He Yongqian: Friends from the press, good afternoon. Welcome to the regular press conference of the Ministry of Commerce. I have no briefing to make today.

The floor is open.

Economic Information Daily: Catering is an important driver for consumption. It also plays an important role in stabilizing growth and improving people's living standard. At the recent press conference on economic work before the two sessions, Minister Wang Wentao mentioned that the Ministry of Commerce will organize the "Chinese Food Festival" and other activities. What will the Ministry of Commerce do next?

He Yongqian: As the saying goes, food is the foundation of the people’s livelihood. In 2024, catering consumption reached 5.57 trillion yuan, accounting for 11.4% of the total retail sales, the largest segment. Since 2021, the Ministry of Commerce has continuously organized a series of catering consumption promotion activities, which has played a positive role in boosting and expanding catering consumption. We will continue to organize these activities this year. On March 17, the Ministry of Commerce, together with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the State Administration of Market Regulation, the National Radio and Television Administration, the General Administration of Sports, and the Hubei provincial people's Government, will launch the 2025 "Chinese Cuisine Festival" in Wuhan, Hubei province. With the theme of "Enjoy Chinese Food, Create a Better Life", more than 120 special activities will be launched to promote catering consumption. The activities mainly include four aspects:

First, we will organize a variety of catering consumption activities, themed on cuisines for sports events, featured in movies, or Chinese gastronomy. We will provide guidance to local governments on designing consumption activities and unlocking new consumption drivers by integrating them with traditional festivals, consumption peak seasons, blockbuster movies, large-scale sports events and cultural activities.

Second, we will organize both online and offline activities. We will encourage bank payment and settlement institutions to work with e-commerce platforms to launch more preferential and convenient package services, such as "catering + movies" and "catering + sports events" to release consumption potential.

Third, we will create new immersive and experiential catering consumption scenes. We will encourage local governments to target niche markets, such as creative dishes, dishes suitable for the 24 solar terms, healthy diet, meals for children and the elderly, and culture-themed meals, and launch a number of innovative dishes, themed banquets and first-of-its-kind restaurants, and increase the supply of quality services.

Fourth, we will build cooperation platforms to promote Chinese catering culture. We will urge local and industry associations to carry out activities such as skill competitions, industry exchanges, and standard promotion, and continue to improve the level of catering operation and services. We will support the holding of activities such as Chinese cuisine tasting, skill demonstration, and brand promotion to spread traditional Chinese culinary art, and deepen international cooperation in the catering industry.

You are welcome to report and experience the "Chinese Cuisine Festival” by then. Thank you.

CNBC: I have two questions. The first is that some global brands have found that access to the Chinese market through the pilot free trade zones can minimize the risk from U.S.-China trade tensions. Can the Ministry of Commerce confirm that products sold to Chinese consumers through these zones will not be affected by the new import tariffs? How does China plan to help foreign consumer brands better take advantage of the pilot free trade zones this year? How have these zones supported the development of foreign brands in the past few years? Second, during the two sessions, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said that China is willing to have more communication with the US on trade issues. Have the two sides set a date for the meeting?

He Yongqian: The pilot free trade zones are important platforms for the Chinese government to promote high-level opening-up. In recent years, we have first launched a series of pioneering reform and opening up measures in the pilot free trade zones to foster a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment, providing strong support for the development of foreign companies in China.

In terms of market access, we have published the negative list for foreign investment access in the pilot free trade zones and the negative list for cross-border trade in services, in which we allowed greater opening-up of the value-added telecommunications, commercial services, finance and culture sectors. We also encouraged relevant departments to conduct trials of opening up cloud services, biotechnology and wholly owned hospitals in qualified pilot free trade zones such as Shanghai.

In terms of aligning with international high-standard economic and trade rules, we have launched more than 110 pilot measures in two batches, supporting qualified free trade zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port in aligning with CPTPP and DEPA proactively. We redouble efforts to conduct pilot programs in key areas such as goods trade, services trade, digital trade, and intellectual property rights, creating an institutional environment that aligns with high-standard international rules. For instance, in the area of cross-border data flow which is a concern of foreign-invested enterprises, we support cities like Tianjin, Beijing, and Shanghai in formulating lists of administration for data outbound and supportive administrative measures in pilot free trade zones to facilitate cross-border data flows in an efficient, convenient, and safe manner. A number of multinational companies have already benefited from the policy dividends. In 2024, the 22 pilot free trade zones attracted 28.25 billion U.S. dollars of foreign direct investment in actual use, accounting for 24.3 percent of the country’s total, a ratio higher than that in 2023, and playing a leading role in attracting foreign investments.

Looking ahead, we will better leverage the pioneering role of pilot free trade zones, actively promote the implementation of pilot projects of opening up in certain areas, further align with international high-standard economic and trade rules, conduct broader, deeper, and more vigorous experiments of institutional opening up, create a transparent, stable, and predictable institutional environment, providing more development opportunities for all types of market entities including foreign-invested enterprises. We welcome your attention and encourage active participation in the construction of pilot free trade zones to share the outcomes of China’s reform and opening up and its vast market opportunities. The Ministry of Commerce will provide support and services as always.

Regarding the tariff issue you mentioned, we have imposed additional tariffs on some imported goods from the U.S., while existing bonded policies in relevant areas remain unchanged. However, when goods come out of the areas and are sold in the domestic market, due taxes must be paid according to relevant regulations.

Regarding your second question, Chinese authorities have maintained communication with the U.S. side. China always believes that both sides should take a positive and cooperative attitude towards differences and disputes in the economic and trade fields, seeking mutually acceptable solutions through equal dialogue and communication. It needs to be emphasized that any form of communication and consultation must be based on mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit; threats and coercion will only backfire.

We hope that the U.S. can work together with China on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and return to the right path of resolving issues through dialogue and consultation. Thank you.

Cover News: Recently, the U.S. policy of imposing a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum took effect as planned. Could the spokesperson comment on this? Has China taken countermeasures?

He Yongqian: Previously, China has expressed its position on the U.S. adjustment of steel and aluminum tariffs under Section 232. China believes that the U.S. Section 232 measures are unilateralism and protectionism practice under the guise of “national security”. China, along with many other countries, strongly opposes these measures and urges the U.S. to cancel Section 232 measures on steel and aluminum as soon as possible. Thank you.

Reuters: Reports suggest that the Ministry of Commerce of China and other departments recently held talks with Walmart because it required significant price cuts from some Chinese suppliers. Can you confirm this? What are the considerations behind it? Besides Walmart, have other companies been or will be summoned for talks?

He Yongqian: We have noticed media reports on this matter and received feedback from several enterprises. Relevant departments of our ministry have approached Walmart to understand the situation, and Walmart has provided explanations regarding the relevant circumstances.

This is all the information I have. Thank you.

Bloomberg: What are the current U.S. tariff rates for steel and aluminum imported from China? Last year, the Biden administration raised tariffs under Section 301. Today, the Trump administration reintroduced tariffs under Section 232 targeting steel and aluminum products. Additionally, the Trump administration has imposed a 20% tariff on all imports from China. Should we add all these tariffs together, or will some of them not be levied?

He Yongqian: Whether it is the 301 tariffs or the 232 tariffs, they have already been ruled by the World Trade Organization dispute settlement mechanism to violate multilateral trade rules. The accumulation of U.S. tariffs on Chinese products does not contribute to so-called "national security," nor does it assist U.S. domestic industries, but merely highlights the unilateralism, protectionism, and bullying practices of the U.S. Thank you.