He Yadong: Friends from the press, good afternoon. Welcome to the regular press conference of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM). I have no announcement to make today.

The floor is open.

Southeast TV: The XVI BRICS Summit is taking place in Kazan, Russia. China has played a leading role in driving BRICS cooperation. Could you please talk about the trade and economic outcomes of BRICS cooperation, and whether new measures or mechanisms will be rolled out?

He Yadong: From October 22 to 24, 2024, the XVI BRICS Summit was held in Kazan, Russia. BRICS’ historic expansion is a milestone in the development of the mechanism. The Summit reached consensus regarding practical cooperation in special economic zones, agricultural trade facilitation, environment- and climate-related trade measures, value chains, e-commerce, and support for the multilateral trading system, adding trade and economic value to greater BRICS cooperation.

At the Summit, President Xi Jinping announced that China will establish a China Center for Cooperation on Development of Special Economic Zones in BRICS Countries. Special economic zones, encompassing free economic zones, free ports, free trade zones, industrial parks and high-tech parks, play an important role in trade and investment cooperation. The China Center for Cooperation on Development of Special Economic Zones in BRICS Countries, as an innovative step, will strengthen the bonds between special economic zones of BRICS countries through industrial synergy, policy research, experience sharing and capacity building, thus further enhancing practical trade and economic cooperation among BRICS countries.

Moving forward, China stands ready to work with other BRICS countries to bring trade and economic cooperation within the mechanism to a higher level. Thank you.

Dragon TV: The seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) will open in about ten days. The Business Exhibition has always been a key part of the expo. Is there anything new about the exhibition layout? What are the characteristics of this year’s Innovation Incubation Special Section?

He Yadong: This year’s CIIE Business Exhibition, like last year, will be divided into Food and Agricultural Products, Automobile, Intelligent Industry and Information Technology, Consumer Goods, Medical Equipment and Healthcare Products, Trade in Services, and the Innovation Incubation Special Section, all with innovative designs that highlight the expo’s function of expanding imports and facilitating trade and the theme of new quality productive forces, giving small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) an engaging and rewarding experience.

The exhibition layout will incorporate new elements. The Intelligent Industry and Information Technology section will for the first time host a new materials area, as a platform for international exchanges on innovations and developments of the sector, and the artificial intelligence experience section will be upgraded to version 3.0, with hands-on opportunities of scenarios such as embodied AI and large models. The Food and Agricultural Products section will enlarge the area for African products to help more African least-developed countries showcase their specialties. The Consumer Goods section will have for the first time a demonstration area featuring household decorations from SMEs of countries along the Silk Road. The Medical Equipment and Healthcare Products section will have an elderly care area featuring elderly-friendly products, to tap into the silver economy.

New partners will promote the CIIE overseas. This year, more than 70 overseas business associations from over 50 countries and regions will come to the CIIE, bringing with them 1,500-plus SMEs. Many of them, such as Portugal Foods and Ghana Export Promotion Authority, are coming for the first time.

The exhibitors will demonstrate new projects. As you mentioned, aside from the six sections, the CIIE also sets up an Innovation Incubation Special Section, which has done a great job in showcasing global SME startups, incubators of multinational companies, and international incubators. This year, this section will host a diverse range of exhibitors and a record number of projects, around 360 in total, covering the digital economy, green and low carbon technologies, life sciences and manufacturing technology. Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald: The Australian trade remedy investigating authority recently published the Statement of Essential Facts of the sunset review of Australia’s anti-dumping and countervailing measures regarding Chinese stainless steel sinks, noting that expiry of the measures will not cause material injury for the Australian domestic industry, and recommending that the measures expire due March 26, 2025. What’s China’s comment?

He Yadong: China has taken notice of the Statement of Essential Facts published by the Australian Anti-Dumping Commission dated October 17 on the sunset review of Australia’s anti-dumping and countervailing measures regarding deep drawn stainless steel sinks from China. China believes that expiry of the measures is conducive to deeper bilateral trade and economic cooperation for mutual benefits.

As important trading partners to each other, China and Australia have worked together and reached the consensus of properly settling trade disputes under the framework of the WTO, with a view of promoting stable and sound bilateral trade and economic ties. China, an advocate of proper settlement of trade frictions through dialogue and consultation, stands ready to work with all its trading partners, including Australia, to accommodate each other’s reasonable concerns and jointly safeguard a fair and stable international trade environment. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily: The symposium marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China’s first group of state-level economic and technological development zones was held recently. In recent years, what has MOFCOM done to promote high-standard opening up of the development zones? What results have been achieved?

He Yadong: Recently, President Xi Jinping has given important instructions on the work of the development zones and fully affirmed relevant achievements and contributions made over the past 40 years. These instructions are a fundamental principle and an action guide for effectively building the development zones in the new era and new journey. Vice Premier He Lifeng attended the symposium and laid out plans for the implementation of the instructions.

National-level economic and technological development zones are the “national team” leading China’s high-standard opening up. In 2023, the total import and export of the development zones reached 10 trillion yuan, and the actual use of foreign investment was USD39.5 billion, accounting for more than 24% of the national total respectively. As the coordinating body for the development zones, MOFCOM has carried out the following work in promoting high-standard opening up:

First, we highlight the guiding role of policies. In recent years, we have pushed for the introduction of three State Council documents to promote high-standard opening up, and played a radiation, demonstration and leading role.

