"Building a pilot free trade zone is a strategic move of the Party Central Committee to promote reform and opening up in the new era, and it is a milestone in the process of my country's reform and opening up."
"China will support the free trade pilot zone to deepen reform and innovation, continue to deepen differentiated exploration, increase stress testing, and give play to the role of pilot free trade zone reform and opening up."
Since the "13th Five-Year Plan", General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward a series of new ideas, new viewpoints and requirements on the construction of the pilot free trade zone on many occasions, pointing out the direction for the construction of the pilot free trade zone.
Keeping in mind the general secretary's entrustment, the construction of the pilot free trade zone is pushing hard and moving forward.
Since the "13th Five-Year Plan", my country has newly approved the establishment of 17 pilot free trade zones, bringing the total to 21, becoming the "vanguard" and "leading goose" in my country's all-round opening up.
"Try boldly, venture boldly, and reform independently"
At the end of 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping gave important instructions to the construction of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone: “Boldly experiment, boldly enter into, and independently reform, strive to achieve more system innovations that can be replicated and promoted, and further demonstrate the role of comprehensively deepening reform and expanding opening ."
Exploring new ways and breaking new paths, the pilot free trade zone shoulders the important task of forming reproducible and extendable experience for comprehensively deepening reform and expanding opening up.
"Started that year, put into production that year, and delivered that year", the first phase of the Tesla Super Factory in the Lingang New Area of Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone set a new record in the automotive industry.
On August 20, 2019, the Lingang New Area of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone was officially unveiled.
For Tesla, there are many reasons for choosing the Lingang New Area, and institutional innovation is undoubtedly the biggest advantage: it is the first to implement the pilot project of multi-purpose mixed use of industrial land, and it is the first to carry out the reform of the construction permit notification commitment system... in a series of innovations With the support of the system, the Tesla Gigafactory project took only 5 months from signing the contract to obtaining the construction permit.
“In the past, our new products went on the market, it may take 6 months from application verification to approval; now it only takes 1 month.” said Tao Lin, Tesla’s global vice president, “the free trade zone has enough space to carry special features. Sla’s dream!"
"In accordance with the important instructions and requirements of the General Secretary, we have boldly tried, boldly entered, and independently reformed. Some systems that have explored breakthroughs for optimizing the business environment have been successfully replicated and promoted." Executive Director of the Lingang New Area Management Committee of Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone Deputy Director Zhu Zhisong said.
Combining local characteristics, highlighting regional advantages, and combining the construction of pilot free trade zones with regional economic development, promote the formation of a higher-level new pattern of open economy.
On March 29 this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the Chuanshan Port Area of Zhoushan Port, Ningbo, and watched the scene of container operations at the terminal in the rain to understand the port operations.
The general secretary emphasized: "Ningbo Zhoushan Port has an important position in national strategies such as the joint construction of the'Belt and Road', the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. It is a'hard core' force. It is necessary to adhere to first-class standards and build the port well. , Manage well, strive to build a world-class strong port, and make greater contributions to national development."
Zhoushan is one of my country's important oil storage and transportation bases.
Now, Ningbo Zhoushan Port has tens of thousands of foreign ships entering and leaving every year, providing these ships with oil and water injection and other production and living supplies. The market space is huge.
In the past, foreign ships used to go to ports such as Japan and Singapore to refuel. Can Zhoushan share the market "cake"?
The Pilot Free Trade Zone has brought opportunities to Zhoushan.
"Hangzhou Customs has launched a number of innovative measures such as'one ship, multiple supplies, and fuel blending'. Ningbo Customs has opened up a green channel to promote the facilitation of commodity trade with oil products as the core." Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Ningbo Branch Wu Lujun, the person in charge of the company's business, said that with policy support, domestically produced oil can also be supplied to ships on international voyages, which can save 10-15 days compared to importing oil products from abroad.
