This Action Plan is formulated for the purpose of better utilizing both domestic and international markets and resources, ensuring stability on six fronts and maintaining focus on six priorities, promoting high-quality economic development through deeper reforms and higher-level opening-up, creating a world-class business environment, and achieving greater economic openness for Beijing.

I. General requirements

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and steering toward a globalization that is open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial to all, Beijing will, based on its strategic positioning as the capital city, give full play to its role as the center for international exchanges, explore a new model of opening-up driven by the service sector, and strive to build “new high grounds, new drivers, new platforms, and new mechanisms” of opening-up. In a spirit to nurture new opportunities amid crisis and break new grounds among changes, Beijing shall take the initiative to seek high-quality development by pursuing a high level of openness.

II. Key tasks

1.New high ground of opening-up

(1) Full-scale opening-up of the service sector on top of the “Pilot Free Trade Zone+”. A plan for full-scale opening-up of the service sector is drawn up to make the best of the preferential policies of both the Comprehensive Pilot Program for Further Opening of the Service Sector and the pilot free trade zone. To create a new competitive edge in opening-up, Beijing will focus on key sectors and areas, facilitate the opening of the whole “cloud cluster” industrial chain, and achieve breakthroughs in opening up both the industrial sector and industrial and science parks. Further institutional innovations will be made in such areas as investment, trade, and regulation to raise efficiency in the supply of capital, land, human resources, data, and other resources. New measures such as the negative list for cross-border trade in services and land supply policies for industrial chains will be enforced to create a new environment for the opening-up of the service sector in Beijing. Based on well-conceived planning, a new development landscape for open economy across the city shall take shape, which is composed of the pilot free trade zone, the comprehensive bonded areas, and industrial and science parks. 

(Competent authorities: member departments of the Municipal Leading Group on the Comprehensive Pilot Program for Further Opening of the Service Sector)

(2) A pilot free trade zone section of high standard and quality. Priority will be given to facilitating investment, trade, capital flow and resources supply in such key areas as technological innovation, digital trade, and trade in services. The Daxing Airport section of China (Hebei) Pilot Free Trade Zone will enjoy greater autonomy in reform supported by a list of institutional innovations introduced in stages, which will combine the strengths of the airport economic zone, the pilot free trade zone, and the comprehensive bonded areas. The development model of “comprehensive regional assessment + sample plots + notification and commitment” shall be fully implemented, and investment invitation maps and industry promotion policies for key sectors will be formulated. There will be wider application of blockchain technology in business transactions. These efforts will help develop the Daxing Airport section of China (Hebei) Pilot Free Trade Zone into an area that undertakes the city's function as the center for international exchanges, a national leading area for aviation technology innovation, and a demonstration area for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development.

(Competent authorities: Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Beijing Customs, Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources, Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, Daxing District People's Government)

(3) Comprehensive bonded areas with distinctive features. To build a stronger healthcare sector, efforts will be made to accelerate the innovation and upgrading of Beijing Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Area, improve the quarantine and inspection process of special goods for bio-pharmaceutical R&D trials, and reform the administrative approval procedures for low-risk special goods of bio-medicine. To boost the import and export of artworks, procedures will be simplified for import foreign exchange payment and the border entry and exit for antiques and artworks. New approaches will be created for whole-package services covering the entire business chain of storage, logistics, exhibition and accounts settlement. To promote consumption upgrading in Beijing, there will be an increase in the import of medium to high-end consumer goods, such as health products and fresh food. The government will work towards early approval and on-schedule opening of the Beijing Daxing International Airport Comprehensive Bonded Area, which will be the first of its kind in China to put in place an integrated port area regulation model, featuring “one-off tally, inspection, and lading all within a single system”. Application for establishing the Beijing Yizhuang Comprehensive Bonded Area will be made. The proposed Bonded Area will focus on advanced manufacturing, supply chain management, bonded warehousing services, etc. and be built into a demonstration area under special customs regulation featuring technology innovation. 

