Strength to attract fans! Nearly 200 "innovative fruits" have been cultivated in the pilot free trade zone

Beijing, December 8 (Xinhua) -- The "15th Five Year Plan" proposes to implement the strategy of upgrading free trade pilot zones. As an important strategic measure of the Party Central Committee to promote reform and opening up in the new era, during the 14th Five Year Plan period, nearly 200 institutional innovation achievements were formed in 22 pilot free trade zones covering the east, west, north, south, and central regions. Through bold experimentation, daring exploration, and independent reform, the pilot free trade zone has grown vigorously and gained a strong fan base.

Achieve big breakthroughs with small incisions. Over the past five years, a series of landmark and pioneering measures have been taken in the pilot free trade zone, including the negative list for foreign investment access, the negative list for cross-border service trade, the "single window" for international trade, and the reform of "separation of permits and licenses". These measures have focused on small incisions to solve big problems, not only promoting the optimization of the business environment, but also continuously stimulating the vitality of open development. In 2024, the proportion of foreign trade and foreign investment in the pilot free trade zone reached 19.6% and 24.3% respectively, accelerating the release of innovation dividends.

Explore new paths through differentiation. The 22 pilot free trade zones have different resource endowments and location characteristics. Following a gradual reform approach from point to surface, from individual to general, and from special to universal, China supports each pilot trade zone to carry out differentiated exploration according to local conditions. For example, Zhejiang focuses on integrated innovation in the field of bulk commodities, while Jiangsu and Shandong respectively promote integrated innovation throughout the entire industry chain around biomedicine and marine economy, exploring new paths for high-level opening up.

Expand new spaces with high standards. In the past five years, we have actively connected with international high standard economic and trade rules such as CPTPP and DEPA in Shanghai and other qualified free trade pilot zones, as well as Hainan Free Trade Port. We have launched two batches of more than 110 pilot measures, involving key areas such as trade, investment, intellectual property, government procurement, and environmental protection, forming a number of advanced experiences and typical cases. By replicating and promoting these pilot measures on a larger scale, we have accelerated the release of the radiation driving effect of institutional openness and opened up broader space for economic growth.

Currently, the global economic governance system is undergoing profound changes, and the multilateral trade framework is facing challenges from unilateralism and protectionism. Looking towards the future, the implementation of the strategy to enhance the pilot free trade zone sends an important signal to increase institutional openness, enhance innovation led development capabilities, and promote the improvement and efficiency of the pilot free trade zone.

Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao stated that during the "15th Five Year Plan" period, relevant departments and localities will work together to encourage their respective pilot trade zones to adhere to the principle of daring and taking action first, actively carry out more beneficial explorations, form more achievements in reform and opening up, and achieve the "three improvements" of institutional opening up level, systematic reform effectiveness, and open economic quality.