Comprehensive Pilot Tasks for Expanding the Opening of the Service Industry in Nine Cities Including Shenzhen, Dalian, and Qingdao

The Ministry of Commerce of China released the "Comprehensive Pilot Tasks for Expanding the Opening of the Service Industry in Dalian and 8 Other Cities," stating support for Dalian, Ningbo, Xiamen, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Hefei, Fuzhou, Xi'an, and Suzhou to carry out pilot projects. The 103 pilot tasks and 3 newly added pilot tasks granted to other regions for expanding the opening of the service industry in the "Plan for Accelerating the Promotion of Comprehensive Pilot Work for Expanding the Opening of the Service Industry" will be integrated and implemented in these 9 cities to enhance the efficiency of pilot work.

The head of the Foreign Investment Department of the Ministry of Commerce stated that the pilot tasks mainly focus on supporting the opening and development of telecommunications services and related digital industries, improving the level of openness and service guarantees in the medical and health care sector, promoting international cooperation in the financial sector, and enhancing innovation vitality in the trade, culture, and tourism sectors, among 15 key areas of work, proposing a total of 159 pilot tasks.

The main content includes: supporting Dalian to leverage its role as an international shipping center in Northeast Asia, enriching and improving the construction of logistics transportation channels such as shipping; supporting Ningbo to utilize its advantages in advanced manufacturing and cross-border trade to promote the standardized and healthy development of new bonded maintenance business models; supporting Xiamen to facilitate cultural trade and promote service trade cooperation among BRICS countries; supporting Qingdao to strengthen marine technology innovation and conduct pilot projects for cruise routes without destinations; supporting Shenzhen to optimize and upgrade the functions of free trade accounts and promote the trial use of electronic bills of lading in shipping and trade; supporting Hefei to deepen reforms in the technology service sector; supporting Fuzhou to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in cross-strait economic and trade livelihood areas; supporting Xi'an to carry out pilot reforms for the property rights of railway waybills, strengthening technological innovation and industrial application; and supporting Suzhou to conduct pilot imports of items for biopharmaceutical research and development, exploring efficient, convenient, and safe mechanisms for cross-border data flow