The key word is "improvement", implementing the strategy of upgrading free trade pilot zones
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to implement the strategy of upgrading free trade pilot zones. How will Shanghai implement it in the next step?
On September 15th, at the "10th Anniversary of the Opening and Operation of Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone" press conference held by the Municipal Government Information Office, Ruan Qing, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Development and Reform Commission, introduced that in the future, Shanghai will continue to adhere to the core of institutional innovation and the fundamental requirement of replicability and promotion, and carry out greater pressure testing at a deeper level to promote the construction of Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone and Lingang New Area.
Ruan Qing stated that the key to implementing the strategy of upgrading free trade pilot zones is "upgrading". Based on the actual situation in Shanghai, "improving" mainly considers four aspects of capabilities:
One is to focus on improving the ability to connect international rules. Fully integrating with international high standard economic and trade rules such as CPTPP and DEPA, focusing on key areas such as trade freedom and convenience, expanding foreign investment market access, cross-border data flow, and implementing "post border" rules, continuously enriching test samples and content, and creating a favorable environment for investment and entrepreneurship of various business entities. If we take the lead in connecting with the CPTPP's provisions on national treatment and market access for goods, formulate a pilot plan for the import of remanufactured products in Shanghai, and actively strive to carry out remanufacturing business with high technological content, high added value, and environmental requirements.
The second is to focus on improving the global ability to allocate factor resources. The reform direction is to further promote the safe and smooth flow of global high-end and new elements in the free trade pilot zone. The overall design revolves around promoting high-level opening up of the service industry, improving the global operation level of business entities, implementing open and convenient talent policies, and better utilizing both domestic and international markets and resources. If we accelerate the construction of the Shanghai Oil and Gas Trading Center, improve the system functions, rules and regulations, and supporting policies of the trading center, introduce more high-energy level oil and gas trading entities, and continue to expand the scale of RMB settlement in oil and gas trade.
The third is to focus on enhancing the leading ability of high-end industries. Targeting the bottlenecks and difficulties in the development of key industries such as integrated circuits, biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and civil aviation, we will strengthen institutional integration and innovation in areas such as supporting the integration and upgrading of the entire industry chain, strengthening technological innovation support, and opening up application testing scenarios, to help build multiple world-class cutting-edge industrial clusters. If we expand the pilot scope of the reform to facilitate the customs clearance of special biopharmaceutical items, establish a joint supervision mechanism for the entire process of entry and exit, and further improve the efficiency of approval and inspection of special items such as specific blood products and animal derived products.
Fourthly, we will focus on enhancing the differentiated exploration capabilities of the Lingang New Area. Focusing on deepening the construction of an institutional open system with "five freedoms and one convenience" as its core, a number of reform and innovation measures that meet the needs of national strategy, business entities, and regional positioning characteristics are proposed to create special economic functional zones with more international market influence and competitiveness. If we solidly promote the expansion and construction of the Yangshan Special Comprehensive Bonded Zone, deepen the integrated operation of the zone and port, and promote the agglomeration and development of new "bonded+" industries such as bonded research and development design, bonded testing and maintenance, and bonded display and trading.