Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Liping's visit to expand market opening level

Since the beginning of this year, China's business work has closely focused on the "Outline" of building a new development pattern to achieve a stable start. Domestic consumption recovered steadily, foreign trade showed strong resilience, and the use of foreign capital increased rapidly.
Facing the current complicated domestic and international situation and various risks and challenges, how to further do a good job in business work? The reporter recently interviewed vice minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping on relevant issues.
Reporter: under the epidemic situation, China's consumption faces many restrictive factors. How to overcome the impact of the epidemic in the future and maintain a stable and good momentum of consumption? How to view the consumption trend this year?
Sheng Qiuping: Recently, the general office of the State Council issued 20 policies and measures to promote consumption. The Ministry of Commerce will coordinate the epidemic prevention and control and consumption promotion, focusing on five aspects:
First, strengthen the consolidation of traditional consumption. We will deepen the reform in the field of automobile circulation, support the accelerated development of new energy vehicles, expand the circulation of second-hand cars, and encourage local governments to carry out green smart appliances to the countryside and trade in old ones for new ones. Work with relevant departments to implement the relief policies for the catering industry, and promote local governments to introduce supporting measures in time, so that enterprises can effectively enjoy the policy dividends.
Second, accelerate the development of emerging consumption. We will accelerate the organic integration of online and offline consumption, encourage the development of new business formats, new models and new scenes, and cultivate and expand emerging consumption such as customization, experience, intelligence and fashion. At present, we are holding the "double product online shopping festival", which will also support the innovative development of time-honored brands, run exhibitions such as China International Fair and Consumer Fair, and promote brand consumption and quality consumption.
Third, focus on improving urban consumption. We will accelerate the cultivation and construction of international consumption center cities, promote the high-quality development of pedestrian streets, and carry out the demonstration establishment of smart business districts and smart stores. In accordance with the principle of "what is lacking, what is supplemented", speed up the construction of a quarter hour convenient life circle to make urban life more convenient and warm.
Fourth, actively expand rural consumption. Accelerate the improvement of the county commercial system, and focus on "one upward and three downward", one upward is the upward movement of agricultural products, and the three downward movements are the downward movement of supply chain, logistics distribution and commodity services.

Fifth, carefully run consumption promotion activities. On the premise of strict epidemic prevention and control, organize and carry out activities such as national consumption promotion month and international consumption season, guide all localities to carry out consumption promotion activities with rich content and various forms, activate the consumption atmosphere and boost consumption confidence.

