CCIEE Held Dissemination Seminar of Research Report on Foreign Investment Management System in China Based on the Negative List Mode

The Dissemination Seminar of the Research Report on Management System of Foreign Investment in China Based on the Negative List Mode was held on 27 May at Tianjin Binhai New Area. Mr. Wei Jianguo, Vice Chairman of CCIEE, Mr. Martyn Roper, Chargé d’Affaires of the British Embassy in Beijing, and Mr. Zhang Yong, Governor of the Binhai New Area, delivered opening remarks. Ms. Chen Wenling, Chief Economist of CCIEE, Mr. Huo Jianguo, Former President of Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce, Ms. Li Luosha, Senior Research Fellow of CCIEE, Mr. Zhang Huanbo, Division Chief for Reform and Opening up of CCIEE, officials from Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangdong and Fujian FTZs and representatives from King & Wood Mallesons and Deloitte & Touche respectively spoke at the seminar. The mainstream media including the Xinhua News Agency (Tianjin Branch), CNR Voice of the Economy, China.com.cn, CE.cn, China Economic Herald and the Global times and the local media reported this event.

The seminar was co-hosted by CCIEE, Tianjin Binhai New Area government and the British Embassy in Beijing. CCIEE undertook the research project with the support of the Prosperity Fund of the British Embassy in Beijing. Mr. Wei Jianguo, Vice Chairman of CCIEE, was the project consultant, Ms. Chen Wenling, Chief Economist of CCIEE, the supervisor, and Mr. Zhang Huanbo, Division Chief for Reform and Opening up of CCIEE, the research team leader.

At the seminar, the research team released their report Studies on the Management System of Foreign Investment in China Based on the Negative List Mode. This is the first domestic report systematically studying China’s foreign investment management system from the prospective of negative list mode. It summarizes the current state and experience of foreign investment management in China, and its efforts to explore a new type of FDI management system in FTZs. It also analyzes the US and UK’s experience in managing foreign investment, and raises a series of policy recommendations from the perspective of legal system, national security review, anti-monopoly and unfair competition, business credit and social supervision. The participating officials and experts applauded the report as one that would provide policy reference for China’s efforts to explore a pre-establishment national treatment plus negative-list management mechanism and improve foreign investment management system.

The seminar received close attention from relevant government agencies and the local government, and was attended by related policy makers and leading experts. They had a thorough exchange of views on the necessity and importance of strengthening China’s foreign investment management system based on the negative list mode, problems in this field and the policy recommendations to be raised. Particularly, representatives from Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangdong and Fujian FTZs introduced and discussed their own practices and experience, which will help replicate and promote the successful experience and advanced models in the next stage.