Fulfilling CCPIT's Responsibilities in Trade Promotion in the New Era

Chen Jian'an, Member of CCPIT CPC Leadership Group and CCPIT Vice Chairman

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and keeping in mind the strategic goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and major changes unseen in the world in a century, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), by remaining committed to its mission, deepening reform and innovation, and performing its duties to fulfill the central tasks of the CPC and the state, has played an active role in strengthening the bond of interests between Chinese and foreign businesses, enhancing international trade and economic exchanges, and promoting an open world economy, having secured important contributions to historic achievements and changes in the cause of the CPC and the state.

First, the CCPIT adheres to promoting political affairs through economic cooperation and official exchanges through people-to-people exchanges and making new achievements in serving China's major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Following Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and other policy guidelines for diplomatic work, it has organized nearly 300 major events attended by Chinese and foreign leaders. By building platforms for publicizing policies and promoting pragmatic cooperation between Chinese and foreign enterprises, the integration of political, economic, and diplomatic effects has been realized. It has taken the lead in organizing major events such as the APEC CEO Summit 2014, the B20 Summit 2016, the BRICS Business Forum 2017, and the 6th Conference of China-Africa Entrepreneurs, highlighting distinct Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese manner. It successfully hosted the International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 in Beijing, attended Expo Milano 2015 in Italy, Expo 2017 in Astana of Kazakhstan, and Dubai Expo 2020 in the United Arab Emirates. All of these efforts help present a colorful, vivid, and multifaceted image of China and have promoted people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning between China and other countries. Also, it is committed to building dialogue platforms between the CPC and state leaders and the business communities of Europe, the United States, and Japan. It has held exhibitions and forums under such mechanisms as China-Japan-ROK, China-ASEAN, China-Arab states, and China-Latin America forum to enhance economic and trade cooperation with relevant countries.

Second, the CCPIT sticks to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and promotes the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. Focusing on the connectivity of policies, infrastructure connectivity, trade connectivity, financial connectivity, and closer people-to-people ties, the CCPIT has established more than 300 bilateral and multilateral business cooperation mechanisms with its counterparts in relevant countries and held more than 3,000 activities of various kinds, in an attempt to strengthen its role in trade promotion and boost in-depth, concrete, steady and sustained progress in the joint implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. It participated in the preparation of the first and second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. At the Belt and Road CEO Conference of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, 125 agreements were signed by Chinese and foreign enterprises, which became a new highlight of the occasion. It has promoted the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) to initiate the establishment of the International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization (ICDPASO), which is increasingly welcomed and trusted by the parties at home and abroad. It took part in the preparation of four China International Import Expos and two China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), held more than 40 supporting activities and facilitated the reaching of a number of cooperation agreements and intentions. It has established the Belt & Road Trade and Investment Forum and Chinese Listed Companies to Build the Belt and Road Cooperation Forum, both of which have become cooperation platforms with wide influence. Economic and trade activities such as the Silk Road International Exposition and the China-Northeast Asia Expo have become more professional and internationalized.

Third, through multiple measures and hard work, the CCPIT has made new progress in stabilizing foreign trade and investment. It provides precise service for ensuring stability on six key fronts and security in six key areas (The six fronts refer to employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment, and expectations. The six areas refer to job security, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food, and energy security, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary-level governments.). By connecting companies and easing their difficulties, it has made positive contributions to stabilizing foreign trade and investment. It has launched a number of international professional exhibitions with distinctive regional and industrial characteristics, built and operated platforms such as the "Trade Promotion Cloud Exhibition", and held a series of digital international trade exhibitions. Also, it has joined the Chinese brand building campaign and vigorously promoted Chinese geographical indication products. In addition, it has strengthened regular contacts with foreign-funded enterprises and foreign business associations in China, held government-enterprise dialogues and symposiums on improving the business environment, opened up channels for enterprises to express their views and appeals, and improved the mechanism for tracking, handling, and feedback. Besides, it has promoted the high-quality implementation of free trade agreements (FTAs), issued guidelines on the implementation and application of RCEP and other FTAs, and strengthened the publicizing and training of FTAs. Furthermore, its origin certificate service covers all of China's FTA partners. The number of preferential certificates of origin issued has increased from 87,000 to more than 1.1 million, and the number of preferential benefits enjoyed by enterprises has increased by 21.9%, 23%, and 41.5% respectively in the past three years. It has put in place a business environment monitoring system and organized foreign business associations and foreign-funded enterprises to go on field trips to various places.

