National Development and Reform Commission: Will make greater efforts to optimize the market access environment and boost development expectations.

On August 30th, the State Council Information Office held a press conference. Li Chunlin, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, stated that the "Opinions on Improving the Market Access System" clarified the boundaries of government roles. It strengthened support for the "national unified list" management model from various aspects such as determining access rules, setting access items, and adjusting access measures, effectively maintaining the unity, standardization, and seriousness of the list, and promoting more standardized market access management to better ensure that entities can enter the market equally and legally. Next, the National Development and Reform Commission will work closely with relevant departments to implement the opinions, continuously improve the market access system, optimize the market access environment with greater efforts, boost development expectations, accelerate the formation of a new pattern of "standard leading access, list standardizing access, scene promoting access, pilot expanding access, and regulatory ensuring access." The original text is as follows: [Chinese text provided]Management is more standardized, better ensuring that business entities enter the market legally and equitably.The second is to adhere to relaxing access restrictions and stimulate market potential and vitality. Market access is the first barrier for economic activities. We must promote continuously relaxing market access restrictions, facilitate the smooth flow of various resources and elements, and actively create a broader market space. We should implement a policy of liberalizing access while strictly regulating, opening up access to areas with full competition, and significantly reducing entry restrictions for business entities. We should systematically relax access restrictions in the service industry, gradually removing entry barriers in service sectors that do not involve national security or social stability and can improve supply quality through market competition. The third is to optimize the access environment and improve market access efficiency. Market access is a key condition for transforming innovative achievements into real productivity. We should proactively deploy the market access system for new formats and fields, better promote the development of new productive forces. The document focuses on ten emerging fields such as deep sea, aerospace, aviation, life and health, new energy, and artificial intelligence, aiming to break through bottlenecks in industrial transformation and upgrade, promote innovative allocation of production factors, and continuously improve access efficiency. The fourth is to expand access pilot projects and eliminate hidden entry barriers. We should leverage the role of reform pilots, use special policy tools effectively, and focus on breaking entry barriers in certain industries and areas. The document proposes to focus on strategic emerging industries, key areas of future industries, and major layouts of productive forces, using regulations, technical standards, detection and certification, and data systems as leverage to remove various entry obstacles and promote the application of new technologies and products. We should select key areas to carry out access pilot projects, and gradually introduce special measures to relax market access. In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission will work closely with relevant departments to implement the document, strengthen overall coordination, continuously improve the market access system, optimize the market access environment more effectively, boost development expectations, and accelerate the formation of a new pattern of "standard-led access, list-standardized access, scenario-promoted access, pilot-expanded access, and supervision-guaranteed access." I have introduced these points. Next, I am willing to answer questions from journalists with my colleagues present. Thank you! Xing Huina: Now, you can raise your hand to ask questions. Please introduce the news agency you are from before asking. CCTV reporter: We see that the document has put forward clear requirements for improving the negative list management model of market access. Can you introduce the main considerations? Also, how is the revision progress of the new version of the negative list of market access? Thank you. Li Chunlin: Thank you for the question from the CCTV reporter, I am glad to answer this question. The negative list system of market access and the revision of the list have been highly anticipated by society. The negative list of market access clearly lists the industries, sectors, and businesses that are prohibited or require permission for investment and operation within China. Governments at all levels take corresponding management measures for matters related to market access in accordance with the law. Any business entity can enter industries, sectors, or businesses outside the list equally according to the law. Since the full implementation of the negative list system of market access in 2018, the negative list has been continually "trimmed down." As I mentioned earlier, it has been reduced from 151 items to 117 items, and the reform dividends have continued to "increase." The list has undergone four dynamic revisions, reducing the items by about 60% compared to the pilot stage. Restrictions on access in many areas such as retirement, healthcare, etc., have been relaxed, allowing various business entities more vitality and space to develop the economy, create wealth, and fully utilize the decisive role of market resource allocation. At the same time, as the implementation of the list continues to deepen, new circumstances and problems have arisen, such as insufficiently sound rules and standards for setting or adjusting access measures and various access barriers at various levels and categories that still exist. The document insists on a problem-oriented approach and makes corresponding institutional arrangements. Regarding the improvement of the "national single list" management, the document clarifies that all national-level access lists prepared according to requirements, including those related to market access such as industry, investment, environment, and territorial space planning, will all be managed under the negative list, promoting the strengthening of national-level access systems integration and vertical integration. It also specifies that it is strictly prohibited to set up access permits or conditions outside the list, arbitrarily define the nature of market access, or set access barriers in the process of implementing franchising, designated