Official Reply of the State Council on Approving the Deepening of the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services
Official Reply of the State Council on Approving the Deepening of the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services
(Letter No. 79 [2018] of the State Council)
The people's governments of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei Province, Heilongjiang Province, Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Shandong Province, Hubei Province, Guangdong Province, Hainan Province, Chongqing, Sichuan Province, Guizhou Province, and Shaanxi Province; and the Ministry of Commerce:
The Ministry of Commerce's request for deepening the pilot reform of innovative development of trade in services was received. The official reply is hereby made as follows:
I . The Overall Proposal for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services submitted by the Ministry of Commerce is approved in principle, and it is approved to deepen the pilot program of innovative development of trade in services in provinces and cities (areas) including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hainan, Shenzhen, Harbin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Suzhou, Weihai, Xiong'an New Area of Hebei, Liangjiang New Area of Chongqing, Gui'an New Area of Guizhou, Xixian New Area of Shaanxi. The duration of deepening the pilot program is two years, starting from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020.
II . When deepening the pilot program, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era shall be followed as guidance, the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee shall be fully implemented, the overall advancement of overall layout for "economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress" and the coordinated advancement of the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy shall be effected, the concept of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development shall be adhered to, the supply-side structural reform shall be taken as the theme, systems and mechanisms, policies and measures, and opening-up paths compatible with the innovative development of trade in services shall be extensively explored, and the optimization of the business environment shall be accelerated, so as to maximize the vitality of the market and create a new height for innovation in trade in services systems.
III . The people's governments (administration commissions) of the pilot regions shall strengthen the organizational leadership on the work of the pilot program, be responsible for the promotion of the implementation, comprehensive coordination, and supporting measures of the work on the pilot program, focus on taking the lead in administrative systems, opening-up paths, promotion mechanisms, policy systems, regulatory regimes, development modes and other aspects, and explore paths for the innovative development of trade in services across the country. The people's governments of relevant provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall intensify the guidance of and support for the work on the pilot program and encourage the pilot to conduct exploration courageously and blaze new trails.
IV . The relevant departments of the State Council shall, in accordance with the division of functions, strengthen the coordinating guidance of and policy support for the work on the pilot programs, take the initiative to lead opening up, innovate policy means, and combine the efforts to promote the innovative development of trade in services. The Ministry of Commerce shall strengthen overall coordination and supervisory assessment and promptly summarize and promote the experience in the pilot programs together with relevant departments.
V . During the period for deepening the pilot program, the implementation of certain provisions of the relevant administrative regulations, documents issued by the State Council, and departmental rules approved by the State Council shall be temporarily adjusted, and the specific adjustments shall be separately issued by the State Council. The relevant departments of the State Council shall adjust the rules and regulatory documents formulated by them according to the Overall Proposal for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services. The Ministry of Commerce shall promptly report the major issues in the pilot program to the State Council for instructions.
Annexes:
1. Overall Proposal for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services (Omitted)
2. Opening-up and Facilitation Measures for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services (Omitted)
3. Tasks and Policy Guarantee Measures for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services (Omitted)
State Council
June 1, 2018
Annex 1
Overall Proposal for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services
Giving priority to the development of trade in services is an important measure to promote economic transformation and upgrading and high-quality development. In February 2016, the State Council replied and approved the launch of pilot programs for innovative development of trade in services. Since then, the pilot areas have taken the initiative to innovate and explore new mechanisms, models and paths for the development of trade in services, which has achieved positive results and effectively promoted the innovative development of trade in services. In order to further deepen the pilot program of innovative development of trade in services and reform and innovate the development mechanism of trade in services, this proposal is formulated.
I. General Requirements
(I) Guiding Philosophies
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era shall be followed as guidance; the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee shall be comprehensively implemented; the philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared development shall be kept firmly in mind; the supply-side structural reform shall be taken as our main task; the enthusiasm and creativity of the localities shall be fully maximized; pilot projects in the management system of trade in services, path of opening up, promotion mechanism, policy system, regulatory system, development mode and other aspects shall be carried out; and the optimization of the business environment shall be accelerated, so as to maximize the vitality of the market, stimulate innovative development of trade in services, promote the high-quality development of China's trade in services, continuously cultivate the core competitive advantage of "Chinese services" and promote the formation of a new pattern of overall opening up.
