The Xinjiang Free Trade Zone plan was announced to encourage deepening cooperation with neighboring countries in energy resources, new materials and other fields

The State Council recently issued the “Overall Plan for the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone” (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”), proposing to give the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone greater autonomy in reform, carry out in-depth differentiated exploration, and cultivate Policies such as strengthening Xinjiang’s characteristic and advantageous industries have clarified specific measures in 25 aspects, including improving the level of trade facilitation and strengthening economic and trade cooperation with neighboring countries.

Cui Weijie, deputy director of the Institute of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce, said in an interview with a reporter from the Shanghai Securities News that the establishment of the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone can give full play to Xinjiang’s geographical advantages of “five ports connecting eight countries and connecting Europe and Asia” to boost the Silk Road economy. With the construction of the core area, we will create a golden corridor between Asia and Europe and a bridgehead for the country’s opening to the west.

The “Plan” points out that the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone will be built into a demonstration model for promoting high-quality development in the central and western regions and an important hub for Xinjiang to integrate into the domestic and international dual circulation.

Cui Weijie analyzed that the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone has achieved important breakthroughs in the scope of implementation. In the past, the implementation scope of the free trade pilot zone was generally within 120 square kilometers. This time, in order to better play the role of the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone in serving the national strategy, the implementation scope has reached 179.66 square kilometers.

Carrying out pilot trials and institutional innovation is one of the main tasks of the free trade zone. Regarding the trade and investment tasks of the Xinjiang Free Trade Zone, the “Plan” mentioned that it is necessary to expand the import of high-quality agricultural products and food from Central Asia and other neighboring countries. Encourage and support enterprises in the free trade pilot zone to carry out foreign investment in Central Asia and other neighboring “Belt and Road” countries through various methods such as joint ventures, cooperation, mergers and acquisitions, and equity participation in the fields of energy resources, new materials, specialty medicines, and agricultural product planting. .

“The Xinjiang Free Trade Zone plan, in addition to the common experimental tasks with other free trade zones such as trade, investment, finance, industry, etc., also proposes to build a comprehensive logistics hub connecting Europe and Asia and deepen multi-field exchanges and cooperation in opening up to the west. It has achieved differentiated test tasks and is one of the important highlights of the Plan.” Cui Weijie said.

Among the specific measures, the “Plan” clearly calls for strengthening cooperation with neighboring countries in economy, trade, culture, education and medical care. Taking medical care as an example, the “Plan” clearly states that the Urumqi area will be the core and relying on the advantages of regional medical resources to carry out international diagnosis and treatment services to neighboring countries. Support the international registration of pharmaceutical products with a focus on co-building the “Belt and Road” countries.

The “Plan” also proposes to give full play to the role of international exchange platforms and multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the “China-Five Central Asian Countries” cooperation mechanisms, and the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC), and support the participation or hosting of the Xinjiang Free Trade Zone activities within relevant frameworks.

The “Plan” has a special section that proposes to build a comprehensive logistics hub connecting Europe and Asia. Specifically mentioned, we will promote the construction of the Urumqi Airport Economic Zone and promote the coordinated development with the international land port area. Accelerate the construction of Urumqi land port-type national logistics hub and promote the construction of airport-type national logistics hub. Strengthen the function of the international mail exchange bureau (exchange station) and explore the construction of “China Post Central Asia-Central Europe Overseas Warehouse Hub Station”. Support the development of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan road-rail intermodal transport, explore the development of China-Pakistan multimodal transport, and cooperate in the construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan and other railway projects.

In addition, the “Plan” also emphasizes that during the construction of the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone, we must firmly establish an overall national security concept, strengthen bottom-line thinking and risk awareness, effectively strengthen the construction of risk prevention and control systems, and safeguard national security and social security.

“Overall, the establishment of the Xinjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone is an important manifestation of my country’s implementation of the pilot free trade zone improvement strategy and its insistence on promoting high-level opening up to the outside world.” Cui Weijie said.