operations, testing and certification, etc. Over the past few years, the National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments, has cleaned up and canceled more than 20 market access-related negative lists established in various regions in violation of regulations, continuously strengthening the rigidity of the system. In terms of adjusting market access rules, the document classifies appropriate access rules according to the nature of different industries. For fully competitive sectors, it implements liberal access with strict management, significantly reducing access restrictions. For areas involving national security, the lifeline of the national economy, major production layout, strategic resource development, and major public interests, access restrictions can be established, but they must be carried out in accordance with the law and regulations. For new formats and fields, the document respects the development laws and characteristics of the industry, proactively deploys corresponding access systems, and promotes the development of new productive forces. For example, in the revision of the negative list of market access in recent years, a batch of management measures such as "approval of fire technology service institution qualifications, issuance of security training permits, establishment permits for nursing institutions" have been deleted, while access management has been implemented for important industries such as financial holding companies in accordance with the law, demonstrating the specific embodiment of this concept. In terms of adjusting access measures, the document elaborates on specific requirements for prohibiting entry, permitting access, etc., and further proposes that before the introduction or adjustment of market access management measures, industry authorities should conduct policy assessments first and then propose legislative amendments in accordance with the statutory procedures; in case of major sudden economic risks, temporary access measures can be taken, but must be approved by the Central Party Committee and the State Council, effectively strengthening the seriousness of access policy setting and adjustment. This also prevents individual departments or regions from arbitrarily stopping market access in certain areas, which is conducive to stabilizing market expectations. These latest requirements in the document provide a direction for the subsequent adjustment and implementation of the negative list of market access. Regarding the revision of the new version of the "Market Access Negative List," currently, the National Development and Reform Commission is working together with the Ministry of Commerce and the State Administration for Market Regulation.The revision of the list has been carried out in an orderly manner, and a revised version has been formed. It will be issued and implemented after approval according to procedures. The new version of the list will fully implement the requirements of the "Opinions," closely link with the reform of the administrative approval system, the separation of permits and licenses system, and the new round of institutional reform, and further reduce the items on the list to release more reform momentum for high-quality development. Thank you. !The General Administration is deeply implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 18th Central Committee of the Party, taking practical measures, actively promoting the improvement of the market economy basic system, accelerating the construction of a unified national market, continuously improving the market access system, focusing on deepening the reform of the registered capital paid-in registration system, implementing timely contribution according to law, adhering to innovation spirit to deepen reform in key areas and key links, strengthening system integration, continuously reducing the institutional costs of market access, promoting the more mature and standardized registration management system, fully stimulating the innovative vitality and endogenous power of market entities, and continuously creating a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, rule-based, and internationalized.Implementing the opinions of the Central Committee and the State Council on improving the market access system will be our next step, focusing on three key areas: First, we will continue to deepen the reform of the registered capital subscription registration system. We will thoroughly implement the Company Law and the provisions of the State Council on the management of registered capital registration under the Company Law, lawfully guiding newly established companies to reasonably determine the subscription period, steadily promote existing companies to adjust their contribution periods in accordance with the law, and promptly correct significant anomalies in contribution periods and amounts. We will accelerate the introduction of the Measures for Company Registration Management, legally clarify the criteria and procedures for determining significant anomalies in registered capital, conditions and requirements for exempting adjustment of contribution periods, and other management aspects. In high-risk sectors, we will work with relevant departments to study and classify the range, proportion, and duration of actual paid-in capital according to the law. We will study and improve the management system for non-corporate entities to contribute capital on time. We will expedite the establishment of a unified national registration system for business entities to strengthen intelligent market access. Second, we will continuously improve the legal system for business entity registration management. Adhering to the new development concept, we will coordinate development with security, vitality with order, efficiency with fairness, and adhere to goal-oriented, problem-oriented, and reform-oriented approaches. We will accelerate the research and formulation of basic legal systems for business entity registration, clarify the basic principles of business entity registration management, study unified basic legal concepts, improve system rules for registration matters management, business transfer, business name management, and business entity leasing contracting, strengthen legal responsibility for business entity fraud, accelerate institutional innovation, fill institutional gaps, and speed up the construction of legal systems and rules that effectively interface with international business practices. Finally, we will strictly supervise improper market competition and market intervention. We will adhere to simultaneous prevention and punishment, simultaneous regulation and advocacy, and simultaneous correction of typical cases and strengthening of institutional construction, decisively remove market access