China mulls negative list for services trade in FTZs

Photo taken on Nov 11, 2020 shows a view of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone at Pudong New Area in Shanghai, east China. (FANG ZHE/XINHUA)

BEIJING – China will consider formulating a negative list for cross-border services trade in the country's free trade zones to further promote the liberalization of trade in services, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

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China will make continuous efforts to promote the level of opening-up, advance institutional innovation and strive to build FTZs with global influences, said MOC official Chen Hong at a press conference on Tuesday.

At the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services concluded in early September, China announced that it will promote the implementation of a negative list for cross-border trade in services across the country.

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To advance the institutional innovation, more management powers will be delegated from provincial government departments to the FTZs, according to Chen.