context: In his 20th National Party Congress report, General Secretary Xi noted the need to enact the new development concept, adhere to the direction of socialist market economic reform, adhere to high-level opening, and speed up building a domestic and international dual economy with the domestic cycle as the main body. In the second of two articles published on the Tsinghua University website. some implications are drawn from Xi's statements by Jiang Xiaojuan 江小涓, a Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council.
In Xi-friendly language, the wide-ranging article nudges the Xi administration in the reform direction favoured by the policy community. When it comes to engaging with the global community, Jiang reiterates the importance of the PRC joining or applying to join high-standard trading agreements, such as the
- Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP)
- Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP)
- Digital Economic Partnership Agreement (DEPA)
Including zero tariffs, opening of the service industry, services trade, e-commerce and market access, intellectual property protection, environmental protection, labour protection, etc., these trade agreements will promote the domestic market and improve industry. the PRC will move more in line with global standards. Jiang calls for
- once again taking advantage of the opportunity of deepening opening
- committing ourselves to deepening domestic reforms
- maintaining market order, anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition
- substantially reducing or cancelling industrial subsidies
- making sure necessary subsidies are more transparent and in line with the principle of fair competition
- severely cracking down on infringement of intellectual property rights, counterfeiting, fraud, etc.