BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Premier Zhu Rongji
has called for
adapting to the new situation
following China's entry into the
World Trade
Organization (WTO) and opening wider to the outside
world.
He made the call while
delivering the Report on the Work of the
Government at
Tuesday's opening of the annual session of the
National People's Congress (NPC), the China's top
legislature.
Zhu said that China's entry
into the WTO indicates that its
opening up has
entered a new stage. "We need to actively
participate in international economic cooperation and
competition
on a broader scale and in greater depth
and complete our tasks for
the first year of China's
membership in the WTO."
According to
the premier, in recent years and especially over
the
past few months, China has done a great deal of work to meet
requirements for its entry into the WTO.
Review of relevant state laws and statutes has
been completed
by and large, and a number of laws and
regulations have been
repealed, revised and
formulated.
Beginning January 1, 2002,
China's general tariff level has
dropped from 15.3
percent to 12 percent, and the reduction
involved
more than 5,300 taxable items.
This year
China should concentrate on increasing its
international competitiveness and fulfilling the
following tasks
on the basis of what has been
achieved, according to Zhu.
First,
following the principles of the uniformity of law,
nondiscrimination, and openness and transparency,
China quickly
improve the system of foreign-related
economic laws and statutes
so that they are suitable
to domestic conditions and the WTO rules
and able to
guarantee fair and efficient law enforcement.
Second, according to the
commitments in its entry into the WTO,
China should
gradually expand the spheres of activity open to
foreign businesses. In addition, it should promptly
formulate and
revise market access standards for
quality, sanitation, epidemic
prevention,
environmental protection and safety.
Third, China should study, master and fully exercise all the
rights that the country enjoys as a member of the
WTO, and
actively promote and participate in regional
economic cooperation.
Fourth, China should
study and publicize information about the
WTO and its
rules, and provide training to public servants,
especially leading cadres at and above county and
division level
and to managerial staff in large and
medium-sized enterprises by
stages and in groups.
China should bring forth, through
training, a contingent of
people who are well
acquainted with the WTO rules and
international
economic cooperation and trade.
The
premier said that foreign trade work has to be done
conscientiously. China should continue implementing
the strategy
of market diversification to increase
this year's exports.
He called for
efforts to retain existing markets for China's
exports and open new ones. China will adjust and
optimize the mix
of export commodities, improve their
quality and raise their added
value.
The policy measures for encouraging exports must
be fully
carried out, he said, noting that key
enterprises that generate
large sums of foreign
exchange through export and enjoy a good
reputation
should be ensured of tax refunds in full and on time.
Zhu said that China will promptly reform and
improve the system
of export tax refunds. Tax
exemption, reduction and refunding
measures will be
applied to those commodities which producers
manufacture and export on their own or entrust
foreign trade
businesses to serve as agents for
exporting, he said.
China will expand
export credit insurance and provide more
support for
export. Reform of the customs service will be
deepened
to further facilitate customs clearance and
to improve customs
supervision.
China will also further reform and reorganize
state-owned
foreign trade businesses and diversify
foreign trade entities and
export channels.
In continuing implementing the "go
global" strategy, China will
encourage and help
eligible enterprises under various forms of
ownership
to set up factories or undertake contracted projects
outside China, particularly in neighboring countries,
in order to
increase the export of technology,
equipment, materials and labor,
the premier
said.
China will import advanced
technologies, key equipment, and raw
and semi-finished
materials that are in short supply in the
country,
and gradually diversify its import markets for strategic
supplies.
He said that China will
continue to utilize foreign funds and
optimize the
mix of foreign investment, with focus on bringing in
advanced technology, modern managerial expertise and
qualified
specialists.
China will
encourage and guide foreign businesses to invest in
modern agriculture, industries using high and new
technologies,
construction of infrastructure
facilities, and development of the
western region and
to participate in the restructuring and
reorganization of state-owned enterprises, according
to Zhu.
He called for encouraging foreign
businesses, especially
transnational corporations, to
set up research and development
centers, production
bases and regional headquarters in China.
To promote the development of China's service industries,
the
country should attract large reputable foreign
enterprises and
intermediary agencies engaged in
commerce and trade, tourism,
accounting and
auditing.
China should also create
conditions for attracting investment
by small and
medium-sized overseas enterprises.
He
pledged to continue improving the investment environment
and
the legal system; do everything in accordance with
the law; render
better services to investors; improve
efficiency, and standardize
the work related to
attracting foreign businesses and investment.