barriers. We will regulate the scope of monopolistic and competitive businesses conducted by natural monopoly enterprises, prevent related enterprises from extending or excluding upstream and downstream competition links using their monopoly advantage, focus on issues that concern the people and business entities, and deepen the anti-monopoly enforcement against the abusive exercise of administrative power to exclude and restrict competition. We will enhance the competitiveness review system, address improper market interventions such as abusing administrative power to limit transaction parties or exclude and restrict operators from participating in bidding activities, and eliminate the "glass doors," "spring doors," and "revolving doors" for business entity market access. That's all I have to say. Thank you! Economic Daily Reporter: It is understood that the National Development and Reform Commission has guided 10 provinces including Yunnan, Guangdong, and Fujian to carry out market access efficiency assessment pilots. The "Opinions" mentioned this time propose to comprehensively carry out market access efficiency assessment. Could you please provide detailed considerations and relevant information on this matter? Wang Shancheng: Thank you for your question. The market access system is a key link between an effective market and an active government. The purpose of conducting market access efficiency assessments is to improve government governance capabilities by evaluating the implementation of the market access system, promoting the efficient and lawful performance of governments, while also focusing on improving the entry efficiency of business entities, assessing the entry environment in various regions, promptly eliminating entry barriers, and ensuring the efficient and smooth entry of all types of business entities into the market. Since 2021, the Party Central Committee and the State Council have made important deployments regarding the establishment and implementation of the market access efficiency assessment system. The National Development and Reform Commission has guided two batches of 10 provinces including Fujian, Yunnan, Ningxia, Shanghai, and Guangdong to carry out pilot efficiency assessments. After nearly three years of exploration, pilot regions have achieved remarkable results in market access efficiency assessments. For example, Yunnan Province comprehensively assessed the efficiency of 16 prefectures (cities) and 129 counties (cities, districts), forming a provincial efficiency index portrait, actively promoting "evaluation to promote excellence," steadily improving the scores of participating entities, receiving positive feedback from business entities, and pushing for adjustments and improvements to local tourism-related policies based on evaluation results, removing a batch of market entry barriers. Anhui Province has explored a "dual entity" assessment model that considers both administrative entities and business entities, constructed an indicator system with characteristics of the Yangtze River Delta region, promoted "unconscious" evaluation through information platform construction, increased entry efficiency, and ensured the fairness of evaluation results. Currently, conditions for the comprehensive implementation of efficiency assessments are basically mature, and a national unified indicator system has been established, consisting of 18 indicators in five areas including market access system construction, entry barrier removal, entry supervision implementation, organizational mechanism guarantee, and system implementation effectiveness. The assessment work is guided by national ministries, with provincial (autonomous region, municipality) governments as the assessment subjects, and city and county governments as the assessment objects, laying the foundation for the nationwide promotion of assessment work. Next, we will comprehensively carry out market access efficiency assessment work in accordance with the deployment requirements of the "Opinions." In terms of timing, we will further expand the scope of assessment this year and gradually achieve full coverage of market access efficiency assessment starting next year, and normalize the conduct of efficiency assessments. As for assessment indicators, the indicator system will consist of "national common indicators + local characteristic indicators," with national common indicators uniformly formulated and released by the National Development and Reform Commission, and local characteristic indicators set by each region according to their actual needs, appropriately reflecting local characteristics, and encouraging grassroots reform and innovation. Regarding assessment results, we will strictly implement relevant requirements, and the main purpose of assessment results is to provide references for the construction of market access systems in various regions. The assessment work will avoid rankings and prevent increasing burdens on localities and grassroots entities. Through the implementation of efficiency assessments, we will comprehensively reflect and scientifically evaluate the entry environment in various regions, promote the solid implementation of market access system requirements, and continuously improve the standardization and scientific level of government entry management. Thank you! Science and Technology Daily Reporter: The Third Plenary Session of the Twentieth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China specifically mentioned "optimizing the market access environment for new business formats and fields." We noticed that the "Opinions" have a dedicated section on this, with many new highlights and terms, many of which involve cutting-edge areas of new productive forces development. Could you please provide detailed considerations on this? Li Chunlin: Thank you for your question. I often read the China Science Daily, and your question about new productive forces is very professional. As you mentioned, the Third Plenary Session of the Twentieth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China explicitly stated """Optimize the market access environment for new formats and new fields" has made specific arrangements for improving the market access system, so it is important to accurately grasp this top priority and carry out the implementation work in line with it.Currently, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is deepening, disruptive technologies are rapidly iterating and upgrading, and the access rules for some new formats and fields are still unclear. The issues of overly strict access management and the need to optimize the access environment have become prominent, necessitating the improvement of relevant access systems and the orderly relaxation of access restrictions to better promote the