(II) Basic Principles
Key breakthroughs and prioritized development. In order to deepen the pilot program, the key points and directions shall be grasped; the concept of giving priority to the development of trade in services shall be formed; and the concentration of resources and policies shall be promoted. The development of an open economy in the new era shall be promoted, and long-term development goal of trade in services shall be centered on; the major institutional obstacles and policy shortcomings faced at different stages shall be targeted at; and key breakthroughs shall be made in the pilot areas, so as to drive the innovative development of trade in services across the country. Focusing on the resolution of large trade deficit in service trade, great attention shall be attached to expanding the export of services.
Driven by innovation and transformational development. The innovation-driven development strategy shall be deeply implemented; the business environment shall be optimized; innovation and entrepreneurship shall be supported; the vigorous development of new technologies, new industries, new forms and new modes in the field of trade in services shall be promoted; and the industrial transformation and upgrading and economic restructuring shall be accelerated. The export of new services led by "Internet +" shall be pushed forward, so as to create new highlights for open development.
Vertical and horizontal joint operation and coordinated development. The new trend of development of services in the era of digital economy shall be followed; the horizontal collaboration and vertical joint operation shall be strengthened; and all departments shall work together to guarantee and guide the opening up and innovation in the pilot regions. The sharing of experience among the pilot regions shall be promoted, and the innovation and experience of the pilot regions shall be integrated and shared with the pilot free trade zones and the pilot program of expanding opening-up in the service trade of Beijing Municipality.
Orderly deepening and sustained development. The new situations and new characteristics of trade in services shall be continuously adapted to; reforms shall be deepened orderly; and innovations shall be promoted in a sustained way. The pilot tasks shall be implemented one by one; the experience shall be summed up and promoted constantly; and the all-round reform and development of trade in services shall be pushed forward steadily.
II. Regions and Period of Deepening the Pilot Program
The regions involved in deepening the pilot programs are provinces and municipalities (regions) including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hainan, Shenzhen, Harbin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Suzhou, Weihai, Hebei Xiong'an New Area, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Guizhou Gui'an New Area, and Shaanxi Xixian New Area. The period for deepening the pilot program is 2 years, starting from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020.
III. Tasks of Deepening the Pilot Program
(I) Further improve the management system. The overall planning, policy coordination and information sharing of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Meeting for the Development of Trade in Services of the State Council shall be strengthened. The cross-sectoral coordination and decision-making mechanism for local trade in services shall be enhanced. The legislative exploration of local laws and regulations in the field of trade in services shall be accelerated, and experience shall be gathered around market access, management, promotion, statistics and monitoring. A mechanism shall be fully developed to evaluate and assess the performance of the local governments in the promotion of trade in services.
(II) Further expand the opening up to the outside world. The opening up and facilitating measures shall be launched in phases in the pilot regions. The experience of opening up from the pilot free trade zones and the pilot program of expanding opening-up in the service trade of Beijing Municipality shall be drawn upon to promote the opening up of the service industries to the outside world. The two-way opening up of emerging service industries shall be expanded. Explorations shall be made to improve the market access system for trade in services under the modes of cross-border delivery, overseas consumption and mobility of natural persons, and the restrictive measures shall be gradually relaxed or canceled, in order to push forward the opening up to the outside world in an orderly manner. Pilot regions shall be supported to explore the establishment of an early warning mechanism for the risks arising from the opening up of the service industries.
(III) Further cultivate market players. The national and regional public service platforms shall be established and operated scientifically, and the integration and coordinated utilization of existing public service platforms shall be enhanced, so as to improve the efficiency of services. Financial institutions shall be encouraged to innovate financial services that adapt to the characteristics of trade in services on the premise of controllable risks and business sustainability. The building of a number of overseas promotion centers for trade in services shall be assessed and conducted. The platform of China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services shall be made full use of. The trade promotion institutions and associations shall function better. The pilot regions shall be facilitated to strengthen cooperation with key service trading partners, and relevant enterprises shall be encouraged to tap into the international market.
(IV) Further innovate the mode of development. The pilot free trade zones and the economic and technological development zones shall be relied on in order to build a number of export bases with characteristic services. The policy advantage of the zones under special customs supervision shall be given to full play, so as to develop trade in services such as warehousing logistics, research and development design, inspection and testing, maintenance, international settlement, distribution, exhibition, and focus on building export bases with characteristic services for digital products and services, maintenance, research and development design. Explorations shall be made to promote digitalization of trade in services, digital technology shall be employed to enhance the tradability of services, and the rapid development of service trade of digital contents in the new forms and modes shall be promoted. The overall export of "service +" supported by digital technology and led by high-end services shall be pushed forward. The emerging trade in services shall be expanded actively by focusing on the development of service outsourcing, trade in technology and trade in culture.
