People’s Government of Sichuan Province

Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Leading Engineering Construction of the China (Sichuan) Free Trade Pilot Zone

CFF [2018] No.30

The Municipal (prefectural) People's Governments, the departments and directly affiliated institutions of the Provincial Government, and relevant units:  

The Pilot Free Trade Zone is a major platform for deepening reform and expanding opening-up across the country. The China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone (hereinafter referred to as the PFTZ) is an important engine for Sichuan to implement its development strategy featuring “one main area with multiple auxiliaries”. In order to implement the State Council's Overall Plan for China (Sichuan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, further enrich the strategic plan for the construction of the PFTZ, and blaze a new path for the Inland PFTZ, the following suggestions on promoting  for the leading engineering construction in the PFTZ were proposed. 

I. With a new situation oriented perspective and clear new tasks, we will fully tap the demonstration capacity of the PFTZ

(i) Guiding concepts. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought for a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we will study and implement the important instructions of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the work of Sichuan. In accordance with the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Provincial Party Committee on the implementation of a strategy for comprehensive opening-up and cooperation and decisions on building a high-level PFTZ, we will tap the major strategic opportunities of the “Belt and Road” construction, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and a new round of development for western regions, focus on the functional orientation of the “four areas and one highland” in the PFTZ, highlight the practical requirements of high-quality development for a new era, promote reform and development through opening-up, dedicate to cultivating the "five leading systems" of institutional innovation, connectivity, regional synergy, comprehensive openness and drivers, and exert the pioneering capacity of the comprehensive reform and opening up of the PFTZ, so as to improve the international competitiveness of Sichuan and the western inland areas, and strive to lead the development and opening-up in the western hinterland across the board. 

(ⅱ) Basic principles. 

-- Guide by ideas and think from free trade. Firmly grasp the general trend of economic globalization and regional integration, we will take resolute measures to break traditional thinking modes and basin consciousness by launching bold trials, make bold attempts and reform independently. On the back of the PFTZ, we will promote the comprehensive and in-depth transformation of ideological concepts, development ideas, methods and style of work, foster a "free trade awareness" of reform, opening-up and innovation in the province and build an international modern governance system based on the rule of law with higher-level, more diversity and sustainability, enabling the whole province to share the fruits of reform and development of free trade.

-- Paramount position for quality and efficiency. We will build a high-quality PFTZ by following the green development road which prioritize ecology, and strive to build the PFTZ into a test field for deepening reform, a barometer for comprehensive opening-up, a new engine for innovation drivers, and a demonstration zone for coordinated development. The main development indicators such as newly established enterprises, registered capital and open economy in the PFTZ are higher than the provincial average and rank among the best for inland pilot free trade zones. We have accelerated to form vantage points in the inland with better structure, superior quality and stronger power to play an active role in demonstration and in serving the country. 

-- Adhere to regional collaboration and strengthen co-construction and sharing. We will cling to developing the big areas through small regions to promote exchanges and mutual learnings between the PFTZ and the five major economic zones, enhance the synergy between inland and areas along the coasts, rivers and boarders, in an effort to integrate into the “Belt and Road” construction. We will make sure that reforms are carried out systematically and collaboratively across the board, give full play to the synergy between the PFTZ on the one hand and deepening all-round reforms, promoting comprehensive reforms of innovation, and further advancing the supply-side structural reforms. We will deepen higher-level reforms in the broader field, and arrive at new paths and new models for opening up. 

(ⅲ) Development goals. By 2022, the PFTZ will be built into a world-class free trade park based on inland with a global perspective, linking the west to the east and serving the whole country. We have basically finished fostering an international-oriented business environment in accordance with the law with facilitated services. Connectivity with the external world has been continuously improved, and the modern industrial system has gradually taken shape. The coordinated opening-up between the inland and areas along the coasts, borders and rivers have achieved remarkable synergy. The PFTZ has fully demonstrated its driving effect which has become the core engine for the “one main area with multiple auxiliaries, coordinated development among five areas” of the province. It has become the highest platform for the “four-direction expansion and across-the-board opening up”, serving as the backbone for Sichuan's high-quality development.

