State Council Regular Policy Briefing
The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in April this year emphasized that attracting foreign investment should be put in a more important position, and stabilize the basic plate of foreign trade and foreign investment. Recently, the State Council issuedOpinions on Further Optimizing the Foreign Investment Environment and Strengthening Efforts to Attract Foreign Investment.. The Information Office of the State Council held a regular briefing on State Council policies on August 14 to introduce the continued deepening of reform and opening up and effectively optimize the business environment.
Q1: What are the main features of the Opinions on Further Optimizing the Foreign Investment Environment and Strengthening Efforts to Attract Foreign Investment?
A:
First, expanding the breadth and depth of opening up to the outside world.For example, to increase the comprehensive pilot demonstration of the opening-up of the service sector for early and pilot implementation; to encourage foreign-invested enterprises and their R&D centers to set upUndertake major research and development projects; establish and improve the foreign exchange management facilitation system for qualified foreign limited partners, and support the use of the foreign renminbi raised to directly carry out domestic-related investments, etc.
Secondly, to enhance the level of investment and business facilitation.For example.Facilitating the entry, exit and stay of foreign executives and technicians of foreign-invested enterprises and their family members.; establish for eligible foreign-invested enterprisesgreen channelIn addition, it will efficiently carry out security assessments of the exit of important data and personal information; conduct special inspections to ensure the fair participation of business entities in government procurement activities; and promote the formulation and revision of standards.Disclosure of information throughout the processIt also supports foreign-invested enterprises to participate in standard-setting on an equal footing in accordance with the law, improves the mechanism for rapid and coordinated protection of intellectual property rights, and speeds up the processing of cases with clear facts and solid evidence in accordance with the law.
Thirdly, foreign investment guidance has been increased.For example, support regions to implement supporting incentives for foreign-invested enterprises in line with the provisions of the Catalogue of Industries for Encouraging Foreign Investment within the scope of statutory authority; support foreign-invested enterprises in advanced manufacturing and other areas to cooperate with vocational colleges and vocational training institutionsDevelopment of vocational education and training; study innovative cooperative procurement methods and support foreign-invested enterprises through measures such as first-purchase ordering.Innovating and developing world-leading products in Chinaetc.
Fourthly, foreign investment promotion and service protection should be strengthened.For example.Establishment of a sound round-table system for foreign-invested enterprises; encouraging regions to explore more effective and flexible employment mechanisms and remuneration systems for non-civil service and non-career positions in foreign investment promotion departments and teams, and to strengthen foreign investment promotion staffing; and doing a good job of visa issuance for certificates of origin under free trade agreements.Facilitating the enjoyment of tariff reduction and exemption policies by foreign-invested enterprisesetc.
Q2: In the second half of the year, what initiatives will the Ministry of Commerce take to promote foreign investment?
A:
First, continue to organize "Invest in China Year" investment activities.In the second half of the year, we will continue to build the brand of "Invest in China", and the activities of the "Year of Invest in China" will be more exciting; there are two other important activities in September, one is during the Trade in Services Expo held in Beijing, the Ministry of Commerce will hold a special session on the opening-up of the service industry; Secondly, during the Xiamen Investment and Trade Fair, the Ministry of Commerce will hold a keynote forum on the "Year of Investing in China" and a special promotion in Fujian. Later, during the Import Expo to be held in Shanghai in November, the Ministry of Commerce will organize a series of activities such as the "Invest in China Year" summit and the special promotion of the Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ).
Secondly, we are coordinating resources for foreign investment promotion.The Ministry of Commerce will fully mobilize all aspects of strength, make good use of all kinds of economic and trade fairs, pilot free trade zones, national development zones and other carriers and platforms, to provide support for the local investment promotion, and guide the local continued to carry out the work of foreign investment promotion in a forceful and orderly manner.
Third, optimizing the way foreign investment is promoted.We will guide the local authorities to actively explore and boldly innovate, use industrial chain investment, business investment and other ways to carry out foreign investment promotion activities in a more targeted manner, combine investment attraction with "stabilizing and supplementing the chain and strengthening the chain", and combine it with "recruiting talents and attracting wisdom and technology", so as to introduce a batch of high-quality foreign investment to supplement the shortcomings and strengthen the advantages. The company will combine investment promotion with "stabilizing and supplementing chains and strengthening chains" and "attracting talents, wisdom and technology", so as to bring in a batch of high-quality foreign investment to make up for shortcomings and strengthen advantages. It will guide localities to establish and improve evaluation systems for the effectiveness of foreign investment promotion, and pay more attention to the actual contribution of attracted investment to economic and social development.