(V) Further improve the level of facilitation. The regulation system and mode of customs clearance shall be further reformed, so as to provide customs clearance facilitation for the import and export of goods and articles related to trade in services, like relevant goods and articles for exhibition, maintenance, R&D and design. The level of facilitation in cross-border delivery and mobility of natural persons shall be enhanced; the visa facilitation policies shall be improved; the mechanism for the flow of overseas professionals shall be perfected, the channels for overseas high-level talents to innovate and start businesses in China shall be smooth and the mutual recognition of professional qualifications shall be promoted. The level of facilitation in mobile payment and consumption services shall be improved, and efforts shall be made to actively develop inbound tourism.
(VI) Further improve the policy system. The "Guidance Catalogue for the Key Fields of Service Export" and other relevant catalogues in the field of trade in services shall be revised and perfected; the existing funding channels shall be made full use of; the overseas service markets shall be actively expanded; and the export of emerging services and the import of key services shall be encouraged. The income tax policies for export-oriented service enterprises in the pilot regions shall be studied and perfected. In combination with the full implementation of the reform of replacing business tax with value-added tax, tax exemption shall be implemented in service export, and zero tax rate shall be applied to eligible service exporters, so as to encourage the expansion of export of services. The role of the guidance funds for innovative development of trade in services shall be given to full play. The support for export credit insurance and export credit for trade in services shall be enhanced. The financing channels for enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be expanded. The measures for the administration of foreign exchange shall be improved. The cross-border use of RMB in trade in services shall be accelerated.
(VII) Further improve the statistical system. The statistical monitoring, operation and analysis system for trade in services shall be improved; the direct reporting system for key contact enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be established and improved; the direct reporting of statistical data of key contact enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be carried out; the number of enterprises monitored shall be properly increased; and the statistics on trade in services of foreign affiliates in the pilot regions shall be conducted, so as to achieve full coverage of direct reporting of systemically important enterprises engaging in trade in services. An information sharing and data exchange mechanisms for government departments shall be set up, so as to realize the sharing of relevant working data of member entities of the coordination mechanism for the development of trade in services.
(VIII) Further innovate the regulatory mode. A monitoring mechanism for the operation of key contact enterprises engaging in trade services shall be established; the measures for interim and ex post regulation shall be innovated; and tax fraud and subsidy fraud shall be effectively prevented. Explorations shall be carried out to establish a regulatory system for trade in services through which commerce, customs, taxation, foreign exchange and other departments share information and cooperate in law enforcement. The credit records of service trade market players shall be fully established and incorporated into the national credit information sharing platform. The credit information shall be available to the public through the national enterprise credit information publication system and the website of "Credit China" in accordance with the law, so as to implement joint incentives for honesty and joint sanctions for dishonesty. The management mode of trade in technologies shall be explored and innovated. The management issues relating to trade in services shall be gradually incorporated into the "single window system" of international trade.
IV. Organization and Implementation
As the primary responsible parties for the pilot program, the people's governments (management committees) in the pilot regions shall detail the work plan in accordance with the local situations, strengthen the organization, implementation, comprehensive coordination and supportive measures, implement the pilot tasks one by one, and report the achievements of the pilot program and the reproducible and promotable experience to the Ministry of Commerce on an annual basis. The people's governments of relevant provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government should strengthen the guidance and policy support for the pilot program. The members of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Meeting for the Development of Trade in Services of the State Council shall refer to the local development foundation, industrial structure and resource advantage of the pilot regions, strengthen coordination and guidance, provide active support and do a good job in implementing opening-up measures, policy guarantee and experience promotion according to the division of responsibilities. The Ministry of Commerce shall fully maximize the role of the Office of the State Council's Inter-Ministerial Joint Meeting for the Development of Trade in Services, strengthen planning, coordination, follow-up and supervision, actively promote the pilot programs, ensure the implementation of the tasks, carry out summarization, evaluation, replication and promotion of experience, and report the major matters to the State Council.
