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Materials related of China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone

1.Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment Access in Pilot Free Trade Zones (2020 Version)

On June 23 2020, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce jointly issued the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment Access (2020 Version) , which was put into implementation on July 23, 2020.

Please refer to the link below for details:

http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2020-12/16/content_5569975.htm

2.Implementation Measures for Supporting the China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone in Deepening Reform and Innovation

On May 30, 2019, Sichuan Province released the Implementation Measures for Supporting the China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone in Deepening Reform and Innovation. It proposes 45 items of measures from 5 aspects, namely continuously optimizing the investment environment, improving the level of trade facilitation, further strengthening the financial opening-up and innovation, promoting the pilot construction in the field of human resources, and continuously deepening the exploration of differentiated reforms.

Please refer to the link below for details:

http://www.sc.gov.cn/10462/c103044/2019/6/2/5d31a4cfcaef486ba65f000f6af61a3a.shtml

3.Regulations on China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone

In May 2019, Sichuan Province issued the Regulations on China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"). The Regulations puts forward 60 regulations from 7 aspects, including management system, government services, investment promotion, trade facilitation, financial innovation, legal environment and coordinated development, and also clarifies the construction objectives of China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

It is closely linked with the Foreign Investment Law, stipulating that China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone shall implement national treatment and negative list management system for foreign investment; encourages reform and innovation and promotes the advanced experience and important achievements in the reform and innovation process of China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone; and clearly puts forward to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, etc. It is applicable to Chengdu Tianfu New Area, Chengdu Qingbaijiang Railway Port Area and South Sichuan Port Area within China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, as well as the expanded areas of China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone approved by the State Council.

Please refer to the link below for details:

http://www.sc.gov.cn/10462/12771/2019/5/26/2037c69fdb8e4b19a1c5304f33f87eb0.shtml

4.Implementation Plan for the Construction of China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone issued by Sichuan Provincial People's Government

On November 21, 2017, the Sichuan Provincial People's Government issued the Implementation Plan for the Construction of China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone. According to the actual situation of Sichuan, the Plan comprehensively refines the overall plan of the China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone issued by the State Council, and clarifies the "timetable" and "road map" for the construction of the Zone. According to the Plan, the Zone will be mainly based on supply-side structural reforms, with institutional innovation as the core, and implement the “system of lists + system of responsibilities” in accordance with the requirements for "accumulating experience in half a year, producing effectiveness in a year, making progress in two years, and achieving goals in three years", to explore the construction of an inland free trade port. The Plan specifies 7 major tasks including the creation of an international, legal, and convenient business environment, the building of a guiding zone for development and opening up in the gateway city in the west, the construction of an international hub area for opening up, the building of a key inland place for open economy, the building of a demonstration area for the collaboration between inland and coastal areas or those along the border, and the contribution to the construction of a financial center in the west.

The Hong Kong related part of the Plan includes the comprehensive strengthening of the economic and trade cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao, the comprehensive deepening of the cooperation mechanism between mainland China and Hong Kong and Macao to establish the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), the vigorous development of trade, tourism, logistics services, and the promotion of foreign direct investment. Relying on the advantages of Hong Kong and Macao in financial services, information, international trade network, risk management, etc., the pilot free trade zone will be built into a window to go out and an integrated service platform for enterprises. The exchanges and cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao will be strengthened in project partnering, investment and expansion, information exchange, and personnel training, the cooperation conducted regarding infrastructure construction and energy resources overseas, the communication and cooperation with port institutions in Shenzhen and Zhuhai and other places fortified, and the export of vegetables to Hong Kong and Macao fully realized.

For details of the Plan, please refer to

http://www.sc.gov.cn/10462/10464/13298/13300/2017/12/4/10439874.shtml

5.Administrative Measures for China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone issued by Sichuan Provincial People's Government

In August 2017, the Sichuan Provincial People's Government issued the Administrative Measures for China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone. It is the formulation of the strategic positioning, development goals, major tasks, measures and safeguard mechanisms established by the Sichuan Province in accordance with the Notice of the State Council on Printing and Distributing the Overall Plan for China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Overall Plan), and the inclusion of the relevant policies of the Overall Plan into the law.

