On the morning of October 9, Beijing held a mobilization and deployment meeting for developing the Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Opening up the Services Sector and China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) (the "two zones" for short). Cai Qi, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, stressed that the establishment of the “two zones" was not only an important event during Beijing's reform and opening-up, but also a major strategic opportunity. Cai pointed out that in order to promote the construction of the "two zones" and achieve new accomplishments, we need to have clear priorities and leverage the spillover effect.

We should have a global vision. We will learn from the experiences of advanced international FTZs, accelerate the exploration of opening policies and systems that have strong international market competitiveness, and gather more international high-end resources. We will enhance the alignment with international rules and have a bigger say in the international service industry. We will aim at building a world-class business environment and act as a forerunner to explore laws and regulations, government services, and intellectual property protection, through which we will foster an enabling business environment that is more market-oriented, law-based, and international.

We should highlight the characteristics of Beijing and make the utmost of scientific and technological innovation, opening-up of the services sector, and digital economy. We will further empower scientific researchers to marketize their technological achievements and explore tax policies that encourage technology transfer. We will encourage and support the development of maker spaces and entrepreneurial bases and create a favorable innovation ecology. We will further vitalize the modern service industries such as finance, science and technology, information, commerce and culture, so as to better serve the development of the real economy. We also need to seize the opportunity brought by digital economy, encourage the development of new business forms to support the development of new industries, such as intelligent manufacturing and integrated circuit, cultivating new business forms and new models, such as online education, online medical consultation, online consumption and telecommuting, and promoting better integration of the digital economy and the real economy. We will build an international port for the information industry and digital trade and win more reputation for China International Fair for Trade in Services, Zhongguancun Forum and Financial Street Forum.

We should promote institutional innovation. We will quickly draw up a list of innovations and strive to produce a number of institutional innovation achievements with breakthroughs, vitality and effectiveness. We will work on a negative list system for managing cross-border trade in services, and actively explore new measures for the trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, for instance, cross-border e-commerce. We will optimize the factor supply for the opening-up and development of the service industry, facilitating the cross-border flow of funds, data and personnel. We will adopt an inclusive and prudent attitude towards the initiative policies and strengthen the interim and ex post supervision. We will improve the coordinated opening mode of "industry + zone" continue to deepen the reforms of streamlining administration and delegating powers, improving regulation, and upgrading services, and guide enterprises to participate in institutional innovation.

We should pay attention to the construction of demonstration areas. Combining the construction of Science and Technology Innovation Area with the "Three Science Cities and One Hi-tech Area” (namely Huairou Science City, Zhongguancun Science City, Changping Future Science City and Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Area), we will vigorously develop the new generation of information technology, biology and health, and science and technology services, setting a benchmark and making a demonstration in the digital economy, venture capital, and scientific and technological system reform. International Business Service Area should be able to show their own characteristics: CBD and Jinzhan International Cooperation Zone will strengthen the innovation in cross-border finance, professional services and international cooperation in the digital economy; Tianzhu Integrated FTZ and New International Exhibition Center Airport Area will focus on airport economy, business exhibition and digital trade, and promote the integrated development of Airport-Industry-City; Canal Business District and Zhangjiawan Design Town will create a development platform for financial innovation, high-end business and urban design in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region. To create an innovative industrial cluster with international competitiveness, the high-end industry areas should connect with the science and technology innovation areas. We will develop Daxing International Airport economic zone. In the integrated national demonstration zone for opening up the services sector , we should highlight the construction of key zones such as Financial Street, Lize Financial Business District and Tongzhou Cultural Tourism Zone, and connect them with the three areas of the Pilot FTZ. It is necessary to strengthen the policy coordination of the "two zones" and advance the top-level design in the management mode and promotion mechanism, so as to achieve overlapping advantages and realize the effect of "1 + 1 > 2".

We should promote the coordinated opening-up of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region. We will improve the planning, construction, and development level of Beijing Municipal Administrative Center and Daxing International Airport economic zone, and create a new growth pole of high-quality development. We will innovate the cross-regional industrial cooperation and guide the layout of the innovation chain, supply chain and industrial chain in Tianjin and Hebei. We will promote the formation of a unified and open market, facilitate the regional clearance, and improve the interconnected development of the FTZs in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.

The more open we are, the more focuses we should give to security. Thus, we should pursue a holistic approach to national security, complete the risk prevention system for the open economy, implement the security examination mechanism for international investment, improve the financial risk monitoring and early warning mechanism, and perfect the security protection mechanism for data categorization and classification.

(Note: Content source is from The Window of the Capital)