development of new formats and fields. Let me give you an example, such as low-altitude economy. Currently, various regions across the country are actively developing the low-altitude economy, but its development is accompanied by a series of issues related to safety, product industry standards, and access rules for low-altitude flights. For example, where are the rules and regulations? Where are the application scenarios? Where is the industrial development path? As a prominent representative of new productive forces, the low-altitude economy can easily lead to issues like chaotic flying without rules. Therefore, it is necessary to relax access restrictions in an orderly manner to better promote the development of new formats and fields. For example, Article 7 of the "Opinions," which provides clear policy arrangements on how to optimize the market access environment for new formats and fields, includes many highlighted measures: Firstly, in terms of optimizing access management methods, the "Opinions" specify that in 10 new formats and fields such as deep sea, aerospace, aviation, life health, new energy, artificial intelligence, autonomous trusted computing, information security, smart rail transportation, and modern seed industry, area-specific plans to optimize the market environment will be developed to promote innovative allocation of production factors and improve access efficiency. Market access management for new formats and fields cannot simply rely on traditional administrative approval. It should fully leverage market mechanisms, use standards and scenarios as drivers, and promote the formation of a more flexible and resilient access management mechanism. Following the principles of "standards lead, scenarios open, market drive, industrial focus, and system upgrade," further optimization of access methods for new formats and fields should be pursued. In the early stages of development, new formats and fields require nurturing, so corresponding application scenarios need to be provided. Without scenarios, there can be no industry development; without standards, industry development may face various problems. In fact, this to some extent hinders the healthy, high-quality, rapid development of the industry. Therefore, top-level design should be well done to provide principle pathways. Secondly, in terms of optimizing the mechanism for the transformation of innovative achievements, currently, many innovative achievements are difficult to enter the market, and there are many entry barriers between innovative achievements and industrial systems. Therefore, the mechanism for transforming achievements is an important part of optimizing the market access environment. This is the key to truly solving the problem of the two sides of technology and economy. The "Opinions" propose to "effectively use advanced technology application promotion centers and various science and technology achievement transformation innovation platforms" to facilitate the transformation of original disruptive scientific and technological innovation achievements into practical productivity through the smooth integration of industrial systems, innovation resources, capital elements, application scenarios, institutional policies, etc. For example, according to the policy of relaxing market access, it has been clarified that international advanced technology application promotion centers can be established in comprehensive national scientific centers and international science and technology innovation centers. It is understood that the Anhui Hefei International Advanced Technology Application Center was the first to be officially launched in November 2022, and the center's council officially established the following month, achieving significant results in advancing reforms for the comprehensive deployment of new factors such as technology, data, computing power, airspace, and scenarios. At the same time, centers in Shanghai Pudong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou are also accelerating construction. The "Opinions" also call for the implementation of market access environment construction actions for the application transformation of innovative achievements in advanced technology fields, and to drive the application and standardization of unmanned systems in sea, land, air, and all dimensions, accelerate the construction of access policy systems in areas such as green energy, and actively expand the market access for digital products. We will also focus on the implementation and practical execution of these key tasks, while providing experience and demonstrations for the application of achievements in other cutting-edge fields. Finally, in terms of optimizing resource coordination for innovation, the "Opinions" specifically select areas such as electronic information, computer science, deep sea, aerospace, new energy, new materials, biomedicine, quantum technology, modern seed industry, etc., to promote the establishment of innovative collaboration models between key enterprises, research institutions, and relevant localities in key areas, actively participate in the formulation of international market access rules and standards, and facilitate the efficient application of innovative achievements in key areas. This is of great significance for strengthening strategic layouts in cutting-edge areas, enhancing the capabilities of deploying global advanced and high-quality production elements, and leading the formulation of rules and standards in new formats and fields. Optimizing the market access environment for new formats and fields is a brand new reform task deployed at the Third Plenary Session of the Twentieth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. We will carefully implement the requirements of the "Opinions," conduct comparisons, benchmarks, and tables one by one, and promote the high-quality development of new formats and fields in an effective manner through market access reform. Thank you! Reporter from The Paper: The "Opinions" propose to improve the negative list management mode for market access, scientifically determine market access rules, and implement access management in accordance with the law. How will the market supervision department consider advancing related work in the next step? Thank you. Ren Duanping: Thank you for your question. In recent years, the State Administration for Market Regulation has actively promoted the implementation of the market access negative list system, standardized and facilitated administrative license issuance, and continuously improved the operability and enforceability of the list items. At the same time, we fully utilize the foundational role of the market access negative list system, standardize registration based on business scope, fulfill the dual notification