Building a New System of a Higher Level of Open Economy (Authoritative Interview)
——Interview with Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao
Business work is an important part of the domestic cycle, an important hub connecting the domestic and international double cycles, and plays an important role in building a new development pattern. How to promote the high-quality development of the business field and better serve the construction of a new development pattern? In the process of further improving the socialist market economic system, what aspects will the commercial field focus on? The reporter interviewed Wang Wentao, minister of commerce.
Further open up the domestic and international markets
Form a unified, open, competitive and orderly modern market system
Reporter: Building a new system of an open economy at a higher level and promoting reform and development with opening up is an important aspect of improving the socialist market economic system in the new era. How does the Ministry of Commerce serve a proactive opening strategy? In the future, how to push comprehensive opening up to a larger scope, a wider field, and a deeper level?
Wang Wentao: To build a new economic system with a higher level of openness is to further open up the domestic and international markets, form a unified, open, competitive and orderly modern market system, promote the construction of a high-level socialist market economic system with a high level of opening up, and promote high-quality economic development.
The Ministry of Commerce conscientiously implements the decision-making and deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, closely focuses on the "program" of building a new development pattern, adheres to the principle of promoting reform with opening up to promote development and innovation, coordinates opening up and security, and promotes the formation of a virtuous circle in which domestic and foreign markets are connected, industries are integrated, innovation is promoted, and rules are linked.
We must promote the smooth flow of domestic and international double circulation. The focus is to promote the innovative development of foreign trade, promote the integration of domestic and foreign trade, continue to relax the market access of foreign capital, improve the quality and level of foreign investment, and jointly build the "Belt and Road" with high quality. Generally speaking, it is necessary to promote the coordinated development of domestic and external demand, imports and exports, the introduction of foreign capital and foreign investment.
We want to improve the functionality of the open platform. There are more and more open platforms in China, and the level is getting higher and higher. We must do a good job in running important exhibitions such as the Expo, the Canton Fair, the Service Trade Fair, and the Circumference Fair to amplify the comprehensive effect. We should also give the pilot free trade zone greater autonomy in reform, support the docking of international high-standard economic and trade rules, steadily promote the construction of the Hainan free trade port, and create a new highland of opening up with a higher level of opening up and a better business environment.
We must accelerate the promotion of institutional opening up. On the one hand, it is necessary to improve the system of foreign-related economic and trade laws and regulations, fully implement the Foreign Investment Law and supporting regulations, promote the revision of the Foreign Trade Law, and promote the implementation of the negative list of cross-border trade in services throughout the country. On the other hand, it is necessary to give full play to the institutional role of foreign investment in national security review, anti-monopoly review, and fair competition review, earnestly safeguard national security and development interests, and promote the formation of a good environment for fair competition.
We need to be deeply involved in global economic governance. On the regional and bilateral fronts, we will implement the strategy of upgrading free trade areas, promote the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) as soon as possible, do a good job in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and accelerate the construction of a global network of high-standard free trade areas. On the multilateral side, we will firmly safeguard the multilateral trading system, actively participate in the reform of the WTO, promote the formulation of international economic and trade rules in emerging fields such as the digital economy and green and low-carbon, build an open world economy, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Create more development opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises
Promote the benign interaction and coordinated development of large and medium-sized enterprises
Reporter: To build a high-level socialist market economic system, we must adhere to the "two unwavering" and promote the benign interaction and coordinated development of large and medium-sized enterprises. What measures has the Ministry of Commerce taken to promote the healthy and stable development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of commerce and create development space for small and medium-sized enterprises? What will be the next step?
Wang Wentao: General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, emphasizing that "small and medium-sized enterprises can do great things". There are more than 13 million enterprises of various types in the business field, of which more than 99% are small and medium-sized enterprises, accounting for more than half of the total number of small and medium-sized enterprises in the country, involving wholesale and retail, accommodation and catering, foreign trade, service outsourcing and many other industries and fields. These small and medium-sized enterprises are not only an important force for prospering the market and improving people's livelihood, but also an important channel for promoting entrepreneurship and employment, and have played an important role in China's economic and social development.
The Ministry of Commerce has earnestly put the solution of the "urgent, difficult, and anxious" problem of enterprises in mind and in action, and strives to create a good environment through effective measures to promote the healthy and stable development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the business field.
The first is to make every effort to stabilize enterprises and bail out. During the epidemic prevention and control period, a series of pragmatic measures were introduced to support small and medium-sized enterprises to tide over the difficulties. For circulation enterprises, we have issued technical guidelines for epidemic prevention and control in a timely manner, steadily promoted the resumption of business and market at the sub-district level, and promoted the introduction of policies such as loan extension and rent reduction to alleviate the operational pressure of enterprises. For foreign trade and foreign-funded enterprises, we have set up an office of foreign trade and foreign investment coordination mechanism, timely identified the difficulties faced by enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, introduced targeted policies and measures, promoted foreign trade and foreign-funded enterprises to resume work and production relatively quickly, ensured the stability of the industrial chain supply chain, and strived to stabilize the basic plate of foreign trade and foreign investment.
The second is to help open up the market. We have formulated special support policies to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in exhibitions such as the Expo, canton fair, and service trade fair, and expand business opportunities and domestic and foreign market channels through these platforms. Give play to the role of overseas enterprises and overseas investment liaison service platforms, guide enterprises to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control, and prevent the risk of "going out".
The third is to strengthen capacity building. We have held nationwide RCEP training to enhance the ability of enterprises to use FTA and promote their own development. We have also organized training and exchange activities such as international trade compliance and exchange rate hedging business for many times, and effectively enhanced the anti-risk ability of small and medium-sized enterprises.
In the next step, we will give full play to the advantages of commercial work connecting the inside and outside, connecting urban and rural areas, and docking production and marketing, and exert efforts from the two aspects of policy and service to implement the decision-making and deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. Make full use of fiscal funds and policy-oriented financial tools, increase support for small and medium-sized enterprises in the business field, and help enterprises to solve difficulties. Provide better public services in opening up domestic and foreign markets, carrying out international cooperation, etc., build more exchange and cooperation platforms, create more development opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises, consolidate the foundation for development, stimulate development vitality, and promote benign interaction and coordinated development of large and medium-sized enterprises.
Reporter Wang Ke Luo Shanshan
Source: People's Daily