Plans for this development have been in the works for quite some time. Prior to this, the General Office of the State Council, tasked with expanding the import promotion of Foreign Trade Balance, posted a notice promoting a fully-developed experience of cross-border e-commerce. Today, the State council revealed the full scope of this expansion.
In March 2015 and January 2016, the State Council approved the establishment of 13 cross-border e-commerce test zones in two batches: in Hangzhou, and Tianjin and eleven other cities, respectively.
Over the past two years, through the joint efforts of various departments and localities, the construction of these 13 comprehensive zones have achieved positive results. A set of policy systems, adapted to the development of cross-border e-commerce, was also established to support the upgrading of foreign trade and the development of innovation.
The new batch of comprehensive test zones will involve 22 cities. The cities chosen are large enough to have great development potential. Amongst them, there’s a good industrial belt foundation, a mature e-commerce atmosphere and international logistics conditions. They also feature good foreign trade developments and urban developments, while taking into account the balance of distribution.
The second batch of 12 pilot cities cover the most developed cities in China. The economic base, international logistics capabilities, urban population and the popularity of e-commerce all have advantages in these regions. The overall distribution are in the Pearl River Delta (Guangzhou, Shenzhen); Yangtze River Delta (Shanghai, Suzhou, Ningbo); Central (Zhengzhou, Hefei); Western (Chengdu, Chongqing); and North (Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao).
The third batch, announced today, is mainly inclined to the central, western and north-eastern regions: Beijing, Hohhot, Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin, Nanjing, Nanchang, Wuhan, Changsha, Nanning, Haikou, Guiyang, Kunming, Xi’an, Lanzhou, Xiamen, Tangshan, Wuxi, Weihai, Zhuhai, Dongguan, and Yiwu.
China’s new cross-border experiment zones signal the encouragement and support the Chinese government is willing to offer imported products and brands. ACOLINK CEO, Anita Zhang, emphasises that China is eager to welcome foreign trade. She also notes that the widespread encouragement of import, through initiatives such as the experiment zones, will bring an influx of new products into China’s market.
She says, “China is open for business. The market is very welcoming, and soon it will become even more competitive.”
By: ACO Link.
Photo: EOS Intelligence.
Review: Emerging Market Formulations & Research Unit, Flagship Records.