(Economic Observation) Politburo Meeting Actively Responds to the Appeals of Foreign Enterprises to Stabilize the Basic Market of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment
China News Service, Beijing, April 29 (Reporter Li Xiaoyu) The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a meeting on the 29th, proposing to actively respond to the demands of foreign-funded enterprises to facilitate business in China, and stabilize the basic foreign trade and foreign investment.
Since March, due to the impact of the epidemic, some foreign companies in China have encountered difficulties in normal business operations, and there are many obstacles for foreign companies to invest in China.
The U.S.-China Business Council released an investigation report saying that logistics and transportation disruptions and factory shutdowns are the biggest challenges facing U.S.-funded companies in China.
Companies in major industries such as semiconductors, batteries and petrochemicals in South Korea have also encountered difficulties because their production bases are concentrated in Jiangsu and Zhejiang near Shanghai.
There are also some foreign companies whose normal business was affected because foreign executives were unable to come to China in time due to epidemic control.
According to a survey released by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade on the 29th, many foreign companies interviewed said that the epidemic situation in China since the beginning of March will have a significant impact on their operating income this year.
According to official statistics, in the first quarter of this year, China's total import and export volume increased by 10.7% year-on-year, and the growth rate was 2.6 percentage points lower than that in the previous two months.
Yang Weimin, member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and deputy director of the Economic Committee, said that many economic indicators in China showed an upward trend in the first two months, but they began to turn downward in March, which requires full attention.
According to the research conducted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the current demands of foreign companies are mainly reflected in the following aspects: fair competition, fair treatment of foreign companies in administrative law enforcement, financial support and government public procurement; more precise implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures; Enter the negative list, and further clear the investment obstacles outside the list; continue to expand the opening up, especially gradually expand the opening of the service industry; accelerate the implementation of major projects.
China is already responding to these demands.
For example, in terms of epidemic prevention and control, Lei Zhenglong, head of the National Health Commission's Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention, said that the scientific and precise level of epidemic prevention and control is constantly improving, scientifically delineating medium and high-risk areas, and doing a good job of grading, classification, and zoning.
In the community prevention and control, the closed control area, the control area and the prevention area are precisely divided; the transportation and logistics are guaranteed to be smooth, and the epidemic prevention and control and the transportation of key materials are coordinated.
For another example, in response to the implementation of major projects, the Ministry of Commerce and other ministries and commissions of China have been playing the role of special classes for key foreign-funded projects, making every effort to accelerate the implementation of relevant measures, and actively coordinating and solving specific difficulties encountered by foreign-funded enterprises.
Analysts believe that it is expected that China will be more timely and effective in responding to the demands of foreign companies in the future, and pay more attention to solving practical problems.
Wei Jianguo, vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges and former vice-minister of the Ministry of Commerce, said that China's efforts to build a large unified national market with high efficiency, standardization, fair competition, and full opening will be of great benefit to foreign companies in China and will greatly enhance the presence of foreign companies in China. Confidence in stabilizing operations and expanding investment will promote the further eastward migration of capital, technology and talents globally.
Under the current situation, in order to stabilize the fundamentals of foreign trade and foreign investment, this important work should be accelerated.
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