responsibilities, expand the use of electronic business licenses, and actively provide standardized and convenient registration services. In the next step, we will conscientiously implement the "Opinions on Improving the Market Access System" and continue to do well in four aspects of work. We will continue to improve the content of the market access negative list. We will actively cooperate with the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce to continuously streamline and optimize the market access negative list items. For items related to food production and operation, special equipment, inspection, and testing included in the negative list in the market supervision field, we will revise relevant laws, regulations, and departmental rules, strengthen the construction of safety technical norms, and continuously improve the operability and enforceability of the list items. We will continue to promote the standardization, regulation, and facilitation of license services. Based on laws, regulations, and rules on setting and implementing licenses, we will continuously improve the "implementation norms for administrative licensing matters in the field of market supervision," refine the basic elements, conditions, application materials, approval procedures, and time limits for approval for all administrative licensing matters in the market supervision field based on the approval level and category of the approval object. We will further optimize the approval process.compress the approval time limit, improve the efficiency of approval. Continuously strengthen the standardization of approval, strengthen ethical conduct, optimize window services, improve supervision mechanisms, implement systems such as the "first inquiry responsibility", "one-time notification", and "time-limited completion", and focus on improving service efficiency.We will continue to promote the standardization of business scope registration. We will establish the correspondence between permission items and business activities to provide more standardized registration services for business entities. We will actively fulfill the "double notification" duty by informing companies of the specific permission approval items related to their business activities when processing business scope registration. We will strengthen information sharing, timely push enterprise information notifications, facilitate relevant supervisory departments to include in supervision, and achieve coordinated supervision. We will continue to optimize government services and enhance market access efficiency. We will deeply implement the State Council's decision to promote "one-stop approval for efficient services" and lead the efficient handling of various "one-stop" processes such as opening restaurants. We will guide all regions to optimize business processes, enhance business collaboration, connect business systems, strengthen data sharing, vigorously promote government services to "reduce time, reduce steps, reduce materials, reduce travel," and enhance the sense of service for enterprises and the public. We will continue to expand the application scenarios of electronic business licenses. As of now, a total of 76.35 million business entities across the country have downloaded electronic business licenses 290 million times. They have used electronic business licenses for identity verification, online login, electronic signatures, and other services a total of 493 million times, with an average daily usage of over 900,000 times. More than 1,700 business systems across various regions and departments have applied electronic business licenses, significantly reducing costs and improving efficiency. That's all I have to answer, thank you. Heng Huina: You can continue to ask questions, this is the last question. Beijing News Reporter: The "two lists" of foreign investment access and market access have always received attention from all parties. How will the connection of these two lists play a role, and what specific arrangements will be made for the Hainan Free Trade Port and Free Trade Experimental Zone? Thank you. Li Fei: Thank you for your question. Regarding the first question, the market access negative list is part of the national treatment and applies to various types of operating entities inside and outside the country. The foreign investment access negative list falls under the category of foreign investment management and only applies to foreign investors. Previously, these two lists have been closely connected in their adjustments. First, in terms of institutional design, special management measures related to foreign investment access, such as equity requirements and executive requirements, are clearly listed in the foreign investment access negative list. In areas outside of this, management is implemented according to the principle of equal treatment for domestic and foreign investments. Domestic and foreign investors uniformly apply the relevant provisions of the market access negative list. Second, in specific matters, the "two lists" are jointly adjusted. If restrictions on foreign investment access are lifted, they are synchronously lifted for domestic investments; if thresholds are set for domestic investment access, they are generally applied to foreign investments synchronously, but without violating international agreements and commitments. Third, in implementation, without reducing the access opportunities for existing operating entities, we adhere to the national treatment principle, continually clearing and removing various barriers that hinder fair access, and ensuring that all operating entities have equal access rights in accordance with the law. The requirements of the "Opinions" are a clear and institutionalized enhancement of established practices and an important institutional achievement in strengthening the connection of the "two lists." Regarding the second question, as free trade experimental zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port are highlands for China's opening to the outside world, with good foundations for reform and development and vibrant foreign investment activities, the negative list for foreign investment access is shorter and the degree of openness is higher. In terms of market access, regions such as the Hainan Free Trade Port implement special measures to relax market access on top of the unified national list. Next, we will guide relevant regions to fully implement the "two lists," continuously optimize services for foreign-funded enterprises, strive to replicate and promote experiences that create a more efficient and convenient access environment for all types of enterprises. Thank you! Heng Huina: Today's press conference ends here. Thank you to the four presenters and thank you to all the media friends. Goodbye!