He Yadong: Friends from the press, good afternoon. Welcome to the regular press conference of the Ministry of Commerce. I have no briefing to make today. Now I would like to take your questions.

Nanfang Media Group: The Guidelines on the Reform, Innovation and Development of Digital Trade was released recently. What has the Ministry of Commerce accomplished in promoting digital trade? How will the guidelines be implemented in the future?

He Yadong: Digital trade has become a new trend in international trade and a new engine for economic development. In recent years, China's digital trade has boomed and maintained rapid growth. In the first three quarters of 2024, China's import and export of digitally deliverable services reached 2.13 trillion yuan, up 5.3 percent year on year; cross-border e-commerce import and export reached 1.88 trillion yuan, up 11.5 percent year on year, both reaching record highs.

In the next step, the Ministry of Commerce will vigorously implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to promote the reform and innovation of digital trade. We will focus on four key words.

The first key word is policy. We will intensify policy support for the development of digital trade. We will work with relevant departments and local governments to implement the Guidelines on the Reform, Innovation and Development of Digital Trade. We will accelerate the formulation of digital trade standards and promote their internationalization. We will establish a sound digital trade statistics and monitoring system.

The second key word is entity. We will foster more business entities in digital trade with strong innovation and international competitiveness. We will also foster small and medium-sized digital trade enterprises that are external oriented and have unique competitive advantages, and help them become specialized and sophisticated SMEs.

The third key word is openness. We will promote institutional openness in digital trade. We will relax market access in the digital sector and encourage foreign investment in the digital sector. We will improve the governance system of cross-border data flows, and promote and regulate cross-border data flows. We will work on the implementation of the negative list for cross-border trade in services.

The fourth key word is cooperation. We will deepen international cooperation. We will actively participate in the WTO e-commerce negotiations, and actively advance accession to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). We will deepen multilateral, bilateral and regional digital trade dialogue and cooperation with Central Asian countries, BRICS countries, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and Belt and Road partner countries. Thank you.

FJTV: The United States plans to impose anti-dumping duties of as high as 271.28% on photovoltaic products from four Southeast Asian countries. As many Chinese photovoltaic companies have presence in Southeast Asia, this move may have an impact on Chinese companies. What is your comment?

He Yadong : The global production and supply chains are shaped by market laws and corporate choices. Maintaining stable and unimpeded global production and supply chains serves the long-term interests and shared expectations of all. In recent years, some Chinese photovoltaic companies have made investment in some Southeast Asian countries, making positive contributions to local economic and social development.

Recently, the US Department of Commerce has made preliminary anti-dumping rulings on photovoltaic products from Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. China is concerned about the tendency of the US to instrumentalize and politicize trade remedy investigations, as the US has shown a clear results-oriented intention in its investigations. The US should abandon trade protectionism as soon as possible and work with other countries to jointly safeguard free trade in photovoltaic and other new energy products, and contribute to the global response to climate change. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency: The General Secretary recently made a comprehensive plan to promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) at present and in the future at the fourth symposium on Belt and Road construction work. How will MOFCOM implement the relevant instructions and ensure deep and pragmatic BRI trade and economic cooperation?

He Yadong: Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the fourth BRI symposium, making a comprehensive plan to promote the high-quality development of BRI at present and in the future. MOFCOM will earnestly study and implement the guiding principles of the speech, adhere to the “four combination” and “three coordination”, as well as the “nine improvement” in terms of mechanism building, and further promote the high-quality development of BRI mechanism in the trade and economic field, constantly expanding the new space for win-win development.

Firstly, we will push for improving the coordination of “hard connectivity”, “institutional connectivity” and “people-to-people connectivity”. We will consult with BRI partner countries to establish more trade facilitation and investment cooperation working groups and cooperation mechanisms for trade in services, to play a positive role in promoting communication and consultation in trade and investment, infrastructure construction and other aspects. We will coordinate the construction of major landmark projects and “small and beautiful” livelihood projects, to promote people-to-people connectivity with BRI partner countries through trade and economic connectivity.

Secondly, we will promote the improvement of practical cooperation mechanisms for industrial and supply chains. We will actively expand trade, investment and industrial cooperation with BRI partner countries, promote the signing of more free trade agreements and investment protection agreements, and give full play to the bridging role of free trade pilot zones, border (trans-border) cooperation zones, overseas economic and trade cooperation zones and other platforms, so as to promote international industrial and supply chain cooperation with BRI partner countries.

Thirdly, we will actively improve the mechanisms for international exchanges and cooperation in emerging areas. We will deepen cooperation with BRI partner countries in the fields of green development, digital economy, blue economy, clean energy and green minerals. We will promote the upgrading of “Silk Road E-commerce” cooperation, actively promote China’s accession to DEPA, and strengthen policy exchanges and practical cooperation among all parties.

