The International Forum on Free Trade Zones Development co-hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Hainan Provincial People's Government is held on May 21-22, 2019 in Haikou. We, representatives from China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), international organizations including World Federation of Free Trade Zones (WFFTZ) and World Free Zones Organization (WFZO), and free zones and free trade ports from Dubai, Djibouti and other countries and regions, have had in-depth and fruitful discussions and reached broad consensus centering around the theme of “Creating Better Business Environment, Achieving New Heights of Free Trade”, and therefore propose the following initiatives on boosting free trade zones development.

I.   Supporting Trade Liberalization and Facilitation

We support the multilateral trade system with the World Trade Organization at its core and oppose all forms of protectionism and unilateralism, and are ready to work actively to make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all. We support in developing open, transparent, mutually beneficial and win-win regional free trade and enhancing mutual coordination to achieve positive interaction. We will boost multilateral trade by pushing forward trade facilitations, developing new business forms, and promoting pilot trade and service cooperation programs in free trade zones.

II. Expanding Mutual Investment

We will strengthen investment cooperation, explore innovative investment cooperation models, and promote more quality and efficient investments. We will strengthen the inter-connected development between investment and trade, and use investment to boost trade. We will carry out international cooperation in industrial capacity, and develop economic, trade and industrial cooperation zones, so as to further boost investment, aggregate industries and drive employment. We will develop model projects such as economic corridors and economic and trade cooperation zones to deepen cooperation in value and supply chains.

III. Strengthening Industrial Cooperation

We will elevate the development level and improve the infrastructure of the free trade zones so as to build the important carrier of industrial cooperation into a sound condition. We will guide the high-quality development of industrial cooperation by formulating development strategies, industrial development plans and institutional innovations. By means of industrial cooperation, we will further tap the development potentials of relevant countries, in particular resource and labor advantages. We encourage enterprises in all relevant countries, including small and medium-sized enterprises, to participate in industrial cooperation.

IV. Expanding Cooperation Areas

We will carry out third-party-market cooperation, tripartite cooperation and public-private partnership and welcome more efforts of enterprises and relevant international organizations in this regard in accordance with respective national laws and regulations. We will carry out legal cooperation, including providing dispute resolution services and legal aid for the business community. We support the cooperation between financial institutions of relevant countries and international financial institutions for the purpose of providing diversified and sustainable financing support for related projects.

V. Improving Business Environment

We will accelerate the development of the systems and rules and regulations in relation to free trade zones, promote rational allocation of resources, and reduce market operating costs to create an international and convenient business environment subject to the rule of law. We respect international business practices, treat all types of enterprises unbiasedly and equally, and will provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for enterprises from all over the world. We will protect the intellectual property rights of all enterprises in accordance with the law and create an enabling environment for innovation.

VI. Enhancing Exchanges and Mutual Learning

We will promote compatibility between rules and standards and provide better policies and mechanisms to fully release the positive effects of free trade zones. We will strengthen exchanges and cooperation between free trade zones in all relevant countries to establish a broader cooperation mechanism, explore more diverse channels of communication, sum up and share experience in developing free trade zones, and better promote the stable and sustainable development of free trade zones.

Looking ahead, the participating business communities are keen to further strengthen trade, investment and economic cooperation, to enhance economic vitality and business connections, to promote unimpeded trade and share the benefits of economic globalization.