General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping attended the tele-conference to advance the work on coordinating the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic and economic and social development on Feb. 23, and delivered an important speech. The meeting was of great significance at a most crucial moment to curb the spread of the virus, pointing out the direction and providing fundamental guidance for the Party and the whole country to make overall plans for pandemic prevention and control and economic and social development for the next stage.

As soon as the meeting ended, CCPIT Committee of CPC immediately organized learning sessions on General Secretary Xi’s important speech and the spirit of the meeting, conducted seminar courses on the work measures for implementing the spirit of the meeting, called up again CCPIT staff, and adjusted strategy and approach for the prioritized issues of epidemic prevention and control as well as foreign trade and investment stabilization for the next stage.

To unify thoughts and actions, and resolutely implement the decisions and deployment of the CPC Central Committee

The CCPIT Committee of CPC issued a timely notification, urging party committees at all levels, party members and officials to align their thoughts and actions with General Secretary Xi’s important speech and the spirit of the meeting to take a two-pronged approach on priorities of epidemic prevention and control and foreign trade and foreign investment stabilization, and to ensure work measures to be practical, attentive to details and thoroughly implemented, with efforts to be strengthened on three aspects. Firstly, it is crucial to improve political stance through strengthening consciousness of the four aspects, fortifying confidence in the socialist path, theories, system and culture with Chinese characteristics and upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to implement faithfully all the decisions and deployment of the CPC Central Committee, uphold firmly the conviction that victory will be achieved over the epidemic, and play the role of CCPIT in stabilizing foreign trade and foreign investment. Secondly, it is important to strengthen the leadership of the Party, enforce political discipline and rules in a strict manner, ensure the implementation of work measures, enhance awareness of potential dangers, and improve working skills, to provide a strong political guarantee for coordinating the epidemic prevention and control efforts and advancing key tasks and works. Finally, it is urgent to conduct benchmark examination towards General Secretary Xi’s important speech, keep strengthening bottom-line thinking and improve the prevention and control measures to avoid mass outbreaks. In the meantime, it requires full strength to accelerate primary tasks in stabilizing foreign trade and foreign investment, including facilitating foreign-invested enterprises to stabilize operation and production, promoting the implementation of major foreign-funded projects, optimizing business environment in a vigorous, proactive and creative manner, and relying on a scientific, accurate and powerful overall planning to achieve all-round progress.

To take multiple measures to mitigate the impact of the epidemic and stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment on the following five aspects.

First, to issue force majeure certificates and guide enterprises to use them effectively. Until March 3, a total of 101 commercial certification authorities of national trade promotion system had issued 4811 force majeure certificates, covering a total contract value of about 373.7 billion yuan and shielding foreign trade enterprises from legal damages arising from COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, CCPIT has compiled and published the CCPIT Force Majeure Certificates Case Compilation, and issued the Notice on the Strict Regulation of the Issuance of Force Majeure Certificates on the Delayed Resumption of Work to all local certification agencies to further strengthen the certification issuance regulations, improve the credibility of CCPIT force majeure certificates and provide protection for enterprises to correctly invoke force majeure rules to reduce losses.

Second, to conduct in-depth research and investigations to submit recommendations and suggestions. CCPIT has done thorough research on the impact of the epidemic on enterprises and industry chains, difficulties and appeals of enterprises and the progress of resumption of work and operation, as well as specific issues including how to make full advantage of cross-border e-commerce in fighting against the virus, the impact of the epidemic on enterprises in catering industry and how to safeguard the unimpeded operation of supply chain for foreign trade industry, which has provided solid foundation to make recommendations to the relevant government agencies to inform reasonable claims of enterprises and seek out solutions in a timely manner .

Third, to enhance services for foreign-funded enterprises. Under the epidemic, CCPIT has organized a webinar with U.S.-funded enterprises to understand and communicate on the difficulties the enterprises were facing and relevant appeals and suggestions, as well as cooperated with the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China to provide efficient and high-quality service on factual proof of force majeure to foreign-funded enterprises by sending online training videos and materials on business promotion and guide, together with arranging professional personnel to answer questions in time. The service has won popularity and high praise among the foreign-funded enterprises in China. In addition, CCPIT has strengthened studies with foreign business and industry associations to inform difficulties and problems which foreign-funded enterprises encountered and make policy recommendation. CCPIT has also included indicators of impact of the epidemic on enterprises and industries to the research of China’s business environment in the year 2020, evaluating overall impact of the epidemic on business environment in China.

Fourth, to foster key industries and small and medium-sized enterprises with targeted service. The entry and exit restriction measures against Chinese goods and travelers adopted by certain countries have caused Chinese foreign trade enterprises unable to attend overseas exhibitions as scheduled, and they are also facing difficulties in claiming back fees that have been paid. CCPIT has taken the initiative to reach these enterprises through telephone, email and other internet contact channels to offer legal consultation to minimize economic loss of exhibitors and sub-organizers. In the meanwhile, CCPIT keeps innovating the work measures to provide legal service in need, with prominent examples as the “Online Training Sessions on Preventing Foreign-related Legal Risks Concerning Epidemic Control and Prevention” and hotlines and online hotlines set up, which have received more than 10,000 calls so far, for legal consultation of the Comprehensive Support Platform for Cross-border Trade, Investment and Laws, to provide legal advice and guide enterprises to deal with the unexpected trade and legal issues arising from the COVID-19 outbreak. CCPIT has also utilized the network of international legal cooperation, and worked with law firms and legal institutions in more than 50 countries to quickly issue the Legal Guide on the Provisions of Force Majeure and Change of Circumstance Applicable to Foreign Trade Enterprises hit by the COVID-19 Outbreak, to provide reference for a number of foreign trade enterprises.

Last, to resolve commercial disputes in diversified channels. In addition to issuing force majeure certificates and guiding enterprises to use them effectively, CCPIT has also advocated enterprises to resolve commercial legal disputes through mediation, arbitration and other options, adjusting and optimizing arbitration procedures in a timely manner, encouraging the parties to utilize online arbitration services, launching the "online mediation" system and providing free legal consulting and mediation services for enterprises, to support them to fight against the epidemic.

CCPIT has constantly offered and improved humanistic care to the cadre, carrying out the survey “to unite and overcome the epidemic with mutual help and care". Phone calls have been made regularly to persons in charge of all departments and sub-organizations, Hubei-born staff, single staff staying in dormitory and those who have been holding the fort, to give mental support by expressing sympathy, keeping up with their state of mind and address confusion when spotted.