Fourthly, we will speed up the improvement of mechanisms for risk prevention and control and overseas interests protection. We will continue to strengthen overseas risk assessment, improve the overseas comprehensive service system, give full play to the role of overseas enterprise liaison service platform, help enterprises guard against overseas investment risks, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of overseas Chinese-funded enterprises. Thank you.

The Cover: On November 27, EU member states voted to approve the final ruling submitted by the European Commission to impose anti-dumping duties on titanium dioxide originating in China since January 2025. It is reported that this shows signs of escalation of trade frictions between China and the EU. What is China’s comment on this?

He Yadong: We have taken note of the relevant news. It can be seen that people from all walks of life are paying close attention to the trade frictions between China and the EU. Since 2024, the EU has launched 15 trade remedy investigations against China. China is highly concerned about this and hopes that the EU side can conduct investigations in strict accordance with WTO rules, avoid abusing trade remedies and jointly safeguard the big picture of China-EU trade and economic cooperation. China has always advocated resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, and is not willing to see the escalation of trade frictions between China and the EU. China will pay close attention to the follow-up actions of the EU side and firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. Thank you.

China Business News: The Australian government said today that China has lifted import restrictions on two Australian meat processing plants. So far, the Chinese government has completely removed trade restrictions on all 10 Australian slaughterhouses between 2020 and 2022, allowing the full resumption of red meat imports from the country. We would like to get confirmation from you. In addition, what is your comment on this? Will you further expand the import of meat from Australia in the future?

He Yadong: It is learned that the Chinese authorities have recently verified and evaluated the relevant rectification measures provided by the Australian side. According to the assessment results, China approved the resumption of exports to China by two qualified Australian meat enterprises in accordance with the law and regulations on December 3.

Since last year, with the joint efforts of both sides, China and Australia have made positive progress on a series of trade and economic issues. This fully demonstrates that as long as the two sides adhere to mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation, and strengthen communication and dialogue, they can properly resolve their respective trade and economic concerns.

China supports enterprises of the two countries to continue to deepen and expand trade and economic cooperation in traditional and emerging areas, to promote high-quality development of bilateral trade and economic relations and benefit the two peoples. Thank you.

South China Morning Post: In a reply to the SCMP, the U.S. State Department spokesperson condemned China’s new restrictions on exports of dual-use items and critical raw materials including gallium, germanium and graphite, and pledged to take “necessary steps” to prevent further “coercive” measures. The spokesperson added, “these new controls only underscore the importance of strengthening our efforts with other countries to de-risk and diversify critical supply chains away from the PRC.” What is MOFCOM’s comment?

He Yadong: The U.S. has conducted such typical economic coercive acts as overstretching the concept of national security, abusing export control measures and taking unilateral, bullying measures against Chinese companies, undermining the international economic and trade order and disrupting the stability of global industrial and supply chains. China resolutely opposes those behaviors.

In accordance with the Law on Export Control of the People’s Republic of China and the Regulations on Export Control of Dual-use Items of the People’s Republic of China, China has decided to step up control of relevant dual-use item exports to the U.S., which is a reasonable measure for China to protect its own security and development interests and fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations. I want to stress that this does not change China’s commitment to advancing high-standard opening up, and China stands ready to work with all parties to strengthen export control dialogues and jointly safeguard stable and unimpeded global industrial and supply chains. Thank you.

Reuters: I have two questions. First, Has MOFCOM issued export licenses to Chinese antimony exporters, and how many companies have applied for that? Second, several Chinese industry associations called on Chinese companies to purchase American chips with caution and said that American chips are “no longer secure”. What’s MOFCOM’s view on American chip products? What’s the method to determine whether American chips are secure?

He Yadong: On your first question, it is international customary practice to impose export control on antimony-related products. Borrowing from international customary practices and based on its own need, China imposes export control on antimony-related products to better protect its national security and fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations. Since the imposition of export control on antimony-related products on September 15, we have received many applications for export licenses and are reviewing them in accordance with procedures. For those applications that meet the requirements, we will grant the licenses accordingly. The Chinese government is firmly committed to safeguarding world peace and regional stability, ensuring safety of global industrial and supply chains, and promoting trade that is consistent with compliance requirements. At the same time, it opposes any activity undertaken by any country or region that jeopardizes China’s national sovereign ty, security and development interests using controlled items from China.

On you second question, the U.S. has consistently conducted such typical economic coercive acts as overstretching the concept of national security, abusing export control measures and taking unilateral, bullying measures. On December 12, it once again launched semiconductor export control measures targeting China, which seriously damages market rules and the international economic and trade order, increase uncertainties in normal semiconductor trade, and threatens the stability of global industrial and supply chains. China will take necessary measures to resolutely protect its legitimate rights and interests. Thank you.