Secondly, we highlight investment attraction. We have organized investment promotion events such as dialogue between development zones and Fortune 500 companies and industrial transfer matchmaking activities. We have supported the development zones in innovating investment promotion approaches such as attracting investment through industrial chain building and the influence of local businesses.

Thirdly, we highlight industry cultivation. We have worked hard to attract investment from multinational companies. By driving the development of supporting elements of industrial chains through bringing in leading projects, we have helped shape an industrial system led by advanced manufacturing including biomedicine, equipment manufacturing and so forth.

Fourth, we highlight international cooperation. We have supported development zones that are well positioned to build international cooperation parks. We have supported deepening international cooperation in the green field. Suzhou Industrial Park, Guangzhou Development Zone and Tianjin Development Zone have been selected as the first batch of top 50 demonstration zones for achieving global sustainable development goals.

Fifth, we highlight experience sharing. We have summarized and shared good practices of the development zones. We have strengthened cooperation with international organizations and actively promoted experience and practices in investment attraction, construction and operation, and optimization of business environment.

Going forward, MOFCOM will work with relevant departments and localities to study and implement guiding principles of the important instructions of President Xi. Firstly, we need to promote the launch of relevant supporting policies, and effectively translate them into reform outcomes. Secondly, we need to support the development zones in increasing their efforts to attract and stabilize investment, and provide more support for investment attraction and enterprise services. Thirdly, we need to further optimize management and services and strengthen full-cycle management. On the basis of comprehensively summarizing the 40-year experience of building the development zones, we will strive for more achievements in the new journey of Chinese modernization. Thank you.

Shenzhen TV: Recently, the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Export Control of Dual-Use Items were issued, can you give us more details? Why is it necessary to strictly regulate and control the export of dual-use goods, technologies and services?

He Yadong: For details of the background, general idea and important institutions of the Regulations, please refer to the Q&A with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Commerce, which we have published on our official website.

Dual-use items are goods, technologies and services that have both civilian and military applications or contribute to the enhancement of military potential, especially those that can be used for the design, development, production or use of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and whose improper use after export may jeopardize national security and affect world peace and security. Export control is a common international practice. The Regulations is a refinement of China’s Export Control Law, with the aim of integrating existing fragmented institutional provisions, to ensure consistency, standardization, transparency and feasibility. Thank you.

The Cover: Recently, the U.S. announced sanctions against two Chinese entities and one Russian entity involved in the development, production and transportation of Russian long-range attack drones. What is your comment on this?

He Yadong: China has strict control measures for the export of military and dual-use items, requiring businesses to comply with the laws and regulations when conducting international trade. Since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, China has issued announcements on the control of drones for many times, and has clearly stipulated that uncontrolled civilian drones may not be used for military purposes in violation of the law. Relevant departments have strengthened the examination and approval of licenses for the export of controlled drones in accordance with the law and have stepped up inspections of illegal exports.

China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction” that have no basis in international law and are not authorized by the United Nations Security Council. China will resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests against any malicious suppression and sanctioning of Chinese enterprises on the grounds that they are related to Russia. Thank you.

CNBC: What are the results of the PVH investigation? Will it be added to the Unreliable Entity List? What are the implications?

He Yadong: The mechanism of Unreliable Entity List is working in an orderly manner to advance the investigation of the American PVH Group in accordance with the law. During the investigation, we will fully protect the rights of the PVH Group to make statements or defenses. Later, the mechanism will make a corresponding decision based on the investigation findings in accordance with the provisions of the List.

China has always dealt with such issue in a prudent manner, targeting only a very small number of foreign entities that have broken market rules and violated Chinese laws. Honest and law-abiding foreign entities have nothing to worry about. As always, companies from all over the world are welcome to invest and do business in China, and the Chinese government is committed to providing a stable, fair and predictable business environment for law-abiding and compliant foreign enterprises. Thank you.

MRI: With Double Eleven shopping festival around the corner, will MOFCOM adopt policy measures to promote consumption such as trade-in and vouchers? If so, how widespread will they be?

He Yadong: Regarding the trade-in work you just mentioned, MOFCOM, together with relevant departments, will guide localities to fully implement consumer goods trade-in policies that have been introduced, and to seize important opportunities provided by Double Eleven to continue to organize trade-in supply and demand matchmaking activities, consumption season for new energy vehicles in thousands of counties and tens of thousands of towns, Silk Road E-Commerce Carnival and other consumption promotion activities. We can therefore unleash the potential of the policies, so that consumers will truly benefit from them. We will also encourage e-commerce platforms to give full play to their advantages of effectively matching supply and demand and connecting diverse players during Double Eleven period, to create innovative service scenarios, so as to achieve greater outcomes in the trade-in work.

In accordance with policies and plans rolled out by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, MOFCOM, with relevant departments, will organize Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Chongqing to launch Premium Consumption Month of China International Consumption Center City in November. The event will serve as a representative part of actions to boost consumption and a highlight of Consumption Promotion Year. The event will be carried out in the form of “1 + 4 + N”, with one “premium debut season”, four major areas of premium shopping, premium food, premium tourism, and premium exhibition, and numerous consumption promotion activities, to support the consumption market to continue to stabilize and rally. Thank you.