As part of the effort being taken to support Beijing's construction of the Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Opening up the Services Sector and the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone (the "Two Zones" for short), Beijing Daxing International Airport Economic Zone held a trade digitalization summit on April 11, 2021. The summit focused on high-quality development through trade digitalization, and explored the current situation, prospects and opportunities of trade digitalization. It discussed new business activities, models, and trends in the digital development of trade, and called for further action in several aspects, i.e. accelerating the release of development potential, firmly grasping free trade opportunities in development, addressing development issues through institutional innovation, and stimulating the endogenous growth momentum towards high-quality development.

The Quota and License Administrative Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce, the Daxing District People's Government, and the Management Committee of Daxing International Airport Economic Zone signed a tripartite cooperation framework agreement in the field of trade digitalization, which is committed to jointly exploring the implementation path of trade digitalization. According to the agreement, all parties involved will promote the construction of a trade digitalization demonstration zone that focuses on the three aspects of consolidating new infrastructure, promoting trade digitalization, and exploring digital trade rules and systems. This will all be done for the sake of enhancing the level of trade digitalization in the airport economic zone, and will eventually result in the formation of a high-level and open trade digitalization system that is in line with international standards.

Subsequently, the Management Committee of Daxing International Airport Economic Zone also signed contracts with a number of enterprises on site. The Free Trade Zone Service Center of Daxing International Airport Economic Zone, the Trade Digitalization Research Institute, and the Empowerment Center for Trade Digitalization were also officially established.

At present, axing International Airport Economic Zone has become an important site for Beijing's "Two Zones" construction. It is also the only area in China that has been covered by free trade zone policies from two provincial-level governments. In terms of space and policy, it has achieved a "three zone superposition" of the airport economic zone, the pilot free trade zone, and the comprehensive bonded zone. Daxing International Airport Economic Zone will focus on the construction of the aviation hub, formulate a blueprint for future development, and create a spatial layout consisting of two zones, three centers, and multiple clusters. A“1 + 2 + 2” industrial development system will be built, with life and health as the guiding force, high-end hub services and aviation support as the base, and new generation information technology and intelligent equipment as the reserve.

Daxing International Airport Economic Zone boasts an advantageous location, industries, and policies when it comes to building a trade digitalization demonstration zone. As a result, it is expected to gather an array of upstream and downstream enterprises in the industry chain and become the national hub of trade digitalization. Daxing International Airport Economic Zone has formulated the Action Plan on Building a Digital Trade Pilot Zone (2021-2023), focusing on the three stages of consolidating new infrastructure, promoting trade digitalization, and exploring digital trade. Following these stages, it will build the zone into a hub of industrial innovation and digital governance, a highland for opening up and cooperation as well as policy innovation. Finally, a digital trade pilot zone will be formed to lead the country and influence the world in the digital trade arena.

This year, Daxing International Airport Economic Zone has formulated 23 specific tasks around the five aspects of building a global data hub, developing a characteristic digital service industry, deploying digital trade infrastructure, creating a good business environment, and formulating safeguard measures. The Zone will follow the law of development of international first-class aviation hubs and airport economy, grasp the new opportunity of trade digitalization, accelerate the development of new business patterns and models by developing related characteristic industries and deploying data infrastructure, and finally build up a leading trade digitalization demonstration zone.

(Note: Content source is from Beijing Daily.)