(Competent authorities: Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Administrative Committee of Beijing Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Area, Shunyi District People's Government, Daxing District People's Government, Administrative Committee of Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, Beijing Customs, Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage, Operations Office of the People's Bank of China)

(4) All-round innovation and opening-up of Zhongguancun National Innovation Demonstration Zone. A development model driven by joint innovation with the pilot free trade zone will be put in place to build Zhongguancun National Innovation Demonstration Zone (ZNIDZ) into a world-leading technology park and innovation center, a world-class incubator of original innovation and a global innovation network hub. The government supports the opening of regional headquarters and R&D centers of multinational companies, R&D centers of overseas universities and research institutes, and branch offices of international science and technology organizations and international service agencies in ZNIDZ, as well as local presence of world-renowned incubators and intellectual property service agencies there. It also supports ZNIDZ, in joint efforts with overseas science and technology parks and innovation partners, in building an international collaborative innovation platform for cutting-edge technology research, standards setting, technology application and promotion, and innovation services. Businesses and NGOs are encouraged to build and manage Zhongguancun International Cooperation and Innovation Park and regional technology cooperative innovation centers. The international venture capital service system will be improved as more venture capital funds, merger and acquisition funds, and patient capital established their presence here and a cluster area of overseas venture capital funds takes shape. 

(Competent authorities: Administrative Committee of Zhongguancun Science Park, Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Beijing Municipal Intellectual Property Office, Beijing Local Financial Supervision and Administration, Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economic and Information Technology)

2.New engines for opening-up

(5) Further opening-up of the financial sector. Opening-up of the financial sector is essential in building a national financial management center, Beijing will increase its capacity for serving global financial governance and international cooperation. To facilitate global wealth management, support will be available to the establishment of foreign-owned asset management institutions and their participation in pilot projects such as QFLP, QDLP and funds for RMB international investment and loans when conditions are met, and application for QDII qualification and quotas. Wholly foreign invested businesses have the government support in conducting cross-border equity investment and asset management and in applying for private equity fund managers. The government supports qualified foreign private equity fund management agencies in applying for public equity fund management license, and support non-investing foreign-invested enterprises in making domestic equity investment with their own capital in accordance with the law. Efforts will be made to promote orderly flow of cross-border capital, pilot a unified bank account system dealing with both domestic and foreign currencies, support qualified multinational companies to carry out centralized operation and management of cross-border funds, and assist qualified institutions to participate in cross-border asset transfers including non-performing assets and trade financing. Better services will be delivered in nurturing a financial market that adopts international practice. The government supports world-renowned credit rating agencies, bank card clearing and other institutions in establishing presence in Beijing and obtaining corresponding business licenses, and supports foreign institutions in obtaining permits for the payment business in accordance with prescribed terms and procedures. Equities of securities firms, fund management companies, futures companies and life insurance companies can be fully owned by foreign investors, and foreign insurance institutions can set up health insurance and old-age insurance companies in Beijing. Reform of the National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ) will speed up. Studies will be made to allow foreign institutions to invest in the NEEQ market in accordance with relevant national policies. The government will strive to establish a private equity transfer platform to expand channels for the exit of overseas venture capital, support the launch of international initiatives or organizations of green financing in Beijing, and promote the establishment of international green financing institutions and investment funds. International cooperation on fintech innovation shall be strengthened. Foreign financial institutions and technology companies are encouraged to move into Beijing Fintech Innovation and Professional Services Demonstration Zone to incubate and commercialize global fintech programs. Overseas financial institutions are encouraged to deepen strategic and equity cooperation with Beijing-based fintech companies and apply for licenses of financial business. International fintech companies are encouraged to work with Beijing-based institutions in developing self-regulatory norms and standards that cover both Chinese and foreign fintech businesses.

(Competent authorities: Beijing Local Financial Supervision and Administration, Operations Office of the People's Bank of China, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission Beijing Office, China Securities Regulatory Commission Beijing Office, Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Xicheng District People's Government, Haidian District People's Government)

(6) Promoting digital economy and open trade. Guidelines on facilitating the development of digital trade will be released and implemented with inclusive and prudent digital trade transaction rules and category-based management of export-related data. Mechanisms on market access, management, use, and supervision of data shall be in place. Access to public data will be further expanded with the development of the city's public data management system. High-quality digital trade demonstration areas will be set up including a digital trade development leading zone, a digital trade innovation pilot zone, a digital content development demonstration zone and a digital trade integrated development zone, supported by the Zhongguancun National Innovation Demonstration Zone, China (Hebei) Pilot Free Trade Zone Daxing Airport section, Chaoyang District and Beijing Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Area and Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. New forms and models of service-oriented manufacturing will be nurtured with wider application of block chain and other digital technologies in industrial production and transaction. Policy support will be available nurturing a number of market leaders and unicorns with global reputation in the digital economy.

