Work-level Meeting with CCPIT and Six Ministries to Discuss Further Openness of Foreign Investment and Guofa No.5

2017-03-31 | Beijing

The CCPIT’s Vice Chairman Mr Wang made opening remarks on recent development of foreign investment in China and commented on the Guofa No.5 that this document highlighted the joint-wisdom of different ministries, and features with further strengthening decentralization, management and services of the government. From his observation, in recent years, the exchange of EU-China economic trade and cooperation has stayed smoothly and deeply, despite the slow recovery of global economy in 2016, with 13% decrease in overall foreign investment in China. 

The European Chamber’s Vice President Mr Bertrand de La Noue emphasized the role of European companies in China in the aspects of increasing government taxation, helping China in developing business and creating job opportunities in his speech.  He also presented the Chamber’s publications, the 2016/2017 Position Paper, the Report on China Manufacture 2025, and the Business Confidence Survey 2016 to the CCPIT and all other representatives from six ministries, including the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM), the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic China (MIIT), the State Administration of Taxation (SAT) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE). Although he expressed his disappointment on the revised draft of the Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries (the Catalogue) due to minor progress in opening up for foreign investment, President Xi’s speech at Davos along with Premier Li Keqiang’s Government Report during the Two Sessions, brought optimistic attitude towards foreign investment in China by further opening up investment environment in China.

In the discussion session, representatives from the European Chamber raised several questions regarding restrictions and government enforcement of foreign investment in the sectors of automotive, biochemistry, environmental protection, pharmaceuticals, medical facility, publication, E-commerce and food. Subsequently, the government officials from the above six ministries responded to the concerns. 

Ms Zhu Linyan, the Deputy Director of Division of Department of Trade and Investment Promotion of CCPIT, concluded this meeting by expressing her gratitude to all the participants, and promised to collect the unresolved questions raised at the meeting and report to relevant departments afterwards.