Q3: Where can foreign-funded enterprises reflect any questions about the implementation of the Opinions?
A:
The Ministry of Commerce, in conjunction with relevant departments, will dynamically track the implementation of the policy, combined with field research and enterprise talks, to identify and clear the blockages and difficulties in a timely manner, so as to ensure that the policy achieves the desired results and enhances the sense of tangible gains for foreign enterprises. In the process of implementation, if foreign-funded enterprises have any questions, they areYou can reflect to the working group of key foreign investment projects of the Ministry of Commerce and commerce departments at all levels.The
In accordance with the deployment of the State Council, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has recently upgraded the establishment of the Foreign-invested Enterprises Roundtable System based on the Coordination Service Mechanism for Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment to further expand the channels for collecting issues and listening to opinions, and to respond to and resolve the concerns of enterprises in a timely manner.At the end of July, the MOFCOM has also formulated theGuidance document for the Round Table of Foreign-owned EnterprisesIt was also issued for implementation in all localities, with the request that all localities also follow the practice of establishing a round-table system for foreign-funded enterprises at the provincial level and, as needed, at the sub-provincial level where there are conditions to do so.
Round Table System for Foreign EnterprisesThere are three main features:First, it is flexible and informal.Both foreign-funded enterprises can be invited into the government offices to listen to the opinions and demands, but also in-depth enterprises and production sites, active door-to-door service.Second, two-way communication, highlighting the effectiveness.There are no rules and regulations for enterprises' speeches, and foreign-funded enterprises are encouraged to open the door and express their real opinions and ideas, without avoiding problems and in frank exchanges.Respond on the spot if you canIf we cannot respond on the spot, we will give timely feedback to the enterprises after further study.Third, list management to form a closed loop.We require the competent business authorities to establish a list of accounts for the problems reflected by enterprises, specify the responsible departments, strengthen the tracking and supervision, and properly solve the problems, provide replies in a timely manner, and provide timely feedback.
Q4: What measures will MIIT take to promote the utilization of foreign investment in manufacturing?
A:
First, continuously strengthen the market-oriented, rule of law, international first-class business environment constructionIn addition, it has fully implemented the Foreign Investment Law, applied the principle of "consistency between domestic and foreign capital" in the acquisition of factors, qualification licenses, government procurement and standard-setting, and protected the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and entrepreneurs of all types of ownership, including foreign capital, on an equal footing in accordance with the law.
Second, to further improve the manufacturing industry key foreign investment project service guarantee mechanismIt also actively coordinates the resolution of difficulties in the landing and operation of key foreign-funded enterprise projects, and enhances foreign investors' confidence in investing in China.
Third, earnestly implement the Catalogue of Industries Encouraging Foreign Investment (2022 Edition)In addition, it has guided foreign investment in advanced manufacturing, energy-saving and environmental protection, and in the central, western and northeastern regions of China, further enhanced the quality of foreign investment attraction, optimized the layout of foreign investment, and done a good job of utilizing foreign investment in the manufacturing industry.
Q5: What initiatives will the Ministry of Finance take to optimize the environment for foreign investment in the field of government procurement in the next step?
A:
As a next step, the Ministry of Finance will, in accordance with the relevant requirements of the Opinions, continue to optimize a fair and competitive business environment for government procurement, and better safeguard the equal participation of domestic and foreign-funded enterprises in government procurement activities. Mainly:push forward activelyThe revision of the Government Procurement Law and the harmonization of the Government Procurement Law and the Law on Bidding and Tendering, in an effort to enhance the systematic, holistic and synergistic nature of the legal system of government procurement;Clarification of specific criteria for "Made in China" in the area of government procurementIn addition, efforts have been made to ensure that products manufactured in China by domestic and foreign-funded enterprises participate in government procurement activities on an equal footing;Conducting special inspectionsIn addition, it guarantees the fair participation of business entities in government procurement activities, and corrects and investigates, in accordance with the law, illegal and unlawful acts such as differential or discriminatory treatment of foreign-invested enterprises.
