We have been actively protecting our ecological environment. Our PM2.5 pollutant concentration was reduced by 27.1 percent owing to our efforts to curb pollution from coal, dust, automobiles, industrial production etc. We have established a coordinated working mechanism and taken 12 measures to control air pollution through the use of clean coal and a total overhaul of polluting companies.
We have also expanded industrial cooperation with other cities in the region. Tianjin has been dedicated to the creation of an innovation community — hosting innovative companies which have moved out of Beijing and developing the service sector in support of industrial development in Hebei Province. Major projects, such as the Beijing-Tianjin cooperation demonstration zone of the Future Science Park, Binhai Zhongguancun Science Park, and Beijing-Tianjin Zhongguancun Science Park, have been steadily moving forward with upgraded functions.
We have been innovative in creating new working mechanisms.
A pilot program on coordinated innovation reform was conducted for the Jing-Jin-Ji area, with the aim of breaking systematic barriers to coordinated development. In the meantime, we built an integrated online tax collection platform to facilitate easier access for local companies. We have also implemented eight measures designed to support the free trade zone area, opened five direct sales centers for imported goods and promoted bonded exhibition and trade. Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province have formed a coordinated work system which integrates disease control, health care, market supervision, financial supervision, administrative approval services, and settlements of maritime affairs.
The China (Tianjin) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) is the only FTZ in northern China, and serves as an important pilot base for the establishment of other FTZs across the country. The Tianjin FTZ has been in operation for nearly one year. What are its major achievements in your view?
We have adhered to the principle of innovation while experimenting with the FTZ system. A list of 175 systematic reform measures has been drawn up, of which 123 have been put into practice. Among the 21 FTZ innovation measures which the Ministry of Commerce is about to promote across the country, nine of them came from Tianjin. Our innovation has further revitalized the market and attracted more entities to set up businesses. In the past year, more than 14,000 different market entities were established with total registered capital reaching 400 billion yuan.
The following can be categorized as major achievements: We improved the facilitation of investment and trade. We adopted a post-establishment national treatment and a negative-list approach for foreign investment in the FTZ. We used the filing system to record projects which were not included on the negative list. Currently, 95 percent of newly established foreign-invested companies have been registered under the regulation. We established “one window” for international trade which combines four Customs clearance functions and nine port service functions. The online public service window saved more than 40 million yuan worth of Customs clearance fees and a great deal of time for the companies involved.
We've made a major breakthrough in financial innovation. The Central Bank issued a guideline on financially supporting the Tianjin FTZ, which further helped facilitate investment and financing, interest rate marketization and renminbi cross-border transactions. The Tianjin FTZ began a foreign exchange reform which aims to coordinate the use of foreign exchange of multinational companies. The reform has so far saved $15 million for multinationals operating in the Tianjin FTZ. The Tianjin FTZ has more than 1,500 leasing companies whose leasehold assets account for one quarter of the nation’s total while its financial leasing assets make up more than one third of the nation’s total.
Regional services have been further strengthened and upgraded. After the strategy to integrate the Jing-Jin-Ji area was implemented, we managed to cut the cost for Customs clearance by nearly 30 percent. The Customs clearance procedure of inspection and quarantine has been further optimized to raise the effectiveness of clearance. Five direct sales centers for imported goods have been opened in Beijing and Hebei, and the bonded exhibition transaction mode has been copied and promoted in Beijing and Hebei.
The business environment has been further improved based on the rule of law. We promulgated the Regulations on China (Tianjin) Pilot Free Trade Zone, formulated guidelines for commercial factoring and financial leasing, set up an FTZ court, and established centers for international arbitration and intellectual property rights arbitration.
At present, people are increasingly concerned about the ecological environment. Tianjin has spared no effort in protecting its environment. Could you please elaborate on this?
We strongly believe that a good ecological environment is a precious green bank that can promote strength for sustainable development. Over the years, we have kept in mind that green mountains and clean rivers are our gold mines for economic development. We initiated a project called Beautiful Tianjin NO.1 Project which tackles air and soil pollution. We have made great achievements in improving our air condition, river tunnels, village sanitation, community neatness and green coverage. Right now, we are enjoying more green coverage in the city and our local residents have benefited enormously from a much greener environment.
We will consolidate our previous success in ecological environmental protection. In the first year of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), we will continue our commitments and take further measures to fulfill these. Our major tasks include: revamping coal-fired boilers into natural gas-fired ones and connect them to the city's natural gas pipelines and networks. We will start to relocate the Tianjin bulk cargo logistics center, clean 14 waterways, build and expand 16 sewage treatment factories, plant trees covering 36,000 hectares, and extend green coverage in the city by 20 million square meters.