Ningbo Zhoushan Port has become the country's largest bunkering port, and ranks among the forefront of global ship bunkering ports.
Now, Ningbo Zhoushan Port is building into an Asia-Pacific iron ore distribution center, an international grain distribution center, and an international oil storage, transportation, and processing center.
"We must keep in mind the general secretary's request, build and manage the port, and strive to build a world-class strong port!" said Mao Jianhong, chairman of Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group.
"Institutional integration and innovation must be placed in a prominent position"
This year, General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions for the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port and emphasized: “We must put system integration and innovation in a prominent position, emancipate our minds, innovate boldly, and launch one item at a mature stage, and we will be stable and long-term.
Through system integration and innovation, the pilot free trade zone actively connects with international rules to promote the efficient and free flow of elements.
Since July 1, the new policy of duty-free shopping on Hainan’s outlying islands, which has attracted much attention, has been implemented. The tax-free shopping limit on outlying islands has been increased to 100,000 yuan per person per year, and the types of duty-free products have been expanded, making consumers more enjoyable “buying, buying, and buying”.
“I bought a mechanical watch and it cost nearly 7,000 yuan at the counter in Chengdu and only 3,000 yuan in Hainan, which is half the price!” Tian Zhaojun, a citizen of Chengdu, felt the “bonus” brought by duty-free shopping on Hainan’s outlying islands.
Statistics show that from July 1 to September 30, the amount of duty-free shopping on Hainan's outlying islands reached 8.61 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 227.5%; the number of shoppers was 1.29 million, a year-on-year increase of 62%.
From October 1st to 8th, the amount of duty-free shopping on Hainan Islands exceeded 1 billion yuan.
"Without system integration and innovation, there would be no such high efficiency!" Gu Gang, director of the Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pioneer District Administration, was deeply moved.
"How long does it take to build a 90,000-square-meter Grade A hospital from land acquisition to start of construction? In the Lecheng pilot zone, it only takes 5 months. How long does it take for the latest internationally marketed medical equipment from application to medication? In the Lecheng pilot zone, as long as 7 days, while it takes 3 to 5 years to introduce similar medical equipment in other regions." Gu Gang said.
In July 2019, Hainan took the lead in implementing "One Park, One Policy" for 4 parks including Lecheng Pioneer Zone, giving the parks relatively independent powers, financial powers, and personnel rights; in September this year, Hainan Free Trade Port's first "minimalist approval" "The park system integration innovation reform plan was released, realizing the "three synchronizations" of medical technology, equipment, and drug supervision with the international advanced level.
"Being benchmarked against the world's highest level of openness, the'success' of Lecheng is the'great achievement' of Hainan's institutional innovation, which has witnessed the achievements of the free trade pilot zone!" Gu Gang said.
Through system integration and innovation, the Pilot Free Trade Zone strives to improve the government affairs environment and human settlement environment, bringing more convenience to consumers and entrepreneurs.
On February 11, 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to Chengdu Tianfu New District to inspect and learn more about the construction of China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone.
The general secretary pointed out that Tianfu New Area is an important node in the construction of the “Belt and Road” and the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. It must be well planned and constructed, especially to highlight the characteristics of park cities, take ecological values into consideration, and strive to create new growth poles. Open up the inland economic highlands.
"The office building is built in the park, and you can see the beautiful scenery by pushing the window..." Ms. Zhao, who works near Xinglong Lake in Tianfu New District, said that Tianfu New District “embeds” the city in the park and jogs along Xinglong Lake every day after get off work. Has become her life habit.
The living environment is good and work is convenient.
Walking into the lobby of Chengdu Tianfu New District Government Service Center, the people who came to handle business were in order.
Here, 450 approval service items can be handled centrally, the tax registration form and the industrial and commercial registration form have realized the "one form application", and the submission of corporate information has been reduced by 20%.