Fourth, adhering to the principle of seeking innovation while emphasizing inheritance, and cultivating capacity meticulously, the CCPIT has gained new achievements in commercial legal services. It has studied and implemented Xi Jinping's thought on the rule of law and built a full-chain, one-stop, international public commercial legal service system. On behalf of the Chinese business community, the CCPIT has participated in more than 10 hearings such as the US Section 301 investigations, and spoken out in defense of Chinese enterprises. It handled nearly 100 cases of foreign trade frictions against China and won 26 of them. A total of 239 early warning agencies have been set up for economic and trade frictions, and 189 import and export restrictions in response to COVID-19 adopted by various countries have been published. It launched the CCPIT Cross-border Trade and Investment Legal Services (CTILS) platform, providing 236,000 consultations. Its China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) is rated as one of the top five most popular arbitration agencies in the world. Both the number of commercial mediation cases and the amount involved in commercial mediation increased by 52% annually. It developed China's first industry compliance standard and helped 5,300 enterprises identify compliance risks in international operations. It strengthened the mechanism for dealing with overseas IPR disputes and supported enterprises in their overseas IPR undertakings. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, more than 8,000 force majeure factual certificates have been issued, helping enterprises to rationally use international rules to avoid or reduce default losses.

Fifth, the CCPIT insists on embracing the world, uniting all parties, participating in global economic governance, and opening up new prospects. In line with the trend of restructuring the global industrial chain and reshaping international economic and trade rules, and to contribute to China’s positive leading role as a major country, the CCPIT has proposed more Chinese solutions that both serve China's interests and are recognized by the international community. Adhering to the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, it organizes Chinese enterprises to participate in business activities under multilateral mechanisms such as the G20, APEC, and BRICS, and actively partakes in the formulation of rules in new areas such as trade and investment, digital economy, and green and low-carbon development. By widely gathering cooperation consensus, it contributes to the promotion of economic globalization to develop in a more open, inclusive, balanced, and win-win direction. It is deeply involved in relevant international organizations and is increasingly active in the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Also, it fulfills the responsibilities of China's participation in the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE). In recognition of its excellent performance, it has been granted permanent observer status by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), observer status by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), general observer status by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and consultative status by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The Chinese business community has transformed itself from a follower into a participant and contributor of international rule-making, playing an increasingly important role in promoting the reform of the global economic governance system and world economic recovery.

Sixth, the CCPIT provides policy advice and serves enterprises, and the construction of its high-level application-oriented think tank has achieved new breakthroughs. It has been enhancing the political, and theoretical stance of its research work and making it keep abreast of the times. Focusing on economic and trade research, featuring an enterprise-oriented approach, and starting with brand research, it aims to build a high-end application-oriented think tank in the field of foreign trade and economic cooperation. It goes deep into industries and companies for research and formulates and implements enterprise-related policies around major national strategies to meet the urgent expectations of market entities. With the unremitting efforts of the CCPIT, a batch of high-quality research discoveries with strong pertinence and effective countermeasures have been made, helping the CPC and the government understand the actual situation and offering them good suggestions and practical measures. It conducts in-depth research on stakeholders, trading partners, and investment targets and enhances the popularity and influence of original research products, such as reports on the business environment in the EU and the US as well as surveys on the current situation and the intentions of Chinese enterprises' outbound investment. Its country-specific law series of "Belt and Road" countries and the Global Economic and Trade Friction Index have been well received by the international community. It holds training on themes such as helping enterprises go global and the construction of pilot free trade zones, helping enterprises expand their international vision, understand international rules and resist various risks. It has been strengthening its international communication capacity by using international conferences and forums to tell China's stories and present a colorful and multifaceted image of China.

Based on the new era and new journey, the CCPIT will take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guide, deeply appreciate the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments" (establishing the leadership of the CPC with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era), enhance "Four Consciousnesses" (maintaining political integrity, thinking in terms of the big picture, following the leadership core, and keeping in alignment with the central CPC leadership), boost our confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, ensure the "Two Upholds” (uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadershipthe whole CPC must act consistently with the Central Committee, and must not compromise democratic centralism within a specific institution in the name of upholding the authority of the Central Committee.), and keep people's well-being as the priority. Based on the new development stage, CCPIT will fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, serve to build a new development paradigm, and promote high-quality development. With perseverance, hard work, and the courage to move forward, the CCPIT will build itself into a vigorous world-class trade and investment promotion institution with Chinese characteristics, make new and greater contributions to the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, and greet the victory of the 20th National Congress of the CPC with concrete actions.