我国将推进实施自贸区提升战略 Nation to advance FTA strategy

　　商务部日前表示，我国将从“扩围、提质、增效”三方面发力，推进实施自贸区提升战略，有效联通国内国际两个市场两种资源，为更高水平对外开放提供机制性保障，服务构建新发展格局。

　　Containers are unloaded at Qingdao Port in Shandong province. [Photo by Yu Fangping/For China Daily]

　　China will advance its free trade agreement strategy to effectively connect domestic and foreign markets and relevant resources, in terms of "expanding scope, improving quality and raising efficiency", the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

　　商务部9月22日称，我国将推进实施自贸区提升战略，有效联通国内国际两个市场两种资源，从“扩围、提质、增效”三方面发力。

　　"Through that, China aims to provide institutional support for its high-level opening-up and better serve its construction of the new dual-circulation development pattern," said MOC Spokeswoman Shu Jueting at a news conference.

　　商务部新闻发言人束珏婷在新闻发布会上表示，此举意在为更高水平对外开放提供机制性保障，服务构建双循环新发展格局。

　　The new development pattern takes the domestic market as the mainstay while letting domestic and foreign markets reinforce each other.

　　新发展格局是以国内市场为主体，国内国际市场相互促进。

　　The nation has signed 19 free trade agreements with 26 countries and regions, and its trade value with FTA partners accounts for around 35 percent of its total trade, data from the ministry showed.

　　商务部数据显示，我国已与26个国家和地区签署了19个自贸协定，与自贸伙伴的贸易额占外贸总额35%左右。

　　"China will negotiate and sign free trade agreements with more willing trading partners, to jointly promote regional economic integration, liberalization and facilitation for trade and investment," she said.

　　束珏婷表示，我国将与更多有意愿的贸易伙伴商签自贸协定，共同推动区域经济一体化和贸易投资自由化便利化。

　　"We will further increase the proportion of zero tariffs in goods trade, expand market access for investment and services trade, actively participate in negotiations on new rules for new fields such as the digital economy and environmental protection, and promote the construction of a new system for higher-level open economy," she said.

　　束珏婷称，我国将进一步提高货物贸易零关税比例，放宽服务贸易和投资市场准入，积极参与数字经济、环境保护等新规则议题谈判，推动建设更高水平开放型经济新体制。

　　Shu also said the nation will intensify promotion and training on FTAs, to improve their utilization and bring more benefits to people and enterprises.

　　束珏婷还指出，我国将加大对自贸协定的宣介、推广、培训，提升自贸协定综合利用率，让协定更好更快惠及企业和人民。

　　Analysts said China has been following international rules and practices such as the World Trade Organization's principles while furthering its higher-level opening-up, which is in sharp contrast to recent moves made by the United States.

　　分析师称，中国一直遵守世贸组织规则等国际规则和惯例，并不断推进更高水平的对外开放，这与美国近期举措形成了鲜明对比。

　　Those US moves include the discriminatory electric vehicle subsidy provisions in the newly passed US Inflation Reduction Act and the decision to further scrutinize foreign investments and transactions.

　　美国在近期通过的《通胀削减法案》中包含有关歧视性电动汽车补贴条款，并决定加强对外国投资和交易的审查力度。

　　"China has never set up special rules or standards targeting a specific nation, and the recent moves of the US are actually very discriminatory as they impose restrictions on certain industries and countries to serve US purposes," said Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing.

　　国际贸易经济合作研究院资深研究员周密表示，中国从未针对某个国家设立特别条款或标准，美国为了自身利益对特定行业和国家加以限制，此举具有很强的歧视性。

　　"As the global supply chain suffers from instability, the US moves have sparked market worries over supply chain snarls, which could cause severe damage to the development of global trade," he said.

　　周密指出，在全球供应链不稳定的情况下，美国此举引发了市场对供应链堵塞的担忧，这可能会严重损害全球贸易发展。

　　At the conference, Shu said China is concerned about the discriminatory electric vehicle subsidy provisions in the US Inflation Reduction Act.

　　束珏婷在新闻发布会上表示，中方对美方《通胀削减法案》中有关歧视性电动汽车补贴条款表示关切。

　　The provisions concerned allow subsidies on preconditions like localized assembly of whole vehicles in North America, which constitutes discrimination against relevant imported products, she said, adding those provisions are suspected of violating WTO principles like most favored nation or MFN treatment and national treatment.

　　束珏婷指出，相关措施以整车北美当地组装等条件作为提供补贴的前提，对其他进口同类产品构成歧视，涉嫌违反世贸组织最惠国待遇、国民待遇等原则。

　　China will follow and evaluate the follow-up implementation of the US Inflation Reduction Act, and will take measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, if necessary, she said.

　　束珏婷称，中方将持续跟踪评估美方立法的后续实施情况，必要时将采取措施维护自身合法权益。

　　She also said the US has been generalizing the concept of national security in recent years and making its reviews on foreign investment stricter and wider in scope, so as to create cumbersome procedures on purpose.

　　束珏婷还指出，近年来，美方泛化国家安全概念，不断扩大对外资的审查范围，加严审查条件，设置繁琐审查程序。

　　The US government should correct its abuse of security review and provide a fair, stable and predictable business environment for enterprises to conduct investment activities, she said.

　　她表示，美方应纠正滥用安全审查的做法，为企业投资提供公平、稳定、可预期的营商环境。