II. Deepening especially the reform of "streamlining administration, delegating powers and improving services" to encourage institutional innovations in key areas

(ⅳ) Further transform government functions. We will further streamline administration, delegate powers and improve services to modernize the systems and capabilities of governance. We will establish statutory bodies, exert the breakthroughs made by and driving effects of the PFTZ on systems and mechanisms, brave the institutional barriers that are not suitable for the business environment in the PFTZ, and revise the laws and regulations that cannot meet the legitimate needs of enterprises. We will carry out the “grand action for benchmarking and solving problems in the business environment”. In line with the internationally accepted evaluation indicators for business environment, we will strive to build a first-class business environment that is stable, fair, transparent and predictable. We will implement the Circular of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council for Printing and Issuing the "Guiding Opinions on Providing More Convenience in Government Review and Approval Services" (Tingzi [2018] No. 22), deepen the pilot reform of the " Separation of Business Permit and License", and upgrade the efficacy of the "multi-certificate integration". We will strive for the decentralization of the national ministries and commissions, and delegate more provincial management authorities to the PFTZ. We will promote the in-depth implementation of "Internet + government services", and establish a sharing mechanism that is coordinated with the central government relying based on the integrated platform for government services. We will deepen the reform and innovation for in-the-process and post-event supervision systems, accelerate the establishment of a new type of supervision mechanism characterized by credit commitments and information disclosure, and realize the “one-code for all” for unified social codes in each approval and management junctures. We will expand the coverage of “two random selections and one informational publicity” and form mechanisms for collective punishment and market exit. We will give full play to the functions of the People's Court in the PFTZ and improve the mechanism for commercial legal services.

(v) Innovate the management system of two-way investment. We will implement the Special Management Measures for Access of Foreign Investment in the Pilot Free Trade Zone (2018 Edition) of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce, and set the PFTZ as a model to enhance the quality and efficiency of foreign investment in Sichuan Province. We will establish a “one-stop” platform with integrated services to construct a promotion system for foreign investment and service as soon as possible. We will substantially relax market entry, eliminate differentiated treatments in acquiring qualification, tendering and bidding, as well as protecting rights and interests, attach equal status to the intellectual property rights of domestic and foreign enterprises, and realize equal entry for various market entities to relevant industries, fields and businesses. We will deepen the reform of the commitment system for corporate investment projects and simplify the registration procedures for integrated investment projects. A new model of “integration of multi-assessments, collaborative review by multi-graphs, regional assessment, and joint acceptance” was implemented for approved projects of investment. 

(vi) Facilitate trade across the board. We will build a world-class "single window" for international trade, equip ports with special functions, and promote the reform of foreign trade integration in the province. We will explore joint inspections and launch more pilot projects of automatic filing, self-verification of unit consumption and self-report. We will supervise the status of goods by categories, extend the pilot programmes to trade, manufacturing and processing enterprises, and strive to implement trials in other customs supervision areas which are eligible and special in Sichuan. We will improve the customs supervision system for large-scale structures such as aircraft financing leases, and promote the inspection of ports for finished automobile import. We will conduct coordinated research and develop policies to support the new economic format of aviation finance, low carbon certification, and commercial factoring in the PFTZ. We will create new method for tax warranty, and establish an overall warranty system for each enterprise. We will promote the new model of export tax rebate for production enterprises in the right time. We will break new ground in the inspection, quarantine and supervision of customs, and establish a comprehensive service mechanism for such classified risk supervision.