(Competent authorities: Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Cyberspace Administration of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Beijing Municipal Administration of Government Services, Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, Administrative Committee of Zhongguancun Science Park, Haidian District People's Government, Chaoyang District People's Government, Daxing District People's Government, Administrative Committee of Beijing Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Area, Administrative Committee of Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area)

(7) Culture and tourism integration and opening-up. An international platform for collaborative innovation will be built, centering on the new generation of information technology to meet the needs of different application scenarios, such as cloud games, digital music, digital reading, etc. Digital transformation of traditional publishers will be accelerated to further integrate information technology, contents, channels, and capital markets. A global culture and art exhibition, communication, and trading platform, as well as a cross-border e-commerce platform for international cultural trade will be built. Exhibitions will be held for key projects of cultural trade and investment under the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the Asian Cultural Trade Centre project. The cultural trade centers for outbound exchanges and the digital culture industry clusters will step up their collaboration. The Beijing International Film Festival will increase its visibility. Measures for facilitating tax refunds at ports of exit will be improved and the new State policies on duty-free shops shall be implemented to boost inbound tourist consumption. Continuous efforts will be made to open a pilot scheme for wholly foreign-owned travel agencies to run outbound travel business for Chinese citizens (destination does not include China's Taiwan region). 

(Competent authorities: Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Beijing Customs, Beijing Municipal Tax Service under State Taxation Administration, Beijing Municipal Finance Bureau, Administrative Committee of Beijing Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Area)

(8) All-round reforms in opening up the professional service sector. The professional service sector will be further opened up in such areas as accounting, consulting, legal services, planning and designing with freer movement of resources, and stronger institutional capacity for international cooperation. A cross-sector comprehensive professional service mechanism will be set up that covers the whole industrial chain to attract well-known companies for demonstration effect. With the introduction of professional service resources for international clients and the formation of world-renowned brand clusters, platforms and projects, an ecosystem covering all aspects of professional services will take shape. More efforts will be made in building an overseas services partnership network to strengthen capacity in international competition, trade, and economic governance. An international consortium for professional services shall be built. There will be closer collaboration between professional service institutions in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Macao in areas of accounting and auditing, management consulting, dispute resolution, intellectual property and architectural design, and better matchmaking service will be delivered to Hong Kong and Macao citizens working in Beijing with professional licenses granted by the Chinese mainland. Renowned overseas arbitration institutions are allowed to set up representative offices in the pilot zone and conduct lawful business after getting the approval. Online arbitration is encouraged and an efficient arbitration mechanism will be set up for digital trade disputes. Efforts will be made to launch pilot programs of the architect responsibility system, where construction drawings and design documents of simple low-risk pilot projects are exempted from review before project launch.

(Competent authorities: Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Beijing Municipal Finance Bureau, Beijing Municipal Intellectual Property Office, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice, Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, Beijing Municipal Tax Service under State Taxation Administration, Operations Office of the People's Bank of China, Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources)

3. New platforms for opening-up

(9) A global exhibition and conference platform for trade in services. We will improve organization and deliver upgraded versions of the China International Fair for Trade in Services that covers all areas of trade in services and encompasses Global Trade in Services Summit, high-level forums, industry-specific conferences, penal meetings, trade fairs, side events, exhibitions, outcome release and supporting activities. Efforts will be made in establishing a global trade in services alliance to serve as the barometer for global trade in services. It will, together with China International Import Expo and China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), form a new platform for China to further open up to the world and expand international exchanges. 