Annex 2
Opening-up and Facilitation Measures for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services
Fields | Industries involved | Measures for opening up and facilitation | Current relevant regulations |
Financial services | Banking industry | Solely foreign-funded banks, Sino-foreign equity joint venture banks and branches of foreign banks shall be allowed to apply for the RMB business at the same time when filing an application for business commencement. | Article 34 of the "Regulation of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Foreign-funded Banks" stipulates that, to engage in RMB business within the scope of business specified in Article 29 or 31 of this Regulation, a for-profit foreign-funded bank shall meet the following conditions, and obtain an approval from the banking supervisory authorities of the State Council: (I) It has operated in China for one year or more before filing an application; (II) Other prudential conditions as set out by the banking regulatory authority of the State Council. |
Telecommunication services | Offshore call center business | No restrictions on the ratio of foreign stake shall be imposed for service outsourcing enterprises which operate the call center business entirely orientated to the overseas market (i.e. both the clients and the ultimate service receivers are located overseas). | Article 4 of the "Provisions on the Administration of Foreign-Funded Telecommunication Enterprises" stipulates that foreign-funded telecommunications enterprises may engage in the basic telecommunication services and value-added services, the specific business classifications shall be implemented according to the provisions of the Telecommunication. Regulation. Article 6 of the Provisions stipulates that the ultimate proportion of contribution of the foreign investors of a foreign-funded telecommunication enterprise that engages in the basic telecommunication services (except the radio paging services) shall not be more than 49%; and the ultimate proportion of contribution of the foreign investors of a foreign-funded telecommunication enterprise that engages in the value-added services (including the radio paging business in the basic telecommunications services) shall not be more than 50%. Article 17 stipulates that to engage in cross-border telecommunication business, a foreign-funded telecommunication enterprise shall obtain the approval of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology under the State Council and does the business through International Gateway Exchange established upon the approval of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology under the State Council. "Reply of the General Office of the State Council on Encouraging the Accelerated Development of the Service Outsourcing Industry" (Letter No. 69 [2010] of the General Office of the State Council) stipulates that the State Council agrees to improve the policies and measures for supporting the development of the service outsourcing industry in China's service outsourcing exemplary cities, and a pilot program on imposing no restrictions on the ratio of foreign stake shall be implemented in exemplary cities for service outsourcing enterprises which operate the call center business entirely orientated to the overseas market (i.e. both the client and the ultimate service receivers are located overseas). |
Travelling services | Visa facilitation | 1. The establishment of a visa system for foreigners to seek medical advice in China shall be studied. 2. The implementation of 144-hour transit without visa policy shall be promoted throughout Guangdong Province. | Article 15 of the "Exit-Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China" stipulates that foreign nationals intending to enter China shall apply for a visa to Chinese visa issuing authorities stationed abroad. Article 16 of the law stipulates that ordinary visas of the corresponding type shall be issued to foreign nationals who enter China for reasons other than diplomacy or official businesses, such as work, study, family visit, tourism, business, and talent introduction. The types and requirements for issuance of ordinary visas shall be determined by the State Council. Article 22 of the law stipulates that a foreign national transits through China to a third country or region with a conjunction ticket by an internationally traveling aircraft, vessel or train and stays within China for no more than 24 hours without leaving the port of entry or stays in a designated area as approved by the State Council without exceeding the prescribed period of stay may be exempted from a visa. |
Cross-border self-drive tour | The regulatory measures for cross-border self-drive tours shall be improved, and overseas travel agencies shall be allowed to cooperate with domestic enterprises to expand self-drive tour products; the exit-entry procedures for self-drive yachts, vehicles and other means of transportation, including a guarantee system, shall be improved, so as to reduce the cost of inbound tours. | Article 5 of the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Guarantee for Customs Affairs" stipulates that while a party applies for handling the transit of goods and transportation vehicles through the boundary of China, he/she shall provide guarantee as required by the customs regulations. Article 9 of the "Interim Measures of the Customs of the People's Republic of China on Regulation of Entry and Exit of Yachts and Articles Carried Aboard in Hainan Province" (Announcement No.15 of the General Administration of Customs in 2011) stipulates that for overseas yachts approved to enter the territory of China, the owner of the yacht or the yacht service enterprise entrusted by the client shall pay a deposit equivalent to the payable tax of the yacht or other guarantees approved by the customs according to law to the local customs. With the approval of the General Administration of Customs, the yacht service enterprise entrusted by the client may also provide blanket guarantee for the yacht. | |
Professional services | Engineering consulting services | 1. Eligible foreign personnel shall be allowed to practice in pilot regions to provide engineering consulting services (except those requiring qualifications according to relevant laws and regulations) 2. For foreign-funded engineering design enterprises(excluding engineering survey), the requirements for engineering design performance when applying for qualification for the first time shall be canceled. | Protocol on China's Accession to the World Trade Organization- Annex 9: "Schedule of Specific Commitments on Services of the People's Republic of China" limits the market access of architectural services (CPC8671) and engineering services (CPC8672) under cross-border delivery to “cooperation with Chinese professional organizations is required except for scheme design”. (Engineering consulting services is included in engineering services (CPC8672)) Article 8 of the "Regulations on the Administration of Survey and Design of Construction Projects" stipulates that the surveying or designing units of construction projects shall contract for the surveying or designing of construction projects within the approved scope of their respective qualifications. Article 9 of the Regulations stipulates that the State applies the practice qualification registration and management system to the professionals engaging in surveying or designing activities of construction projects. Article 2 of the "Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the Provisions on the Administration of Foreign-funded Construction Engineering Design Enterprises " stipulates that while a foreign-funded construction engineering design enterprise applies for the qualification of engineering design for the first time, its foreign service provider (foreign investment party) shall provide two or more engineering design achievements that are accomplished beyond the borders of China, among which, at least one shall be accomplished in the country or region where it is located. |