(vii) Improve opening-up in finance and innovate supervision systems. We will enhance the real economic function of financial services, promote benign interaction between industry and finance, and innovate new ways for development so as to accelerate the construction of financial centers in the west. We will give full play to the demonstration effect of the financial reforms in the PFTZ, strive to launch policies for trials of foreign exchange management reform in the PFTZ, establish an account management system that is compatible with the reform and opening up of the PFTZ, and further optimize the concentration of foreign exchange funds for multinational corporations. We will expand the business volume of cross-border funds of local and foreign currencies in the PFTZ, and accelerate cross-border settlement for RMB. We will launch more trials of the “one bill-of-lading” for multimodal transportation, improve the quality of operation, and provide experience for our country to set new trade rules that can lead the whole world. We will establish a platform of supply chain for financial marketization to introduce headquarters of financial institutions, professional subsidiaries, regional headquarters and other institutions and to attract international financial institutions to participate in shareholdings. We will improve services in the banking and securities industries, transform securities and insurance industries according to laws and regulations, and develop financial technologies. We will establish a new prevention system for financial risks and strengthen the supervision of new financial formats like Internet finance.

(viii) Implement and promote institutional innovations. Following closely the 159 reform and testing tasks assigned to Sichuan by the State Council, we will strengthen coordination with other national ministries and commissions to promote the implementation of the powers of central government, and evaluate, summarize and refine the launched trial tasks in a timely manner so as to create reforms of "upgraded versions." It is necessary to identify major reforms that will “influence the whole by addressing small issues” and to carry out reforms systematically, comprehensively and collaboratively, and to focus on solving the problems of “fragmentation” and “sole advancement”. We will evaluate system innovations that are well-tested, fine-targeted, and risk-controllable by third-party organizations to form concrete institutions and experiences in accordance with the requirements of launching reforms and summarizing and promoting them at the same time. We will strengthen the linkage between the PFTZ and the province to explore and introduce more practical experiences and classic cases that can be replicated throughout the country.

III, Implementing the "action plan for construction of an open gateway" to improve connectivity

(ix) Build a pan-European and pan-Asian railway transportation system. We will improve the layout of a strategic logistics channel for railway that supports the all-round opening-up of the province. We will implement in-depth the strategy of "Chengdu-Europe +", operate stably and add more trains to China Railway Express (Chengdu), ASEAN intermodal transportation of railway and waterway, and Central Asian intermodal transportation of railway and waterway. We will spare no efforts in blazing the high-speed railway linking Sichuan to other parts of our country to provide five scheduled trains to and fro other domestic hub cities. We will make sure that the railway transportation system contributes to the economy of our province by enriching the products of the trains, optimizing the operation lines, deepening the consolidation and transportation, improving the transfer capacity, replacing the passenger and freight lines, and setting up special funds for the railway construction. We will accelerate the construction of a four-direction railway channel with Chengdu as the strategic fulcrum.

(x) Advance the construction of an international aviation hub. We will promote the "integration of two airports", namely the Tianfu International Airport and Shuangliu International Airport to build a strategic channel for international passenger and freight transportation. We will expand the international routes, widen the range for the 10-hour intercontinental flight and for the 5-hour Asian flight, promote the collaboration between the construction of national Airport Economic Demonstration Zone of Chengdu and Tianfu International Airport New City, striving to build an international aviation hub in the western region and a westward-southward gateway. We will support the sharing of international flight codes, encourage qualified airlines to open, add, and optimize international (regional) & domestic routes to connect these places more effectively with mutually supportive routes and an allocation mechanism for flights. We will create an international transshipment center, encourage foreign airlines to set up international transit bases in Sichuan, and explore to open the fifth freedom. We will establish airlines with all-cargo bases and improve the storage, sorting and distribution services of international airlines.

(xi) Construct a shipping center at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River (Sichuan). We will expand the shipping capacity of the inland waterway, remediate shoals in Sichuan of the Yangtze River Golden Waterway, upgrade the Luzhou Port and Yibin Port, and enhance the service capacity of ports. We will promote the coordinated development of the waterway port and the Lianglu Cuntan Free Trade Port of Chongqing. We will upgrade the functional platforms of Luzhou Port and Yibin Port as soon as possible and develop commodity trading markets near the ports. We will integrate resources of ports in Luzhou, Yibin, Leshan and other places, cultivate services such as shipping finance, shipping logistics transactions, and ship maintenance, so as to build a logistics system for multimodal transportations with port as the core. We will fully tap the policy of “tax rebates for port of departure” of the Luzhou Port, upgrade the “single window” for international trade to the featured version for water transportation, and create an international route for Intermodal Transportation by rivers and seas.

