The national comprehensive pilot program for greater openness in the service sector is a major step of the CPC central committee and the State Council for high-level opening up. General Secretary Xi Jinping has given multiple important instructions and made plans personally on the pilot and demonstration projects. The implementation of the program in the six cities represents its second expansion and a crucial measure to open China’s service sector. Now, I would like to give some details.

The effects of the pilot program and demonstration work. In May 2015, with the approval of the State Council, Beijing took the lead in carrying out the pilot program. In September, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping announced at the China International Fair for Trade in Services that China supports the municipality in developing a national integrated demonstration zone for greater openness in the services sector. In April, 2021, the State Council approved pilot programs in Tianjin, Shanghai, Hainan and Chongqing, expanding their scope to five provinces and municipalities, with increasingly obvious success. First, in terms of industrial opening up, more than 60 opening measures in 11 sectors, including science and technology, culture and telecommunications, have been conducted in five provinces and municipalities. Second, in terms of institutional innovation, nearly 70 policy innovations, including scientific R&D and financial services for the real economy, were launched in Beijing, and 151 differentiated pilot measures were launched in four provinces and municipalities, such as Tianjin. Third, in terms of landmark projects, more than 140 such projects are launched in Beijing, involving professional institutions, bases, platforms and emerging types of business, including many national "firsts". Shanghai attracts fin-tech projects; Hainan cultivates integrated development projects for culture, sports and entertainment; and Chongqing arranges big science projects, with positive results. Fourth, in terms of the development of demonstration parks, pilot and demonstration provinces and municipalities have made efforts to cultivate and build a number of major parks, such as the Canal Business District in Beijing, the financial leasing industry cluster in Tianjin, and the Pudong Software Park in Shanghai. Fifth, in terms of international and regional cooperation, Beijing has built the BRI comprehensive legal and commercial service mechanism; Tianjin has pursued joint development with its neighbor ports; Shanghai has launched international cooperation in the "single window" for international trade; and Chongqing has built an inland international logistics hub. Sixth, development of open economy. In the first three quarters of 2022, five provinces and municipalities created a total added value of RMB6.9 trillion for the service sector, accounting for 70.6% of the local GDP, which was 17.1 percentage points higher than the national average. From January to November, foreign investment in the service sector of five provinces and municipalities was USD47.69 billion, accounting for 36.8% of the whole country, with a year-on-year increase of 10.2%, which was 7 percentage points higher than the national average. Seventh, the replication and promotion of the pilot experience. The pilot and demonstration provinces and municipalities systematically integrated the innovation achievements in industrial opening up and development, trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, reforms of systems and institutions, and summarized 8 groups of 43 successful cases to be promoted nationwide.

On new pilot projects in Shenyang and other five cities. In April this year, in the Keynote Speech at the Opening Ceremony of BFA Annual Conference 2022, President Xi Jinping stressed that China will add more cities to the comprehensive pilot program for service sector opening. The 20th CPC National Congress made arrangements for promoting high-standard opening up, and steadily expanded institutional opening-up with regard to rules, regulations, management and standards. The Central Economic Work Conference proposed to expand market access and further open the market of modern services. This year's Report on the Work of the Government also made arrangements for more pilot programs. According to the relevant arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the Ministry of Commerce, in conjunction with relevant localities and departments, reported to the State Council for approval to set up pilot programs in six cities: Shenyang, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Guangzhou and Chengdu. The newly-added pilot cities mentioned above are well-placed for the development of services, with strong willingness and capabilities for the implementation, and regional representativeness. On the basis of the existing "1+4" pattern in the demonstration of further opening up the service sector, it is of great significance to include six more cities in the pilot program, to improve the arrangements for pilot and demonstration programs, to lead the opening up of the service sector nationwide and to foster a new development dynamic. While including these cities in the pilot program, the Ministry of Commerce took the lead in researching and formulating corresponding measures, and supported six cities in actively exploring the service sector. Relevant pilot programs will be issued in the near future.

In the next step, the Ministry of Commerce, together with relevant provinces, municipalities and departments, will conscientiously implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Based on the development goals of pilot cities, they will accelerate the implementation of pilot tasks, explore more replicable and scalable experience, and make new contribution to promoting high-level opening up, accelerate the creation of a new development paradigm, and promoting high-quality development. Thank you.