On February 12, it was learned at the press conference on business work and operation in 2018 that my country’s actual use of foreign capital last year was 885.6 billion yuan, equivalent to 135 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 3%. Under the circumstance of a 19% decline in global cross-border investment, it achieved Growth against the trend. Regarding the focus of business work in 2019, Vice Minister of Commerce Qian Keming stated that he will advance the construction of pilot free trade zones and explore free trade ports, expand all-round opening up, and promote the transformation of commodity and factor flow opening to rule-based opening.
Earlier, Assistant Minister of Commerce Ren Hongbin stated at the press conference of the State Council Information Office that the construction of a pilot free trade zone is a major milestone in the process of my country’s reform and opening up. The Ministry of Commerce will thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference and follow The decisions and arrangements of the Central Committee and the State Council have made greater efforts to promote the construction of pilot free trade zones and step by step to explore the construction of free trade ports with Chinese characteristics.
Ren Hongbin revealed that in 2019, the Ministry of Commerce will explore the construction of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics, promote the establishment and plan formulation of the new area of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone, further reduce the special management measures for foreign investment access in the Pilot Free Trade Zone, and study and introduce further advancement. The free trade pilot zone has expanded its opening-up and innovative development policies and measures, and strived to form more high-quality reproducible and extendable experiences, and promote related work in five aspects, so as to promote the formation of a higher level of open economic structure.
Tang Wenhong, director of the Foreign Investment Department of the Ministry of Commerce, said that the revision of the industry catalogue to encourage foreign investment has been launched, which will guide foreign investment into modern agriculture, advanced manufacturing, high-tech, modern service industries and other fields, and promote high-quality economic development in my country. Improve the investment promotion service system and guide local governments to combine the characteristics of local regional development, including the important role of pilot free trade zones and national economic and technological development zones, and carry out more targeted, efficient, and professional investment promotion activities. In addition, to strengthen dialogue and exchanges, and timely respond to the problems reported by foreign-funded enterprises, the revision process of the "Patent Law" will be accelerated, and the National People's Congress is now conducting deliberation.
Tang Wenhong also introduced that in 2019, the Ministry of Commerce will also fully implement the opening-up measures announced at the first my country International Import Expo and the spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference, continue to relax market access, and fully implement the pre-access national treatment plus negative list. The management system has continuously increased the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors. The new foreign investment law has also made a series of regulations on this, creating a world-class foreign investment environment.
Qian Keming pointed out that in 2019, we will thoroughly implement the spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference, implement the "consolidation, enhancement, improvement, and smooth flow" of the supply-side structural reform, continue to fight the three tough battles, implement the "six stability" work requirements, and make every effort. We will do a good job of "one promotion, two stability and three priorities", promote the formation of a strong domestic market, expand all-round opening up, promote the construction of a strong economic and trade country, accelerate the high-quality development of business, and greet the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China with outstanding results.