"Break the departmental barriers and standardize the examination and approval matters, and the start-up time has been compressed by two days." said Wang Yalin, deputy director of the approval service department of the Administrative Approval Bureau of the Chengdu Management Committee of Tianfu New District. "We must follow the requirements of the general secretary and pass high-quality and efficient services Build Tianfu New District into an inland open economic highland."
"Building a high-level opening door hub"
In October 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during an inspection in Guangdong: "We must expand opening up at a higher level, build a high-standard Guangdong free trade pilot zone, and create a high-level opening-up gateway hub."
Keeping in mind the general secretary's request, the Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone is carefully drawing a new picture of "a high-level opening door hub".
"It took me only half a day to pass the'Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect e-Registration' commercial service platform, and easily completed the business license." Yizhi Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. founder Liu Yiwen said, benefiting from the excellent local efficiency and service Awareness, the company plans to further invest in Shenzhen.
On October 22, 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out when inspecting the Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park in Hengqin New Area, Zhuhai, Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone: "Hengqin has the inherent advantages of Guangdong-Macao cooperation, and it is necessary to strengthen policy support and enrich cooperation. Connotation, expand cooperation space, develop emerging industries, and promote Macao’s economic development more vigorously."
Across the road from the University of Macau in the Hengqin New District, a colorful glass facade is particularly eye-catching-it is the Hengqin·Macao Youth Entrepreneurship Valley where a group of innovative companies gather, and it is also the dream of the Macau youth Chen Tianlan. The beginning of the road.
"I set up my own Digifree Biotechnology Co., Ltd. here. On the one hand, it is close to Macau and the University of Macau, which can make full use of human resources; on the other hand, it is also very convenient to connect with upstream and downstream manufacturers." Chen Tianlan said "The most important thing is that the park provides us with high-quality services in policy, law, financing and other aspects. Now Hengqin is becoming more and more popular!"
In September 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the three provinces of Northeast China and hosted a symposium on deepening the revitalization of Northeast China in Shenyang.
The general secretary pointed out that it is necessary to accelerate the implementation of key tasks in the Liaoning Pilot Free Trade Zone, improve the infrastructure of key border ports, develop advantageous industrial clusters, and achieve multilateral cooperation and win-win results.
"Our order has been signed for 3 years!" Entering the Liaoning Pilot Free Trade Zone AVIC Shenfei Civil Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd., the production workshop is busy, Qi Xuezhi, the head of the company's control room, said excitedly.
AVIC Shenfei is one of the leading enterprises in the manufacture of large parts of civil aircraft.
In the past, companies often faced problems such as difficulty in capital turnover, tight procedures for processing time, and urgent verification of guarantees when handling imported parts guarantees.
"The Pilot Free Trade Zone and Shenyang Customs are actively exploring facilitation measures to allow unprocessed bonded materials and parts to be allocated among qualified aircraft industry processing and trade enterprises, which greatly eases the problem." Qi Xuezhi said.
"Developing advantageous industry clusters, realizing multilateral cooperation and multilateral win-win." Zhang Shicheng, director of the Policy and Regulation Bureau of the Shenyang District Management Committee of the Liaoning Pilot Free Trade Zone, was impressed by the words of the General Secretary.
At present, Taoxian Park of Shenyang Comprehensive Bonded Zone in Liaoning Pilot Free Trade Zone has stationed in more than 120 companies including AVIC Shenfei, and has established a high-level open platform for industrial upgrading.
Through thousands of mountains and rivers, we still need to travel through mountains and rivers.
After years of innovation and exploration, 21 vibrant free trade pilot zones are like shining pearls inlaid on the motherland.
Facing the future, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's thoughts on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, as a pilot free trade zone in the new heights of reform and opening up in the new era, it will surely be able to brave the wind and waves and set sail!
(Our reporter Du Haitao, Ouyang Jie, Wang Ke, Qi Zhiming, Luo Shanshan, Xie Weiqun, Fang Min, Huang Xiaohui, Zhang Wen, Li Gang, Liu Hongchao)