Promoting High Quality Development through High Level Openness (High Quality Development Research Tour) System | Hainan | High Level
Shenzhen Mindray Biomedical Electronics Co., Ltd. has a busy production line. As a supplier of medical device manufacturing and solutions, the company has 51 overseas branches and products are exported to more than 190 countries and regions;
Xiamen Dadeng Island is lined with tower cranes, and the under construction Xiang'an Airport is an important international airport, regional hub airport, and gateway airport for cross-strait exchanges in China. After its opening in 2026, it is expected to have an annual passenger throughput of 45 million and a cargo and mail throughput of 750000 tons;
Haikou International Duty Free City is bustling with people, and products from all over the world stimulate customer enthusiasm for consumption. In the first half of this year, the sales revenue of duty-free shops in Hainan's outlying islands reached nearly 32.4 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 31%. The number of duty-free shoppers reached 5.166 million, a year-on-year increase of 34%
During the midsummer season, when interviewing in Guangdong, Fujian, and Hainan provinces, one can always feel the open atmosphere that comes rushing towards them.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must continue to expand high-level opening to the outside world, deeply participate in the global industrial division of labor and cooperation, make good use of both domestic and international resources, and expand the development space of Chinese-style modernization."
Guangdong, Fujian, and Hainan provinces are steadfastly promoting high-level opening up to the outside world, continuously improving the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation, enhancing the level of institutional opening up, creating a market-oriented, legal, and internationalized first-class business environment, and focusing on promoting high-quality development through high-level opening up.
Improve the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation
A set of data reflects the effectiveness of Guangdong, Fujian, and Hainan in attracting and utilizing foreign investment with greater efforts:
In the past decade of the new era, the actual utilization of foreign investment in Guangdong Province has exceeded 1.4 trillion yuan, and the proportion of foreign investment in high-tech manufacturing has increased from 20% in 2012 to 41% in 2022;
From January to May this year, Fujian Province established 1268 new foreign-funded enterprises, a year-on-year increase of 35.3%;
Since 2018, the actual use of foreign investment in Hainan Province has doubled for three consecutive years, with an average annual growth rate of 63.5% over the past five years.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China: "Relying on my country's ultra-large-scale market advantages, attracting global resource elements with a large domestic cycle, enhancing the linkage effect of two resources in the domestic and international markets, and improving the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation."
Guangdong, Fujian, and Hainan are increasing their efforts to attract and utilize foreign investment, while continuously improving the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation. More and more foreign investment is being directed towards advanced manufacturing, energy conservation and environmental protection, scientific and technological innovation, and other fields.
In the workshop of ABB Switchgear Co., Ltd. in Xiamen, three robotic arms can stretch back and forth, and in just 18 minutes, each piece of steel plate can be made into a switchgear. In May 2023, this automated assembly production line was officially put into mass production, with a 30% increase in production capacity and a 50% increase in delivery speed.
"We have invested 2 billion yuan to build ABB Xiamen Industrial Center, helping the manufacturing industry move towards high-end and intelligent development." Zhao Yongzhan, the person in charge of ABB Electric, said that we will continue to focus on technological innovation and talent cultivation, and work together with domestic enterprises to grow.
On June 1st, Hyundai Motor Corporation's hydrogen fuel cell system Guangzhou factory was completed and put into mass production, marking its first overseas hydrogen fuel cell system research and production base.
In Guangdong, iconic foreign investment projects have landed one after another, and billion dollar projects such as BASF and ExxonMobil are progressing smoothly. Since the end of 2022, Guangdong has successfully held brand investment activities such as the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area Global Investment Conference and the Guangdong Special Session of the "Investment China Year", with a total of 1370 intention projects reached.
The open market not only provides more opportunities for enterprises from various countries to develop in China, but also cultivates new demands and enriches new business formats.
From scratch to excellence, cross-border e-commerce has become the main force in the development of foreign trade in the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone in Fujian. "In 2022, the import and export volume of cross-border e-commerce in Pingtan exceeded 10 billion yuan, the throughput of foreign trade containers exceeded 100000 TEUs, and the trade volume with Taiwan exceeded 18 billion yuan. The bonded import volume of cross-border e-commerce ranked first in the province, and the cross-border e-commerce volume of sea freight to Taiwan ranked first in the country." said Zhang Shufu, Deputy Director of the Commerce and Logistics Department of the Economic Development Bureau of Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone.
On April 27th, an Airbus A320 aircraft entered the scheduled inspection hangar of the one-stop aircraft maintenance industry base at Hainan Free Trade Port to receive high-level scheduled inspection and maintenance services. This is the first time since the base was put into operation that it has conducted business for overseas aircraft, and all relevant aviation material components will enjoy a "zero tariff" preferential policy.