(Competent authorities: Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau and others)

(10) Opening-up of the “double air hubs”. The Beijing Capital International Airport and the Beijing Daxing International Airport, by generating a cluster effect, will be developed into world-class international air hubs and new drivers for national development. An aviation network spanning the whole globe will be set up with increase in the carrying capacity of international routes, expansion of the service networks and higher proportion of international flights. The government encourages both domestic and foreign airlines to operate international flights, and allow foreign airlines to have access to both airports. An international air cargo system will be built with policies to promote Beijing's air cargo development and support for more traffic rights for cargo transport. A dedicated runway that prioritizes the need of all-cargo aircrafts at the Beijing Daxing International Airport will be put in use to attract more cargo fleets of aviation companies. The cargo facilities and intelligent logistics system at the Beijing Capital International Airport will be further improved. The airports' function as ports of entry will be strengthened with better logistics service capability for high-end goods and import service for assembled cars and parallel-import cars. 

(Competent authorities: Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, CAAC North China Regional Administration, Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Beijing Customs, Shunyi District People's Government, Daxing District People's Government, Administrative Committee of Beijing Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Area, Capital Airport Holding Company)

(11) High-level platforms for exchanges and cooperation in technology innovation. In pursuit of full industrial chain innovation spanning science, technology, product and market, the Zhongguancun Forum will be turned into a high-level State-sponsored international platform for exchanges and cooperation on technology innovation. It will attract scientists, entrepreneurs and investors from all over the world to discussions on innovation and development, with focus on frontier technologies and hot topics on innovation, making the forum a venue for communicating new thoughts, generating new models, and charting new courses. A selected group of world leading innovation achievements, science and technology policies and research reports will be released on the forum. Comprehensive online services for global transactions in technology will be offered to international clients, which includes project collection, roadshow, negotiation, transaction and display. The Zhongguancun Forum, coupled with China Beijing International High-Tech Expo, will serve as multi-functional platforms for high-level exchanges, cutting-edge innovation launch, global transactions, and high-standard exhibitions, boosting the growth of relevant industries. 

(Competent authorities: Administrative Committee of Zhongguancun Science Park, Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, CCPIT Beijing Sub-Council, Haidian District People's Government)

(12) A high-standard Financial Street Forum. The forum features dialogues and in-depth discussions centering on key issues in global financial regulation, opening-up, governance and technologies as well as policy release regarding financial reform and opening-up. It will become a platform for the official release of China's financial policies, a showcase of the country's reform and opening-up in the financial sector, and a venue for dialogues and exchanges to promote global financial governance. It will help align China's financial sector with the international market in joint response to global financial risks and challenges. 

(Competent authorities: Beijing Local Financial Supervision and Administration, Operations Office of the People's Bank of China, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission Beijing Office, China Securities Regulatory Commission Beijing Office, Xicheng District People's Government)

4. New mechanisms for opening-up

(13) Better IPR protection and use. The mechanism for multiple approaches to IPR protection shall be built in the principle of “strict, extensive, rapid and equal protection”. Legislation on IPR protection shall be advanced with a possible punitive compensation system in place. Special law enforcement will be strengthened to protect IPR in e-commerce and other key areas. More efforts will be made in protecting trade secrets and mitigating relevant risks, as well as offering one-stop IPR protection service at international industry parks. The government will build an IPR trading platform, improve the IPR assessment and trading system, and put in place a sound risk-sharing mechanism for intellectual property pledge financing. The pilot program of intellectual property insurance will be launched as part of a system for the IP financial innovation services. An IPR service system will be developed to facilitate the commercialization and application of patented technologies. Explorations on operational models will be encouraged to nurture a number of operating institutions that can take on a demonstration effect for better use of IPR. 

(Competent authorities: Beijing Municipal Intellectual Property Office, Beijing Municipal Higher People's Court, Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Beijing Cultural Market Law Enforcement Corps, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice, Beijing Local Financial Supervision and Administration, China Securities Regulatory Commission Beijing Office, Operations Office of the People's Bank of China, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission Beijing Office, Beijing Municipal Finance Bureau, Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Administrative Committee of Zhongguancun Science Park, and Beijing Municipal Commission of Education)

(14) Improving Trade Facilitation. Beijing will apply for the establishment of a national innovation demonstration zone for import promotion. Measures will be taken to improve import procedures and further open up the market to the world. Customs clearance will be more ICT-based and the functions and scope of the “single window” service for international trade will be expanded to ensure IT application in the entire service process, e-management of goods, paper-free customs clearance, and visualization of logistics. Trade service procedures will be improved that allows which will allow pre-arrival declaration and fast-track release after inspection for fresh, live, and perishable goods. Steps will be taken to expand the pilot program of guarantee exemption for enterprises with advanced certification. New regulatory practices will be adopted such as “two-stage” approval on imported goods. Regulatory reforms in customs clearance will continue regarding “two-step” declaration, “two-category” clearance, and “two-area” regulation improvement. The measures will help raise the proportion of pre-arrival declaration and build a demonstration zone for airport trade facilitation. 