Legal services | Ways and mechanisms shall be explored for close cooperation in business between Chinese law firms and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan law firms. | The "Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries (2017 Revision)" prohibits foreign investors to invest in legal consulting firms in China (excluding the provision of information on the influence of Chinese legal environment). |
Annex 3
Tasks and Policy Guarantee Measures for Deepening the Pilot Program of Innovative Development of Trade in Services
Tasks of pilot program | Policy guarantee measures | Responsible entities | |
Further improve the management system | The overall planning, policy coordination and information sharing of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Meeting for the Development of Trade in Services of the State Council shall be strengthened. | —— |
Led and advanced by the Ministry of Commerce |
The local cross-sectoral coordination and decision-making mechanism for trade in services shall be enhanced. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the tasks; the Ministry of Commerce shall be responsible for providing support and guidance | |
The legislative exploration of local laws and regulations in the field of trade in services shall be accelerated, and experience shall be gathered around market access, management, promotion, statistics and monitoring. | |||
A mechanism shall be fully established to evaluate and assess the performance of the local governments in the development of trade in services. | |||
Further expand the opening up to the outside world | The opening up and facilitation measures shall be launched in phases in the pilot regions. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the People's Bank of China, the General Administration of Customs, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, the Taiwan Affairs Office, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and other competent authorities of industries shall be responsible for implementing the opening up and facilitation measures according to the division of responsibilities and providing support and guidance |
The experience of opening up from the pilot free trade zones and the pilot program of expanding opening-up in the service trade of Beijing Municipality shall be drawn upon to promote the opening up of the service industries to the outside world | The experience of opening up from the pilot free trade zones and the pilot program of expanding opening-up in the service trade of Beijing Municipality in the service fields of finance, tourism, culture and education, healthcare and information service shall be actively drawn upon. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce, together with relevant departments and entities, shall be responsible for providing support and guidance | |
Trials shall be made to delegate the examination and approval authority to lower levels for foreign-invested tourism projects (except for national scenic spots, national natural reserves, important heritage site under state protection, and tourism development and resource protection projects in world natural and cultural heritage reserves). | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce and other departments and entities shall be responsible for the implementing the policy guarantee | ||
The two-way opening up of emerging service industries shall be expanded. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce shall, together with relevant departments and entities, provide support and guidance | |
Explorations shall be made to improve the market access system for trade in services under the modes of cross-border delivery, overseas consumption and mobility of natural persons, and the restrictive measures shall be gradually relaxed or canceled, in order to push forward the opening up to the outside world in an orderly manner. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; relevant competent authorities of industries shall be responsible for implementing the opening up and facilitation measures and providing support and guidance | |
Pilot regions shall be encouraged to explore the establishment of an early warning mechanism for the risks arising from the opening up of the service industries. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce and relevant competent authorities of industries shall provide support and guidance | |
Further cultivate market players | The national and regional public service platforms shall be established and operated scientifically, the integration and coordinated utilization of existing public service platforms shall be enhanced, so as to improve the efficiency of services. | —— | The pilot regions, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Finance and other relevant departments and entities shall be responsible for advancing the task |
Financial institutions shall be encouraged to innovate financial services that adapt to the characteristics of trade in services on the premise of controllable risks and business sustainability. | On the premise of complying with the relevant regulations on cross-border RMB business and foreign exchange management, policy-based financial institutions are encouraged to increase their support to enterprises engaging in trade in services in developing international markets, international mergers and acquisitions and other businesses within the scope of their existing business, and to support the key projects in trade in services. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the People's Bank of China, the Ministry of Commerce and other relevant departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | |
Financial institutions may innovate financial products and services under the premise of controllable risks and business sustainability, and provide financing support for "light assets" enterprises engaging in trade in services. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task, the People's Bank of China, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission and other relevant departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | ||