(xii) Enhance connectivity collaboratively. We will promote the demonstration projects of "railway, highway, waterway" multimodal transportation of containers via international railway ports in Chengdu and the "railway, highway, waterway" multimodal transportation of Sichuan "Air + Land" Silk Road, as well as accelerate the construction of Europe-China transportation bases. We will advance the construction of the "two-railway linking the port" of Tianfu International Airport and the international multimodal transportation of "railway, highway, waterway". We will build land ports in the southwest (Zigong), and establish an integrated logistics system for multimodal transportation to meet the distribution demands of transnational enterprises in the province. We will support qualified cities (prefectures) to establish national open ports, set up special supervision areas of customs and designated ports for imported goods.

IV. Implementing the "Two-Area" construction action to promote multi-level and multi-dimensional regional cooperation

(xiii) Build the pioneering zone for coordinated reform. We will adhere to the principle of “combined superiority, classified promotion, demonstrative drivers, and all-round free-trade” to support key layouts that are in line with the regional coordinated development and the three-dimensional comprehensive opening up, strong reform and innovation capabilities, obvious advantages of open development, and regional radiation-driven economic area to build pilot zones for the coordinated reform of the PFTZ. We will promote the complementarity of systems integration of platforms and interaction of industries in the pilot zones of the coordinated reform and the PFTZ. Through collaborative reform, innovation, and opening-up, we will foster a number of reform and innovation leaders, build vantage points for opening-up, and forge growth poles for regional development to enhance the overall competitiveness of our province and its influence on opening-up. The pilot areas of collaborative reform will assume provincial-level management authorities and enjoy the results of institutional reform in accordance with the PFTZ.

(xiv) Establish a demonstration zone for the coordinated opening-up of the inland and areas along the seas, borders, and rivers. We will implement the Development Initiative for the Collaborative Opening-up of China’s Pilot Free Trade Zone, jointly cultivate a new highland for regional cooperation, and create a platform for regional opening-up and innovation to lead, demonstrate and drive other regions. We will deepen the linkage with coastal areas, strengthen cooperation with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pan-Pearl regions, and undertake the processing industry and order transfer of coastal cities. We will strengthen collaboration with borders, build land ports in cities with logistics nodes such as Yunnan, Guizhou, Xinjiang, and Guangxi, in an effort to promote opening-up and cooperation in the financial sector. We will step up efforts to build the "single window" for international trade, enhance connectivity along the Yangtze River, and develop the Yangtze River Economic Belt. We will deepen the cooperation mechanism between Sichuan and Guangdong & Zhejiang Pilot Free Trade Zone respectively, learn from the reform and opening up model of Shanghai, Guangdong, Fujian, Tianjin and others, and carry out experiments to compare, complement and connect with other zones so as to form test patterns with Sichuan characteristics.

(xv) Strengthen the overall coordination in the province. By adhering to "all-round free trade", we will make the PFTZ as the engine, the pilot areas of the coordinated reform as the example, and the collaboration of Chengdu Economic Circle with the economic zones of South Sichuan, Northeast Sichuan and Panxi and as the base, so as to build a coordinated reform and opening up pattern featuring "one main area with multiple auxiliaries". We will support Chengdu to build into a national central city that fully reflects the new development concept, promote the organic integration and integrated development of various regions in Chengdu, and forge a modern economic zone for concentrated development in the Chengdu Economic Circle. We will build a southward gateway for South Sichuan Economic Zone and a regional economic center connecting Sichuan and Chongqing, in an effort to develop other economic zones. We will promote the PFTZ and carry out the campaign of “PFTZ into the Five Districts” to set a powerful example for opening-up and competitiveness. We will establish coordination mechanism for cross-regional works, policies and interests, and focus on addressing problems in regional collaboration.