On the whole, the characteristics of strong consumption toughness and sufficient potential in China have not changed, and the fundamentals of long-term good consumption development have not changed. For example, during the just concluded May Day holiday, the consumer market operated stably with prominent highlights: first, the quality of commodity consumption was improved and upgraded. According to the monitoring of the Ministry of Commerce, since the launch of the national "double product online shopping festival" on April 28, the sales of green smart appliances on key e-commerce platforms have increased by more than 40%, and the sales of home fitness equipment have increased by more than 20%. Second, there are many highlights of service consumption. Suburban and rural tours were favored, and the sales of outdoor products increased significantly. Third, the market supply is sufficient and the price is stable. The supply of daily necessities in local markets is generally sufficient, the prices of grain, edible oil and pork are basically stable, and the prices of vegetables have fallen. With the effective implementation of various policies and measures, the impact of the epidemic has been gradually controlled, and the consumer market is expected to continue to show a recovery and development trend.
Reporter: in the first quarter, the development of China's foreign trade maintained resilience and achieved a stable opening of the door. However, from the external situation, the global demand is weakening, the external environment for the development of China's foreign trade is tightening, and the growth pressure is greater. What measures will be taken next to maintain the resilience of foreign trade development?
Sheng Qiuping: since the beginning of this year, in the face of the complex economic situation at home and abroad, the Ministry of Commerce, together with all localities and relevant departments, has taken multiple measures to stabilize foreign trade.
First, increase policy support. Pay close attention to the implementation of various stable foreign trade policies that have been issued, and further increase support for export tax rebates and export credit insurance. Promote China CITIC insurance to increase underwriting efforts. In the first three months of this year, the underwriting amount of short-term insurance increased by 15.8%, supporting 113000 small and micro enterprises.
The second is to ensure the stability of the industrial chain and supply chain. We will promote the dredging of air, railway and maritime logistics transportation congestion points, and guide some localities to establish a "white list" of foreign trade enterprises that ensure smooth transportation. The number of enterprises with import and export performance in the first quarter was 432000, a year-on-year increase of 5.7%.
Third, promote the innovative development of foreign trade. Accelerate the development of new business forms and models, and the State Council newly approved the establishment of 27 cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones to create new growth points.
Fourth, help enterprises develop the market. The 131st Canton Fair was successfully held online, and 536000 overseas buyers from 228 countries and regions registered to watch the exhibition. Hold "national RCEP series special training" to guide enterprises to make good use of the preferential policies of the free trade agreement.
In the first quarter, foreign trade showed strong resilience, with a stable start and steady progress. But at the same time, the environment for the development of China's foreign trade is becoming more severe and complex, and challenges and opportunities coexist. The Ministry of Commerce will pay close attention to the changes in the situation, promote the stability and quality of foreign trade, help stabilize the economy and stabilize the industrial chain and supply chain. Focus on five aspects.
First, ensure smooth flow. Break through the difficulties of blocking points and ensure the stability and smoothness of the supply chain of the foreign trade industry chain. Give full play to the role of foreign trade and foreign investment coordination mechanism, strengthen linkage and cooperation, focus on solving the practical difficulties of foreign trade enterprises, and strive to ensure the efficient and smooth transportation of foreign trade goods.
Second, grasp orders. Help enterprises make good use of online and offline channels to obtain orders. Support small, medium-sized and micro enterprises to participate in overseas exhibitions in various forms, continue to guide enterprises to make good use of RCEP and other signed free trade agreements, and further explore diversified markets. Make full use of the export credit insurance policy to escort enterprises to receive orders.
Third, strong support. Make full use of foreign trade policy tools in line with WTO rules, increase fiscal, tax and financial support, further increase credit support for foreign trade enterprises, especially small, medium and micro foreign trade enterprises, promote the expansion of policy financing scale, improve the ability of foreign trade enterprises to deal with exchange rate risks, and actively and steadily promote RMB cross-border trade settlement.
Fourth, promote innovation. Encourage the use of new technologies and models, and accelerate the expansion of new business forms and models such as cross-border e-commerce. We will strive to promote the innovative development of trade in services, formulate a national negative list of cross-border trade in services, build a national demonstration area for the innovative development of trade in services, expand and strengthen export bases such as digital services and characteristic services, give full play to the role of exhibition platforms such as trade in services fairs, and cultivate new growth points of trade in services.
Fifth, increase power. Continuously enhance the comprehensive competitiveness of foreign trade, promote the high-quality development of foreign trade transformation and upgrading base, vigorously develop digital trade and green trade, and continue to strengthen brand cultivation. Give play to the leading role of large backbone foreign trade enterprises and promote small and medium-sized enterprises to take the road of "specialization and innovation". Encourage the development of products of the same line, standard and quality, and promote the integration of domestic and foreign trade.
Reporter: how do you view the prospect of absorbing foreign investment this year? What are the measures to deal with the impact of the recent epidemic on foreign-funded enterprises? What new opportunities do foreign investors face in China?
Sheng Qiuping: since this year, China's absorption of foreign capital has continued the trend of steady growth last year. The actual use of foreign capital in the first three months was 379.87 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 25.6%. This fully shows that the majority of foreign investors are optimistic about the Chinese market for a long time.
In view of the impact of the recent epidemic on the production and operation of various market entities, including foreign-funded enterprises, the Ministry of Commerce responded positively, sorted out the specific demands of foreign-funded enterprises such as the convenience of doing business in China one by one, and implemented policies according to categories, focusing on helping enterprises alleviate difficulties from two aspects.
On the one hand, ensure smooth supply and stabilize production and operation. Work with relevant departments and local governments to improve safeguard measures, and launch a series of targeted measures in terms of unblocking traffic and transportation channels, optimizing epidemic prevention and control, organizing emergency material transfer, and ensuring the supply of key materials, so as to ensure the normal production and operation of enterprises.
On the other hand, solve problems and provide excellent services to promote the resumption of work and production. In view of the urgent problems and expectations of foreign-funded enterprises in resuming work and production, give full play to the coordination mechanism of foreign trade and foreign investment and the role of special classes for key foreign-funded projects, and promote the solution of "one enterprise and one policy" on a case by case basis.
The fundamentals of China's long-term economic development have not changed, and the comprehensive advantages of attracting investment are still prominent. The open Chinese market will provide more opportunities for the development of enterprises in various countries. We believe that there are four areas worthy of attention.
First, market opportunities. China has a population of more than 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of more than 400 million. The scale and growth potential of the consumer market will continue to be released.
Second, open opportunities. China will continue to expand high-level opening to the outside world, continue to reduce restrictions on foreign investment access, revise the catalogue of industries encouraging foreign investment, implement opening-up measures in finance, automobile and other fields, relax the conditions for foreign investors to strategically invest in listed companies, and create wider investment space for foreign investors.
Third, industrial opportunities. China has a complete industrial system and industrial supporting facilities. It is the only country with all industrial categories in the United Nations Industrial Classification. At present, high-end manufacturing, energy conservation and environmental protection, green development and digital economy are booming, and the industrial supporting capacity will be further enhanced.
Fourth, environmental opportunities. From the perspective of hard environment, at present, China's port, airport, highway and other facilities are at the forefront of the world. In the future, we should comprehensively strengthen infrastructure construction, especially speed up the construction of new infrastructure. From the perspective of soft environment, China will continue to optimize the market-oriented, legalized and internationalized business environment, strengthen the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of foreign capital, implement the national treatment of foreign-funded enterprises, and create better conditions for the development of foreign-funded enterprises.