Explorations shall be made to utilize big data and other technical means to innovate the credit rating methods for enterprises engaging in trade in services, so as to create more favorable conditions for their financing. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task, the People's Bank of China, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission and other relevant departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | ||
The building of a number of overseas promotion centers for trade in services shall be studied. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade shall be responsible for providing support and guidance | |
The trade promotion effect of trade promotion institutions and associations shall be better utilized. | —— | The pilot regions and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade shall be responsible for advancing the task | |
The platform of China (Beijing) International Fair for Trade in Services shall be fully utilized. | —— | The Ministry of Commerce and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality shall be responsible for advancing the task | |
The pilot regions shall be encouraged to strengthen cooperation with key service trading partners, and service enterprises shall be encouraged to tap into the international market. | The pilot regions shall be supported to make explorations on enhancing cooperation with key service trading partners in the key fields. | The pilot regions, the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and other departments and entities shall be responsible for advancing the task | |
Active efforts shall be made to strive for financial support from international organizations, household management service export bases shall be built and international exchanges and cooperation in the service industry shall be promoted. | The Ministry of Commerce shall be responsible for advancing the task | ||
Further innovate the mode of development | The pilot free trade zones and the economic and technological development zones shall be relied on in order to build a number of bases for the export of characteristic services. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce shall, together with relevant departments and entities, provide support and guidance |
The policy advantage of the areas under special customs supervision shall be given to full play, so as to develop service trade in warehousing logistics, R&D and design, inspection and testing, maintenance, international settlement, distribution, exhibition, and focus on building bases for export of characteristic services such as digital products and services, maintenance, R&D and design. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs, the Ministry of Finance and other departments and entities shall be responsible for providing support and guidance | |
Explorations shall be made to promote digitalization of trade in services, digital technology shall be employed to enhance the tradability of services, and the rapid development of service trade of digital contents in the new form and new mode shall be promoted. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the tasks; the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology and other departments and entities shall be responsible for providing support and guidance | |
The overall export of "service +" supported by digital technology and led by high-end services shall be pushed forward. | —— | ||
The emerging trade in services shall be expanded actively, and the focus is promoting the development of service outsourcing, trade in technology and trade in culture. | The transformation and upgrading of service outsourcing shall be accelerated, the management and promotion of trade in technology shall be strengthened, and export bases for characteristic services such as culture export shall be actively built. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce shall, together with relevant departments and entities, provide support and guidance | |
Further improve the level of facilitation
| The regulation system and mode of customs clearance shall be further reformed, so as to provide customs clearance facilitation for the import and export of goods and articles related to trade in services, including goods and articles for exhibition, maintenance, R&D and design. | The reform of integrated customs clearance for commodities related to trade in services shall be accelerated, the methods and approaches of customs inspection shall be innovated, and the use of non-intrusive inspection and other means of facilitation shall be promoted. Innovations shall be made to create a new mode of logistical connectivity for goods related to trade in services at inland and coastal ports, so as to improve the efficiency of customs clearance. The temporary convenience of import of goods related to trade in services shall be improved, and the application scope of ATA Carnet shall be expanded. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the General Administration of Customs shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee |
The approval time shall be shortened for special exhibits such as some fresh commodities which need quarantine approval.. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the General Administration of Customs shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | ||
In areas under special customs supervision, a permanent display platform for bonded exhibits shall be set up, the total time for the examination of artwork content shall be shortened, and the bonded display and transaction of cultural products shall be supported. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the General Administration of Customs, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee according to the division of responsibilities | ||
Self-transportation of bonded goods between areas under special customs supervision shall be realized. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the General Administration of Customs shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | ||
The building of a multimodal transport regulatory center shall be vigorously supported, the regulatory methods of multimodal transport shall be innovated, and the facilitation of cargo transportation shall be promoted. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the General Administration of Customs and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | ||
The joint boarding and inspection of ships shall be promoted, the efficiency of entry and exit inspection of ships on international voyages shall be improved, and the rapid customs clearance of ships shall be promoted, so as to create convenient conditions for the development of international transportation services. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Transport, General Administration of Customs and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | ||