Since the launch of the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port, efforts have been made to develop the aviation maintenance industry with high technological content and added value. The relevant person in charge of Haikou Airport Comprehensive Bonded Zone stated that they will actively support the base to build an international one-stop aircraft maintenance industry platform with a full industrial chain.
By coordinating domestic and international markets and resources, more and more enterprises in Guangdong, Fujian, and Hainan are actively engaging in external investment and cooperation, exploring development space and enhancing competitive advantages.
A modern coking industrial park has emerged on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. "This is our first overseas park, which was put into operation in May this year," said Xiao Wei, Deputy General Manager of Xuyang International Investment Co., Ltd. Facing Southeast Asia, Hainan not only has geographical advantages but also tax preferential policies. The overall advantage of setting up an overseas investment headquarters base here is obvious.
In Hainan, enterprises such as Zijin Mining, Yunnan Baiyao, and Nanjing Iron and Steel have actively carried out foreign investment after landing, driving the development of goods trade, service trade, and other industries. In 2022, the province's actual outward investment was 1.895 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 137.46%.
From January to April this year, Guangdong's exports of "new three types" represented by electric passenger vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar cells increased significantly. Among them, BYD's new energy passenger vehicles are exported to more than 40 countries and regions worldwide. "Guangdong is expanding and strengthening its advantageous industries' import and export. Last year, high-tech products accounted for nearly 40% of the province's foreign trade," said He Jun, Deputy Director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Commerce.
Steadily expanding institutional openness
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China: "Steady expansion of institutional openness in rules, regulations, management, and standards."
Guangdong, Fujian, and Hainan provinces are striving to promote institutional openness in terms of rules, regulations, management, and standards, providing high-level institutional supply, high-quality product supply, and efficient funding supply.
In the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan, a child with "hypophosphatase syndrome" successfully received innovative drug treatment and was discharged smoothly. Thanks to policy advantages such as licensed medical services and franchising, the pilot zone can introduce clinically urgently needed drugs and technologies that have been approved for listing overseas but have not yet been listed domestically. In 2022, the number of patients using licensed medical equipment in the Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone reached 18000, a year-on-year increase of 79%.
The negative list for foreign investment admission has been reduced to 27 items, which is the shortest in the country; Cross border service trade has implemented access management in the form of a negative list, marking the first time in the country... Hainan has placed institutional integration and innovation in a prominent position, steadily expanding institutional openness, and building a free trade port with high standards and quality.
On June 8th, six cross-border investment enterprises were jointly awarded business licenses in Hengqin and Macau through the "Cross border Registration, One Local Two Note" mechanism. "The integration of access mechanisms and cross-border linkage services between government departments in the two regions has solved difficulties such as unfamiliarity with the legal systems of investors in the two regions and differences in the recognition of notarization effectiveness between the two regions." Peng Jiuru, Deputy Director of the Commercial Service Bureau of the Hengqin Guangdong Macao Deep Cooperation Zone, said that since June 2022, 33 cross-border commercial registration services have been processed for investors in the two regions, with an average reduction of 60% in processing time.
The "Shenzhen Hong Kong Connect" and other measures have been implemented, and the "Cross border Wealth Management Connect" has promoted the two-way opening of the financial market. With major cooperation platforms such as Hengqin, Qianhai, and Nansha as carriers, Guangdong promotes the efficient and convenient flow of various factors, effectively improving the level of market integration in the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area.
In the Yuanhong Functional Zone of Fuzhou New Area, Fujian Province, the China Indonesia "Two Countries, Two Parks" China Park has generated 44 foreign cooperation projects with a total investment of 58.999 billion yuan since January this year. Wang Xingang, Director of the Yuanhong Functional Zone Management Committee in Fuzhou New Area, introduced that the functional zone has launched special policy measures such as an international mutual recognition mechanism for inspection and traceability standards, optimized product inspection and quarantine processes, and deepened economic cooperation and exchanges with Indonesia, exploring replicable systems and paths for promoting economic and trade cooperation with ASEAN.
"We have invested 800 million yuan in the 'Two Countries, Two Parks' Indonesian park, preparing to install 14 dyeing and finishing production lines and 1 printing production line." Zhang Qifang, the project manager of Honggang Textile Technology Co., Ltd.'s external investment project, said, "After learning about our investment intention, the relevant departments of Yuanhong Functional Zone helped us connect with the other park, timely interpret relevant preferential policies and economic and trade rules, and provide accurate services."
Recently, Guangdong and Fujian provinces, as well as Hainan Free Trade Port, have taken on the heavy responsibility of promoting institutional opening. The State Council has issued the "Several Measures for Pilot Connection with International High Standards in Conditional Free Trade Pilot Zones and Free Trade Ports", taking the lead in pilot connection with relevant international high standard economic and trade rules in Shanghai, Guangdong, Tianjin, Fujian, Beijing and other eligible free trade pilot zones and Hainan Free Trade Port, steadily expanding institutional opening.