(Competent authorities: Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Beijing Customs, Shunyi District People's Government, Daxing District People's Government, and Administrative Committee of Beijing Tianzhu Comprehensive Bonded Area)

(15) Promoting two-way investment. Beijing will pursue high-quality development in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative and continue to improve performance on international economic cooperation and trade. Policies supporting outbound investment will be strengthened with simplified and paper-free record-filing procedures for businesses engaging in overseas investment. An online service platform will be opened to support companies in Beijing to go global and a series of “Country Day” activities will be staged to offer business opportunities, project matchmaking, tax consulting, security alerts and other services. Inbound investment promotion and services will be enhanced through implementation of both the national and the pilot FTA negative lists of foreign investment, and encourage foreign investment in newly-opened areas. New forms of activities to attract investment will be held on such platforms as the China International Fair for Trade in Services, Beijing Investment Fair and Beijing Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium. Policy transparency and rule-based enforcement will be enhanced and unannounced inspections will be carried out on investment services with prompt release of inspection results. Foreign-invested enterprises will have access to consulting services, requests filing and feedbacks, and their complaints shall be properly handled. “Steward service” and “service packages” will be offered to key foreign-invested enterprises for carrying out individualized services. Sino-foreign industrial parks will be built which is open to the world and carry country-specific features.

(Competent authorities: Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Beijing Investment Promotion Service Center, CCPIT Beijing Sub-Council, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Finance, Beijing Municipal Commission of State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration, Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, and all district governments)

(16) Better services for overseas professionals. A service system for overseas professionals shall be in place which includes a service network that is readily available the moment they arrive in Beijing and the “Easy Beijing” mobile phone app offering agent services on all kinds of procedures. Localized management services will be provided through which the authority of granting work permits is delegated to districts with big communities of foreigners. Steps will be taken towards the goal of making application for work permits and work-type residence permits at a single window and collecting both at the same time. Reform of medical services for foreigners will continue with better demonstration projects to improve quality and standard of such services. Geographical distribution of international schools will be improved and local primary and middle schools are encouraged to enroll foreign students. Government services for foreigners will be strengthened through e-government services where information sharing and interaction is offered for both expats and foreign-invested enterprises. Quicker steps will be taken to build an international website of the Beijing city government portal which shall serve as a one-stop multiple-language online service platform with wide coverage.

(Competent authorities: Beijing Municipal Bureau of Talent Work, Beijing Municipal Commission of Science and Technology, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Public Security, Beijing Municipal Commission of Health, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Medical Insurance, Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, and Beijing Municipal Administration of Government Services)

III. Supporting Measures

1. Stronger organizational leadership

This Action Plan shall be incorporated into the work agenda of the task force for the Comprehensive Pilot Program for Further Opening of the Service Sector in Beijing. The task force shall follow a three-tiered structure of “overall coordination + key sectors + key areas”. More full-time staff will join the task force and more training will be provided.

2. Enhanced planning and coordination

Tasks set in this Action Plan will be included in the quarterly briefings of government leaders and monthly meetings of the task force to ensure progress is made as scheduled. Well-organized pilot programs will be carried out where risks are under control. Legislative revision shall be accelerated according to legal procedures for local legislations and government regulations where needed.

3. Better policy communication and evaluation

The government shall fully communicate and explain the new opening-up measures and their effects, and strengthen the disclosure of relevant information. Policy communication shall be carried out at the China International Fair for Trade in Services and other international exhibitions and conferences. International cooperation shall be enhanced to strengthen mutual trust and mutual benefits through exchanges, visits, and study trips. Progress on task implementation shall be reviewed on regular basis to gather experience for wider application.