China Releases Plans for Free Trade Zones in Beijing and Other Places
The State Council has recently issued the overall plan for the pilot free Trade zones in Beijing, Hunan and Anhui and the plan for the expansion of the Pilot Free trade Zone in Zhejiang. Among them, the overall plan of China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone covers three areas: 31.85 square kilometers for science-technology innovation, 48.34 square kilometers for international commerce services (including 5.466 square kilometers for The Beijing Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Zone), and 39.49 square kilometers for high-end industries. In promoting financial technology innovation, it is proposed to support the Digital Currency Research Institute of the People's Bank of China (PBC) to establish a financial technology center, build a legal digital currency pilot zone and a digital financial system, to form a standard system for trade finance blockchain based on the PBC's trade finance blockchain platform, so as to strengthen regulatory innovation. At the same time, Beijing will build a pilot zone for financial technology application scenarios and establish a mechanism for releasing application scenarios. Beijing will support auto financing companies in the region in carrying out cross-border financing. The overall plan for the China (Hunan) Pilot Free Trade Zone proposed to launch a pilot program for qualified foreign limited partners (QFLP) in foreign-invested equity investment enterprises. The application requirement for foreign investors to set up investment companies is relaxed. The requirement for total assets of foreign investors in the year prior to the application is reduced to no less than US$200 million, and the requirement for the number of foreign-invested enterprises that foreign investors had set up in China is eliminated. At the same time, under the CEPA framework, people from Hong Kong and Macao are allowed to engage in relevant services in pilot free trade zones and enjoy national treatment. In terms of functional division, the overall plan of China (Anhui) Pilot Free Trade Zone proposes out that the Hefei area shall focus on the development of high-end manufacturing, integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, new displays, quantum information, technology financial, cross-border e-commerce and other industries to create comprehensive national science center and industry innovation center with global influence. Wuhu area shall focus on developing industries such as intelligent net-connected automobiles, smart home appliances, aviation, robots, shipping services, cross-border e-commerce, etc., to build a pilot area for strategic emerging industries and an international logistics hub for river-sea combined transport. Bengbu area should focus on the development of silicon-based new materials, bio-based new materials and new energy, etc., to build a world-class silicon-based and bio-based manufacturing center and a leading area for scientific and technological innovation and open development in northern Anhui province. The overall plan for the expansion of China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone clearly proposes to actively expand trade cooperation with other countries in agricultural products, and vigorously develop high-end animal protein processing and trade industries such as imported beef, to establish a transfer base for bonded storage of imported grains, support the adoption of soybean as a breakthrough point to innovate quarantine examination and approval system for grain import, allow non-tariff quota grain to be stored in ports for inspection and quarantine approval, and determine the processing sites after import (except for active genetically modified agricultural products).