Creating a market-oriented, legal, and internationalized first-class business environment
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China: "Reasonably reduce the negative list of foreign investment access, protect the rights and interests of foreign investment in accordance with the law, and create a market-oriented, legalized, and international first-class business environment."
Guangdong, Fujian, and Hainan provinces implement national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises, promote fair competition, ensure that foreign-funded enterprises participate equally in government procurement, bidding, and standard setting in accordance with the law, and increase the protection of intellectual property rights and the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investment.
Recently, Fujian Province has introduced policies and measures to promote the expansion of foreign investment, stabilize stock, and improve quality, clearly ensuring that foreign-invested enterprises enjoy equal support policies for local industrial and regional development in accordance with the law and regulations, and enjoy equal treatment in factor acquisition, qualification licensing, business operation, intellectual property protection, standard formulation, bidding, government procurement, and other aspects.
In March 2022, the first local regulation on the protection of foreign investment rights and interests in China, the Guangdong Province Regulations on the Protection of Foreign Investment Rights and Interests, came into effect. It proposed the establishment of a cross regional and cross departmental rapid collaborative protection mechanism for intellectual property rights, and clearly stipulated that foreign complaints received should be completed within 20 working days.
Since the promulgation and implementation of the Hainan Free Trade Port Law in June 2021, Hainan has adopted the principle of "urgent need for early establishment" and "small incisions" to introduce 24 free trade port regulations, including regulations on optimizing the business environment, intellectual property protection, international shipping regulations, and several regulations on the disposal of idle land, making domestic and foreign investors more reassured and confident.
Bold exploration and continuous improvement of trade facilitation level.
"Previously, if exported goods from mainland China were to be shipped to the world through Hong Kong airport, customs clearance procedures had to be completed locally. After the goods arrived at the port, security checks had to be completed before they could be loaded onto the plane." Tang Lingli, General Manager of Dongguan Meibang Liantong International Air Logistics Co., Ltd. in Guangdong, said that after the departure from Dongguan Hong Kong International Airport Center, the company's goods could be "one-stop" processed for customs clearance procedures and completed aviation security checks here, and directly loaded and shipped out upon arrival at Hong Kong airport.
Focusing on promoting cross-border trade facilitation, Guangdong Customs has launched pilot reforms of "combined ports" and "one port connectivity". By the end of 2022, 42 air routes have been opened, covering nearly 90% of cities in the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area.
At the end of 2022, Hainan Province established the Department of Business Environment Construction, focusing on the pain points and difficulties of business entities and the people, and promoting the synchronous construction of business environment, government services, data sharing, and social credit. Since 2022, Hainan has issued and implemented more than 40 regulations and important policies related to the business environment, released 29 innovative demonstration cases of the business environment, and continuously deepened reforms such as "credit+approval", "one seal for approval", and "minimalist approval".
Since the establishment and operation of the Fujian Pilot Free Trade Zone, a total of 19 batches of 563 innovative measures have been launched, with 34 innovative achievements replicated and promoted nationwide. 7 pilot experiences have been included in the "best practice cases" of the national pilot free trade zone. In January of this year, the Implementation Plan for the Upgrading Strategy of Fujian Pilot Free Trade Zone was officially issued, aiming to improve the policy and institutional system with investment and trade liberalization and facilitation as the core after three years of reform and exploration.
Guided by the rule of law, building an international commercial dispute resolution system.
Fujian Xiamen is focusing on building a high-level Maritime Silk Road Central Legal Affairs Zone, providing comprehensive foreign-related legal services that are "internationalized, distinctive, and professional", and initially building an international commercial maritime litigation, arbitration, and mediation platform. In the first half of this year, the legal district handled 546 foreign-related commercial and maritime cases.
The Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court has introduced various people's mediation organizations and international commercial mediation organizations to the court's specially invited mediation roster. The Guangdong Intellectual Property Dispute Mediation Center, established in 2022, has become the preferred location for multinational technology enterprises to resolve disputes.
The First Intermediate People's Court of Hainan Province has innovatively established a one-stop international commercial dispute litigation, mediation, and arbitration "trinity" diversified resolution mechanism. As of June this year, the first foreign-related civil and commercial court of the court has entrusted mediation to 615 foreign-related civil and commercial cases through this mechanism, with 295 cases successfully mediated. In 2022, this mechanism was promoted nationwide by the State Council as a case of innovation in the Hainan Free Trade Port system.
A hundred boats compete for the flow, and those who strive for the boat are the first.