V. Exploring the inland free trade port to create a three-dimensional and comprehensive opening-up pattern

(xvi) Create an inland free trade port. We will benchmark against the highest international standards, learn from the construction of free trade ports in Hong Kong and Singapore, and strengthen interaction and exchanges with Hainan. We will strengthen basic research and strive to explore an inland free trade port with Chinese characteristics based on the “aviation + railway + port” and combining the advantages of multimodal transportation within the special customs supervision area. We will see to it that the policies concerning free trade ports are carried out step-by-step and phase-by-phase, adopt higher-level trade supervision system of “opening the first-line” and “managing security of the second-line”, implement institutions of finance, foreign exchange, investment, intellectual property rights and entry and exit management in line with international practices, and establish the risk prevention and control system.

(xvii) Highlight the opening-up of the south region. We will work with Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao Greater Bay Area and Beibu Gulf Economic Zone to promote cooperation with South Asian and Southeast Asian in trade, production capacity, channel and cultural tourism, so as to integrate into the network for free trade in the south. We will consolidate and expand the cooperation mechanism of the Sichuan-Hong Kong Conference, full tap the utility of a Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) between Mainland and Hong Kong, develop trade, tourism, humanities, logistical services, and promote foreign direct investment. We will strengthen cooperation with Macao and make better use of the platform for business cooperation between Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries. We will promote the construction of the South Asian and ASEAN Commodity Exhibition Centers and cross-border e-commerce platforms as well as the construction of the platform for innovation and cooperation of international science and technology. We will increase support for key research and development plans targeting Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan for innovation and cooperation in science and technology. We will open up a new chapter of comprehensive cooperation between Singapore and Sichuan by enhancing cooperation of Singapore-Sichuan Hi-Tech Innovation Park. We will make good use of the cooperation mechanism of the southbound national channel, innovate the combined transportation model of land and sea of “Chengdu-Guigang” and “Chengdu-Guigang-Singapore”, upgrade the capacity of the land and sea transportation linking the Beibu Gulf, Guangdong and Hong Kong Greater Bay Area, as well as  participate in the cooperation of China-ASEAN framework and the construction of international economic corridors such as those of China-Indochina Peninsula, Bangladesh-China-India-Burma, and China-Pakistan. We will deliver good results in the Roundtable for Economic and Trade of China (Sichuan) and South Asia, and encourage enterprises in Sichuan to cooperate in international capacity with the eight South Asian countries. Taking advantage of colleges and universities in the province, we are to build a education base for international students, create conditions to expand the number of enrolled international students in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

(xviii) Promote eastward opening-up. We will match with advanced productive forces, implement the Sino-US local cooperation mechanisms across the board, deepen cooperation with friendly provinces and cities such as Washington State and Michigan, and jointly address trade conflicts. We will accelerate customs clearance for trade, expand investment, match projects, and train personnel together, as well as undertake industrial transfers in high-tech, electronic information, intelligent manufacturing and other sectors. We will synergize the China-Japan-Korea Free Trade Negotiation Mechanism and Investment Agreement to build Sino-Japanese and Sino-Korea Industrial Cooperation Parks. We will expand economic and trade cooperation between Sichuan and Taiwan by stepping up the construction of the "cross-strait industrial cooperation zone" in our province, strengthening cooperation on the two sides in the fields of electronic information, biomedicine, food and beverage, and modern agriculture, and in modern service sectors of finance, logistics, e-commerce, information services, and service outsourcing, and deepening their humanistic exchanges and cooperation. We will deepen the action plan for cooperation and special cooperation agreement between Sichuan and Chongqing, strengthen collaborative cooperation with ports in Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing and Shanghai, exploit fully the Golden Waterway of Yangtze River, and facilitate the eastbound waterway linking Sichuan to the outside world.

