Two negative lists for accelerating the opening up of trade in services were introduced this year

The 17 pilot areas account for more than 75 percent of the country's total trade in services, making them important growth points in particular areas. This is a record of the innovative development of China's trade in services. In order to further stimulate the potential of the national market, the signal of institutional innovation in the field of service trade is still being released intensively. At an executive meeting of the State Council on Thursday, it was made clear that the trial of innovative development of trade in services has been extended to some parts of 21 provinces. In addition, cross-border trade in services will see two negative lists this year. Reporters have learned that both the national and Hong Kong versions of the negative list on cross-border service trade are being worked out and will be released within this year. Among them, hainan FREE Trade Hong Kong version of the cross-border service trade list has been consulted internally, will be the first to launch. The analysis points out that these two negative lists will be a major breakthrough in China's market access in the field of service trade, and will also accelerate the opening of huge space for China's trade growth.

The Ministry of Commerce according to the latest figures, in tianjin, Shanghai, Beijing and other 17 service trade pilot led by innovation and development, the rapid growth of service trade volume, service exports since 2016 the average annual growth of 6.7% (in dollar terms), higher than that of global service export growth of 1.2%, higher than goods export growth of 4.3% in our country. In 2019, China's export and import of services reached us $785 billion, ranking second in the world. From January to May this year, China's service export dropped 5.9 percent year-on-year, 18.5 percentage points lower than its service import, and the service trade deficit decreased by 44.08 billion US dollars year-on-year.

China (Hainan) Reform and development Institute director Chi Fulin told reporters that the current, trade in services has become the focus of global free trade, become the focus of the restructuring of global economic and trade rules. For China, trade in services has become the focus of high-level opening and an important link between the domestic market and the international market.

Chi Fulin pointed out that, on the one hand, the service trade accounted for the total amount of China's foreign trade gradually increasing, but from the perspective of international comparison, there are still contradictions such as weak competitiveness and poor structure. On the other hand, the rapid growth of China's service consumption and the expansion of the emerging consumer market have become the focus of the global market. In 2019, China's per capita service consumption grew by 12.6 percent, 4.0 percentage points higher than the overall consumption growth, accounting for 45.9 percent of the total. It is estimated that by 2025, the proportion of Chinese residents' consumption of services will reach 52 to 55 percent, thus releasing trillions of yuan of consumption potential.

In fact, in recent years, the state and relevant departments have made frequent arrangements to accelerate the opening up and development of trade in services through institutional innovation. Among them, gradually improving the cross-border service trade market access system with cross-border delivery, overseas consumption and movement of natural persons as the main modes has become the focus.

As early as November 2019, the Guideline on Promoting High-quality Trade development proposed to explore a negative list management system for cross-border trade in services. At a national conference on commerce at the end of December 2019, Xian Guoyi, director general of the Service and Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce, said that a national negative list on cross-border service trade will be developed in 2020.

In this year's government work report, we have made it clear that we will significantly reduce the negative list on access to foreign investment and introduce a negative list on cross-border trade in services. Sun Guojun, member of the leading Party member's Group under the Research Office of the State Council, said at the state Council's press conference on May 29 that a negative list will be drawn up this year in cross-border trade, which will make China's service trade more transparent, open and open. "This is another important institutional-type opening up measure following the negative list for foreign investment." "Said the King.

Subsequently, the Overall Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port released by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on June 1 proposed to implement the negative list system for cross-border service trade, remove all kinds of barriers under the service trade mode such as cross-border delivery, overseas consumption and movement of natural persons, and give national treatment to overseas service providers. Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen pointed out that the formulation of the list this year will be a highlight of hainan's free trade port system integration innovation, and will be the first negative list of China's cross-border trade in services.

Reporters have learned from the Service and Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce that the two versions of the list of cross-border service trade are being worked out quickly, among which the Hong Kong version of the list will be launched before the national version.

The relevant person in charge of the Service and Trade Office of Hainan Provincial Department of Commerce further clarified that the list of cross-border service trade of Hainan FREE Trade Port has been consulted internally and will be revised and improved as soon as possible according to the opinions of various departments. In specific areas, hainan's key industries, such as tourism, culture and sports, health care, pension and health care, will see more breakthroughs in opening up, the official said. In addition, support for institutional innovation will be strengthened in order to achieve access and business registration in areas other than the negative list. On the one hand, the current restrictive measures will be cleared up at a faster pace and national treatment will be granted to overseas service providers. On the other hand, relevant detailed rules will be improved, and the supporting fund payment and transfer system will be introduced.

Interviewed experts believe that with the launch of the two negative lists, the opening of China's trade in services will be a key breakthrough. Pang Chaoran, an associate researcher with the Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, said the negative list on trade in services is a reflection of the current international high standard economic and trade rules. In his view, China has actively promoted opening-up and made opening-up commitments in the field of trade in services in the form of a negative list, with no additional restrictions on areas beyond the list. This shows China's confidence and determination to continue to push forward reform and opening-up.

Ministry of trade in services, director of the institute li jun said that further negative list of cross-border services trade field, all concentrated restrictions listed clearly, clean up before the abolition of the scattered, not clear regulations, will enhance the transparency of open and operability, and also for the future further shortened listing, reduce the restrictions and opening wider to the outside created better conditions.

Li also pointed out that it is necessary to accelerate the corresponding institutional reform and improve the supporting measures in the field of service trade, such as finance, tax and finance, so as to make the negative list play a bigger role and ultimately promote the high-quality development of China's service trade.