Under the premise of effective regulation, services for inbound and outbound exhibits, works of art and other special articles for exhibition, andauction shall be optimized, and postal service and cross-border e-commerce customs clearance service shall be improved. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the General Administration of Customs shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | ||
The inspection and quarantine process shall be further simplified for medical devices and special articles for trade in services. The scope of application of the quick inspection and clearance mechanism in the field of trade in services shall be expanded. An efficient pre-declaration quarantine regulatory mode shall be established. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the General Administration of Customs, the Ministry of Commerce and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | ||
The reformed measures for the inspection and quarantine of biological materials shall be implemented, and the measures such as application for inspection to the nearest authority, inspection upon application and on-site checking and inspection shall be executed, so as to create convenient conditions for the export of inspection and testing services. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the General Administration of Customs shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | ||
The level of facilitation in cross-border delivery and mobility of natural persons shall be enhanced. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task, and the relevant competent authorities of industries shall be responsible for implementing the opening up and facilitation measures according to the division of responsibilities and providing support and guidance | |
The visa facilitation policies shall be improved. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the opening up and facilitation measures according to the division of responsibilities and providing support and guidance | |
The mechanism for the flow of overseas professionals shall be perfected, so as to smooth the channels for overseas high-level talents to innovate and start businesses in China. | The introduction of overseas high-level talents and urgently-needed professionals that are needed for the development of key fields shall be supported. The support for overseas talents in project application, achievement promotion and financing services shall be strengthened. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | |
The mutual recognition of professional qualifications shall be promoted. | —— | The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce and other departments and entities shall be responsible for advancing the task according to the division of responsibilities | |
The level of facilitation in mobile payment and consumption services shall be improved, and efforts shall be made to actively develop inbound tourism. |
The measures to create convenience for foreign tourists in mobile payment shall be studied. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of commerce, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the People's Bank of China and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the opening up and facilitation measures according to the division of responsibilities and providing support and guidance | |
Further improve the policy system | The "Guidance Catalogue for the Key Fields of Service Export" and other relevant catalogues in the field of trade in services shall be revised and perfected, the existing funding channels shall be made full use of, the overseas service markets shall be actively explored, and the export of emerging services and the import of key services shall be supported. | The export of key emerging services within the scope of the "Guidance Catalogue for the Key Fields of Service Export" and the "Guidance Catalogue for the Key Development Fields of the Service Outsourcing Industry" shall be supported. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Finance and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee |
The "Catalogue of Encouraged Import Service" shall be timely adjusted, and interest subsidy shall be provided to companies in pilot regions to import technology-intensive and knowledge-intensive services such as R&D and design, energy conservation and environmental protection, environmental services and consultation, which are urgently needed in China. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Finance, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | ||
The new income tax policy for export-oriented service enterprises in the pilot regions shall be studied and improved. | The income tax policy for technologically advanced service enterprises in pilot areas for innovative development of trade in services shall be promoted to the whole country, the tax incentives for enterprises' overseas income shall be implemented, and the export of emerging services shall be supported. The income tax policy for export-oriented service enterprises in the pilot regions shall be explored and improved. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Finance, the State Taxation Administration, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | |
In combination with the full implementation of the reform of replacing business tax with value-added tax, duty-free export of services shall be implemented, and zero tax rate shall be applied to eligible exporters, so as to encourage the expansion of export of services. | —— | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Finance, the State Taxation Administration, the Ministry of Commerce and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | |
The role of the guidance funds for innovative development of trade in services shall be given into full play. | The guidance funds for innovative development of trade in services shall be properly operated, a coordination mechanism for project information collection shall be set up, and fund management agencies shall be promoted to strengthen the building of project banks and management of project channels. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | |
Regions with adequate resources shall be encouraged to establish the guidance fund for innovative development of trade in services. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task and implementing the policy guarantee | ||
The support of export credit insurance and export credit for trade in services shall be enhanced. | Export credit insurance financing shall be vigorously developed, and services such as supply chain financing, overseas mergers and acquisitions financing, accounts receivable financing pledge and finance leasing shall be provided. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce, China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation and other departments and entities shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | |
Insurance companies shall be encouraged to innovate and develop insurance products according to the risk characteristics of enterprises engaging in trade in services, the coverage of export credit insurance for enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be expanded, flexible underwriting policies shall be adopted under the premise of controllable risks, and the insurance procedures shall be simplified. | |||
Focusing on credit insurance and guarantee insurance, the role of credit guarantee insurance in the field of trade in services shall be brought into full play, so as to provide services such as loss compensation and credit enhancement financing for enterprises engaging in trade in services. | |||
The financing channels for enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be expanded. | Eligible service trade enterprises shall be actively supported to raise funds in the capital market. The support from the multi-level capital market to enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be enhanced, so as to create more convenient conditions for enterprises engaging in trade in services to list on exchanges, to list on the national SME share transfer system and to issue corporate bonds. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the China Securities Regulatory Commission shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | |
The building of a financing guarantee system for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be pushed forward, and the sharing of comprehensive information among micro, small and medium-sized enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be actively promoted. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | ||
The measures for the administration of foreign exchange shall be improved. | The headquarter of multinational corporations shall be supported to conduct centralized operation and management in enterprise foreign exchange funds. | The State Administration of Foreign Exchange shall be responsible for advancing the task and implementing the policy guarantee | |
The foreign exchange settlement policies for enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be improved, so as to create favorable conditions for enterprises whose main business is outsourcing of technology, culture, service and others to carry out cross-border mergers and acquisitions in overseas good-quality assets. | The State Administration of Foreign Exchange, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce and other departments and entities shall be responsible for advancing the task and implementing the policy guarantee | ||
The cross-border use of RMB in trade in services shall be accelerated.
| The use of RMB for denomination and settlement in trade in services and related investment and financing and cross-border e-commerce activities shall be encouraged and supported. Key support shall be provided to expand the scope of denomination in and settlement with RMB in cross-border trade in services such as transportation and insurance. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the People's Bank of China shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | |
Further improve the statistical system | The statistical monitoring, operation and analysis system for trade in services shall be improved, the direct reporting system for key contact enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be established and improved. | —— | The pilot regions, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Bureau of Statistics, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, the State Taxation Administration and other departments and entities shall be responsible for advancing the tasks |
The direct reporting of statistical data of key contact enterprises engaging in trade in services shall be carried out, the statistics on trade in services of foreign affiliates in the pilot regions shall be conducted, and the number of enterprises monitored shall be properly increased, so as to achieve full coverage of direct reporting for systemically important enterprises engaging in trade in services. | —— | ||
An information sharing and data exchange mechanism for government departments shall be set up, so as to realize the sharing of relevant working data of member entities of the coordination mechanism for the development of trade in services. | —— | The pilot regions and the members of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Meeting for the Development of Trade in Services of the State Council shall be responsible for advancing the task | |
Further innovate the regulatory mode | A monitoring mechanism for the operation of key contact enterprises engaging in trade services shall be established, the measures for interim and expost regulation shall be innovated, and tax fraud and subsidy fraud shall be effectively prevented. | —— | The pilot regions, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission, the People's Bank of China, the State Taxation Administration, the National Bureau of Statistics, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange and other departments and entities shall be responsible for advancing the task |
Explorations shall be carried out to establish a regulatory system for trade in services in which commerce, customs, taxation, foreign exchange and other departments share information and cooperate in law enforcement. | —— | The pilot regions and the members of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Meeting for the Development of Trade in Services of the State Council shall be responsible for advancing the task | |
The credit records of trade in services market players shall be fully established and incorporated into the national credit information sharing platform, and the credit information shall be available to the public through the national enterprise credit information publication system and the website of "Credit China" in accordance with the law, so as to implement joint incentives for honesty and joint sanctions for dishonesty. | —— | ||
The management mode of trade in innovative technologies shall be explored. | Facilitation reform shall be carried out to make the recordation management system for technologies that can be freely imported and exported, and a pilot project for paperless registration management shall be explored and conducted. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce shall be responsible for implementing the policy guarantee | |
The management issues relating to trade in services shall be gradually incorporated into the "single window system" of international trade. | The "single window" connectivity among Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Delta region, Pan-Pearl River Delta region and ports along the Yangtze River shall be explored. | The pilot regions shall be responsible for advancing the task; the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs and other competent authorities of industries shall be responsible for providing support and guidance | |
Note: In principle, the work plan for deepening of the pilot program of each pilot region, the opening-up and facilitation measures of each field and the policy guarantee measures shall be published by the end of 2018.