(xix) Deepen westward and northward opening-up. We will focus on high-end economic and trade cooperation with Europe, integrate into the “Belt and Road” construction, and promote cooperation with European countries in education, culture, medical care, tourism, global maintenance, high-tech and international logistics. We will strive to bring in more consular agencies, international organizations, international competitions and conferences. We will commit to promoting the Sino-French Ecological Park, construct with great efforts the Sino-German cooperation platform for innovative industries, advance the cooperation between China and Italy in cultural innovative industries, improve the "China-Europe Center", and create "two parks for two countries" and "multi-parks for multi-nations". We will expand the northward opening-up and take the initiative to participate in the construction of the China-Russia-Mongolia economic corridor. We will explore new modes of cooperation with relevant institutions along the “Belt and Road” in the areas of transportation safety, environmental protection, customs inspection, integrated logistics, modern finance, legal services, industrial development, etc., support the legal alliance along the “Belt and Road”, strengthen research concerning the technological trade measures and standards of countries along the “Belt and Road”, and carry out multi-bilateral cooperation and exchanges on certification and accreditation, standard measurement, inspection and testing under the guidance of the State. We will implement in-depth the "251" Action Plan of the "Belt and Road", and organize activities with the greatest care like "thousands of enterprises embarking on the Silk Road".

VI. Implementing “opening and upgrading actions” to develop a higher level of open economy

(xx) Build a unique and open industrial system. Taping the resource endowments, advantages of location and development potential of the three major areas of the PFTZ, we will create regional economic sectors with distinctive characteristics and competitiveness. Chengdu Tianfu New Area is positioned to develop “Five Centers and One Hub” by centering on Chengdu. It will highlight the development of modern service industries, high-end manufacturing, high-tech, airport economy, port service and other industries, and forge a gateway and a highland for opening-up in the western region. The Qingbaijiang Railway Port Area takes advantage of the railway to develop especially the port service industries such as international commodity distribution and transfer, allotted display, bonded logistics and warehousing, import of finished vehicles, and special finance, as well as modern service industries like information, technology, and exhibition. We will build important westward fulcrums for international trade to connect the inland area with the Economic Belt of Silk Road. The South Sichuan Port Area is dedicated to develop modern service industries such as shipping logistics, port trade, education and medical care, as well as advanced manufacturing and specialty industries such as equipment manufacturing, modern medicine, food and beverage. It will create an integrated transportation hub connecting the whole nation and forge an important gateway for the southward opening-up of Chengdu and Chongqing so as to drive the development of Guizhou and Yunnan as soon as possible. We will distribute industries scientifically. Modern high-end industries such as intelligent manufacturing, high-tech and digital economy should be settled first in the limited land of the PFTZ to enhance coordinated development and complementarity and to boost the comparative advantages of the industrial ecosystem driven by the PFTZ of our province. We will remain committed to the principle of life comes first, and strive to build the PFTZ into a demonstration zone for safe development, and prevent serious accidents from happening.

(xxi) Improve the quality and efficiency of two-way investment. We will mainly focus on developing an open economy to improve the investment promotion system of the PFTZ, formulate supportive policies for expanding foreign investment and boosting high-quality development, and strive to introduce foreign-invested enterprises in the PFTZ and make them account for more than one third of the province total to build it into “a preferred destination for foreign investment” in support of the construction of the Midwest. We will fully tap the pillar industries of our province worth trillions of RMB, the emerging industries, future industries and the digital economy and use high-quality platforms such as exhibitions and project matchmaking and negotiations to combine investment, technology, and intelligence with determined efforts and aim at the top 500 private enterprises of the world and China. We will attract enterprises by implementing complementary industrial clusters, supportive chains with the strong leading the weak, and connected industries clusters, and introduce numbers of “Gazelle Enterprises”, “Unicorn Enterprises” and “Hidden Champion Enterprises” with strong driving forces to create a group of industrial clusters worth trillions and hundreds of billions. We will promote steady cooperation in international capacity, bring out the manufacturing, products, technology, patents, standards, and brand chains of Sichuan, be aware of the risks of overseas intellectual property in advance and enhance their capabilities of vindication, as well as increase their ability to manage international affairs and prevent risks.

