business environment for the second consecutive year, according to a World Bank report.

        Pineapples picked from the Philippines can now reach Chinese consumers in as little as 10 to 12 days by sea. “This is inseparable from a series of opening-up measures such as deepening the reform of customs clearance facilitation and improving cold chain logistics.” Fruit production, sales multinational company brand director Wang Na said.

        The open mechanism is more active——

        We will advance trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, continue to deepen opening-up based on the flow of goods and factors of production, build institutions and regulatory models that are in line with prevailing international rules, and take resolute steps in building new institutions for an open economy at a higher level.

        On August 9, Siemens Medical Systems Co., LTD., one of the first batch of global operators to be cultivated in Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone, successfully settled its subsidiary in Pudong bonded area. In December last year, the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone launched the Global Operator Program to help multinational companies improve the efficiency of resource allocation and build a global headquarters with high-level functions through a personalized service mechanism of “one company, one team and one professional team”. In the first three quarters of this year, the first batch of 41 incubators signed a total revenue of 162 billion yuan, up 36% year on year.

        Higher level of openness——

        We will consolidate the leading position of the eastern coastal regions and megacities in opening up, accelerate the pace of opening up the central and western regions and northeast China, and promote high-quality development of border development and opening up.

        A 67,376 freight train carrying 4,066 tons of Indonesian coal arrived at Guigang station in Guangxi province on November 25, accompanied by a loud train whistle. The coal will arrive at Tieshan Port in Guangxi from Indonesia by sea and then arrive at Your port by sea-rail combined transportation.

        “We will accelerate the construction of major railway transport corridors, major hubs and logistics facilities, and build new land-sea corridors in the western region at a high level.” China Railway Nanning Bureau Group Limited Tieshan Port station chief Xie Dehua said. In the first 10 months of this year, a total of 4,718 freight trains of the new Western Land-Sea Corridor, with Chongqing as the operation center and Western provinces such as Guangxi, Guizhou and Gansu as key points, have run, delivering 470,000 TEUs of goods.

        By opening wider to the outside world, China has not only developed itself, but also benefited the world

        The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed Railway, the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, nansha, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao (International) Youth Innovation Workshop… Major infrastructure projects have been completed one after another, innovation bases are in full swing, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is growing at the jointing stage.

        Ceec International Industrial Cooperation Park, Trade and Logistics Park, youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center… Economic and trade cooperation has continued to expand, people-to-people and cultural exchanges have made solid progress, and china-CEEC cooperation has been upgraded.

        By opening wider to the outside world, China has not only developed itself, but also benefited the world. For many years in a row, China has contributed more than 30% to global growth and become a major stabilizer and engine of global growth.

        ——Solid and substantial achievements have been made in promoting high-quality belt and Road cooperation. The Antigua and Barbudaville Byrd International Airport, the Waaya Railway in Tajikistan, the Maikh-Maikh-Saudi Arabia High-speed Railway, and the China-Laos Railway are all in operation. Since 2013, belt and Road cooperation has been turned from an initiative into a reality. We have promoted hard connectivity in infrastructure, soft connectivity in rules and standards, and connectivity with the hearts and minds of the people in our countries.

        “CRCC will seize strategic opportunities, integrate high-quality, sustainable, risk-resistant, affordable, inclusive and accessible goals into the whole project life cycle, and make greater contributions to high-quality development of the Belt and Road initiative,” he said. “Said Wang Jianping, party secretary and chairman of China Railway Construction.

        To date, China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents with 145 countries and 32 international organizations to jointly build the Belt and Road. The total volume of trade in goods with countries along the Routes has reached 10.4 trillion US dollars, and China’s non-financial direct investment in these countries has exceeded 130 billion US dollars.

        ——Deepen multilateral and bilateral cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit. We will advance the “ten cooperation plans”, implement the “eight actions”, formulate the “vision for China-Africa Cooperation 2035”, and announce the joint implementation of the “nine projects”. In the first 10 months of this year, china-africa trade and direct investment both bucked the trend and rose to 207.1 billion US dollars and over 2.6 billion US dollars, respectively, up 37.5% and 10% year-on-year. China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years.

        On the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, China has actively developed friendly relations and cooperation with other countries. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will enter into force on January 1, 2022. China is also actively applying to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Digital Economy Partnership, and accelerating the building of a network of high-standard free trade zones open to the world.

        ——We will actively participate in the reform of the global economic governance system. China is firmly committed to upholding the multilateral trading system. It has always been an important promoter of global opening-up, a stable driver of world economic growth, a vibrant market for all countries to expand business opportunities, and an active contributor to global governance reform.

        To date, China has participated in almost all inter-governmental organizations across the board and earnestly fulfilled its obligations under relevant treaties. In addressing global challenges such as the global economic recession, climate change, major infectious diseases and terrorism, China has firmly upheld and practiced multilateralism, actively promoted the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and contributed its share to improving the global governance system.

        Opening up is the only path leading to development and progress. Going forward, China will only open wider and never close its door to the outside world. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, a more open China will join hands with other countries to create opportunities through openness and solve difficult problems through cooperation. This will surely bring about sustainable and peaceful development of the world and usher in a better future for mankind.

Article source：The General Administration of Customs