In terms of investment management and trade facilitation, the Measures clarifies that the pilot free trade zone implements the pre-access treatment for citizens and the system of negative list for foreign investment. The Measures proposes that the pilot free trade zone should formulate preferential policies for attracting investment and recruiting talents within the statutory jurisdiction, reduce or eliminate restrictions on foreign investment access, actively introduce overseas funds, advanced technology and high-end talents, improve the comprehensive quality of foreign capital utilization, and allow qualified foreign investors to freely transfer their legal investment income. In terms of overseas investment, if enterprises in the pilot free trade zone conduct business overseas, a filing system is adopted for general overseas investment projects and enterprises. The in-depth cooperation with European regions in the fields of industrial talents, enterprise partnering, joint construction of project carrier, and optimization of business environment should be promoted, the level of service in trade for Europe improved, cross-border e-commerce developed, Sichuan electronic port built and improved, a "single window" for international trade built relying on the public platform of the electronic port, the integration of port services realized, and the paperless process of customs clearance explored and promoted.

In terms of financial innovation and risk prevention, the Measures proposes to explore the establishment of a local and foreign currency account management system that is compatible with the pilot free trade zone. Support should be given to multinational companies to set up global or regional settlement centers in the pilot free trade zone, and to foreign banks and Sino-foreign joint venture banks to set up business institutions in the pilot free trade zone, and banking and financial institutions in the pilot free trade zone allowed to sell financial products overseas in RMB and carry out business such as cross-border guarantee in the RMB form.

Please refer to the link below for details:

http://www.sc.gov.cn/10462/c103043/2017/8/8/88e51ed5a16f40ceb91781d65dd8a0ce.shtml

6.Overall Plan for China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone

In March 2017, the State Council issued the Overall Plan for China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, which clarifies the strategic positioning of the “four districts and one key place” in the Sichuan Pilot Free Trade Zone, namely, a guiding district for development and opening up in the gateway city in the west, an inland pilot zone for guidance in opening up strategy, an international hub district for opening, a demonstration area for the collaboration between inland and coastal areas or those along the border, and a key inland place for open economy. The Overall Plan specifies the scope of implementation, main tasks and measures of the Sichuan Pilot Free Trade Zone. On April 1, 2017, the Sichuan Free Trade Zone was officially put into operation.

Scope of Implementation

The scope of implementation for Sichuan Pilot Free Trade Zone is 119.99 square kilometers and covers the following three areas:

1)Tianfu New Area of Chengdu with an area of 90.32 square kilometers (including Block 4 of Chengdu High-tech Comprehensive Bonded Zone (Shuangliu Industrial Park) with 4 square kilometers and Chengdu Airport Bonded Logistics Center (Type B) with 0.09 square kilometers)

2)Qingbaijiang Railway Port Area of Chengdu with an area of 9.68 square kilometers (including Chengdu Railway Bonded Logistics Center (Type B) with 0.18 square kilometers)

3)South Sichuan Port Area with an area of 19.99 square kilometers (including Luzhou Port Bonded Logistics Center (Type B) with 0.21 square kilometers)

Strategic Positioning

With system innovation as the core and the possibility of copying and promotion as the basic requirements, basing itself on inland, linking the east and the west, serving the whole country and oriented toward the world, the pilot free trade zone will be built into a guiding district for development and opening up in the gateway city in the west, an inland pilot zone for guidance in opening up strategy, an international hub district for opening, a key inland place for open economy and a demonstration area for the collaboration between inland and coastal areas or those along the border.

Development Goals

After three to five years of reform and exploration, we will strive to build a high-level and high-standard free trade park with an environment under rule of law, convenient investment and trade, agglomeration of innovative elements, efficient and convenient supervision, and remarkable effects of collaboration and opening up. It plays a demonstration role in the creation of a key inland place for open economy, the promotion of the Great Western Development Strategy, and the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

For details of the Plan and related materials, please refer to

http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2017-03/31/content_5182304.htm
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