Nation's free trade zones to get more support in reform push

China will strengthen the building of domestic pilot free trade zones, carry out pioneering and leading reforms, and firmly respond to external risks and challenges in the light of a complex and severe international situation, the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.

The ministry will strengthen guidance for pilot free trade zones, expand the reform task authorization for the three pilot free trade zones in Tianjin, Guangdong province, and Fujian province, which were established 10 years ago, and assign them new pilot reform tasks.

China will support eligible pilot free trade zones to carry out integrated innovation throughout the entire industry chain in key sectors such as biomedicine, equipment manufacturing and marine economy, the commerce ministry said.

"China will also strengthen policy empowerment for the pilot free trade zones in the central and western regions and border areas, and support them to better play a demonstrative and leading role in serving major national strategies," said Meng Huating, director of the free trade zone and free trade port department of the Ministry of Commerce.

Since their establishment a decade ago, the Guangdong, Tianjin, and Fujian pilot free trade zones have made remarkable progress in bold experimentation, as well as pioneering and integrated reforms, the commerce ministry said.

The three pilot free trade zones have seen rapid development in building modern high-end industrial clusters, and they have gradually formed demonstration samples for coordinated regional development.

As "experimental fields" for reform and opening-up, the three pilot free trade zones have shaped more than 140 high-quality institutional innovative achievements that have been replicated and promoted at the national level, providing a "free trade solution" for the innovative growth of related industries, the commerce ministry said.

In Guangdong province, the pilot free trade zone has carried out businesses such as cross-border renminbi loans and bonded aircraft maintenance.

"We have continued to expand our opening-up in sectors such as law, construction, finance, accounting, engineering, and tourism to Hong Kong and Macao, and issue professional qualification certificates to relevant personnel. Guangdong has become the preferred destination for investment from Hong Kong and Macao," said Shuang Dehui, deputy director of the Department of Commerce of Guangdong province.

In Tianjin, more than 100 innovative measures have been implemented at the pilot free trade zone, including convenient Customs clearance, and it has become the most convenient seaport in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, according to the local government.