(xxii) Strengthen the province with trade. We will attach equal importance to goods and services, import and export high-quality goods, integrate domestic and foreign trade as soon as possible, and enhance the competitiveness in the international market in terms of foreign trade. We will upgrade the market and promote the “three major activities” to achieve “the going out of Sichuan-made goods” in a large scale. We will greatly enhance the capabilities of enterprise to manage international matters, develop independent brands, back enterprises to apply for overseas patents, trademark registration and qualification certification, encourage foreign trade enterprises to transform technologies and engage in research and development, and expand the export of advantageous products. We will deepen trials of innovation in service and trade, support bonded business for artworks, expand bonded maintenance, testing, and research & development, encourage the development of traditional Chinese medicine, and promote service trade and service outsourcing in technology, cultural creativity, performing arts exhibitions, and animation games. We will develop cross-border e-commerce, support enterprises to build overseas warehouses, overseas operation centers, after-sales service systems for exported goods, and enhance the logistics services and distribution abilities for imported goods.

(xxiii) Launch a global campaign of “Attractive PFTZ and Open Sichuan”. We will better combine “bringing in” and “going out”, put equal emphasis on investment and trade and industry, steadily promote enterprises, industries, cities and talents in the global market, strengthen cooperation and complementarity of systems to promote industry-talent cooperation, match enterprises, co-construct project carriers, and optimize business environment, so as to integrate into the global open system. We will promote high-level exchanges with key countries, and organize big international activities themed on economic and trade negotiations, special forums, and cultural exchanges to enhance the level and effectiveness of exchanges between our province and relevant countries. We will deepen friendships with other international cities, strengthen exchanges with Consulates in Chengdu, improve overseas contact mechanism, as well as make full use of the representative office of overseas business (investment promotion), overseas Business Association for Enterprises of Sichuan and the overseas branches of China Development Bank, Bank of China, and Export-Import Bank.

VII. Improving the mechanism for promoting works and strengthening comprehensive safeguard measures

(xxiv) Strengthen leadership in organizations. We will give play to the regulation and target setting functions of the leading group which aims at promoting the work of the PFTZ. The construction of leading projects will be coordinated, promoted, supervised and implemented. Major problems will be solved collaboratively. We will make sure that each department in the province has performed its own functions, so that the decisions and deployments of the central government - “empower to a greater extent the PFTZ to reform” – are implemented. We will strive for the support of the state ministries and commissions, and take the initiative to decentralize and delegate powers. Each area is responsible for developing itself, thus bold tests, bold trials, and initiatives must be taken. All cities (prefectures) must strengthen "free trade thinking" to participate in the coordinated reform and opening-up of the PFTZ, replicate and promote its reform experiences, and form a thriving situation with the high level opening-up driving in-depth reforms and promoting high-quality development.

(xxv) Improve the institutional environment. We will introduce regulations for the PFTZ as soon as possible, further improve the mechanism of "positive incentives and reverse constraints", make more clear the guidance of "encouraging innovation and tolerating failure", and ensure that major reforms are well founded in the law. We will promote the construction of the “five supporting platforms”, namely statistical monitoring, new think tanks, all-media centers, rule of law services, and information supervision in the PFTZ, and form systems for indicators, policies, standards, statistics, and performance evaluation of high-quality development.

(xxvi) Provide more guarantee for talents. Positioning the project of "Tianfu Talents" as the overall plan, we will spare no efforts to promote the "Thousand Talents Plan", the Tianfu program for introducing high-end intellectuals, the program for encouraging overseas students who have returned to china to serve Sichuan, and the Program for gathering corporate doctors, so as to introduce more high-end talents and teams at home and abroad to make innovations and start businesses in Sichuan. We will improve policies and measures for introducing overseas talents, optimize the work management system for foreign talents in China, improve the channels for applying permanent residence, perfect the social security policies, support the construction of innovation and entrepreneurship parks for overseas high-end talents, in an effort to create an “overseas-like” working and living environment. We will build a new research think tank, set up a research institute and a professional advisory committee for the PFTZ to strengthen strategic research and provide support in decision-making and intellectual to construct the PFTZ. We will continue to hold research and exchange activities in the PFTZ, improve the "free trade thinking mode" of cadres and talents, and build a prosperous economy featuring "all-round free trade".