Thanks to openness, benefiting from openness, and serving openness, Ningbo has become an indispensable part of the global open economy.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, a crucial year for implementing the 14th Five Year Plan, and the 40th anniversary of Ningbo becoming one of the first coastal open cities in China.

Ningbo has made it clear that it will accelerate the construction of a higher-level open economy, and use Ningbo's "stability," "progress," and "establishment" to serve the "greater good of the country" and support the "important affairs of the province.

Higher level means starting again, climbing higher, and empowering again. Under the new horn, how can the land of Siming stir up a more magnificent wave of openness? Recently, the reporter interviewed Professor Lyu Yue from the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics.

Core viewpoint

Ningbo should take the strategic height of serving the development of the whole province and the strategic determination of the city as a whole, clarify the division of labor for various departments and districts to expand opening up, and strive for reform and empowerment. On the other hand, we need to deeply plan for a "Ningbo model" of institutional opening up, and contribute to the overall high-level opening-up of the whole country and province.

Ningbo should continue to polish the golden business card of international cooperation, undertake and make good use of existing international economic and trade cooperation mechanisms, and serve to strengthen the platform for Sino foreign cooperation and exchange. At the same time, we should actively shape new city business cards, explore international cooperation possibilities in emerging fields such as marine economy, digital trade, and green trade, and create a number of professional exhibitions that are nationally leading and uniquely recognizable in Ningbo.

Continuously enhance the discourse power and influence of international shipping. To enhance the international competitiveness of major shipping ports, we will focus on important achievements such as the "Vision and Action for International Cooperation of Maritime Silk Road Ports" and the Ningbo Shipping Economic Index, in line with the "Common Era, Common Silk Road, and Common Strong Port".

Expand intermediate goods trade, service trade, and digital trade to provide solid support for the development of foreign trade.

In terms of digital trade rules, service trade rules, and business environment, Ningbo should take the lead in implementing high-level international economic and trade rules to better serve the overall opening up of the country.

Look at the whole picture

Reporter: Hello Professor Lyu, as a Zhejiang scholar, you have been concerned about and supporting the development of your hometown for many years. In your opinion, what impressed you most about Ningbo's expansion of high-level opening up?

Lyu Yue: Ningbo is the starting city of the Maritime Silk Road and one of the first coastal open cities in China. The port economy is developed and is known as a port city. In 2023, the cargo throughput of Ningbo Zhoushan Port has ranked first in the world for 15 consecutive years, and the container throughput has ranked third in the world for 6 consecutive years. The development index of Ningbo Zhoushan International Shipping Center has risen to ninth in the world.

Especially at present, Ningbo has established an international exchange and cooperation mechanism with Ningbo characteristics by hosting or undertaking a number of important international conferences. The "Haisi Port International Cooperation Forum" has been held in Ningbo for seven consecutive times, making outstanding contributions to the continuous strengthening of national and regional port cooperation with the "the Belt and Road" initiative, and has been selected into the "List of Multilateral Cooperation Achievements of the the Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum", forming a shining name card of Ningbo Haisi. In addition, the China Central and Eastern European Countries Expo and the Hangzhou Asian Games Ningbo Zone have also settled in Ningbo, expanding Ningbo's global circle of friends.

Reporter: People often say that there is no halftime break in opening up. Faced with General Secretary Xi Jinping's earnest expectation of "continuing to write a new chapter in deepening reform and expanding opening up" during his inspection of Zhejiang, how can Ningbo bravely shoulder the new mission and fully polish the golden business card of "China's opening looks at Zhejiang, Zhejiang's opening looks at Ningbo"?

Lyu Yue: To build a high-level open economy, top-level design should be based on the overall situation, and grassroots exploration should take into account the overall situation, boldly explore, and actively take action. From the perspective of Ningbo, we can start from four aspects to achieve breakthroughs, leadership, and demonstration, and win the initiative strategically.

Make strategic plans to expand opening up and create a high-level forefront for opening up to the outside world. As the starting city of the Maritime Silk Road and one of the first coastal open cities in China, Ningbo should fully leverage its golden signboard and resource advantages of "opening up", actively and proactively write a "new blueprint" for deepening reform and expanding opening up. On the one hand, it is necessary to establish and improve the mechanism for expanding opening up, and to coordinate and promote further opening up. With the strategic height of serving the development of the whole province and the strategic determination of the whole city, clarify the division of labor for each department and district to expand opening up tasks, and strive for reform empowerment upwards. On the other hand, we need to deeply plan for a "Ningbo model" of institutional opening up, and contribute to the overall high-level opening-up of the whole country and province. Deepen the implementation of the strategy to enhance the pilot free trade zone, fully leverage the institutional advantages of being a pioneer, and promote the improvement of the quality of opening up through institutional innovation.

Practice the internal strength of an open economy and take major events as opportunities to implement "bringing in". The vigorous construction of an open economy requires better utilization of foreign investment as a "living water", which cannot be achieved without the long-term efforts of a high-quality business environment, nor can it be achieved without various major activities to boost foreign investment confidence in Ningbo. On the one hand, we need to focus on creating a market-oriented, rule of law, and international business environment, and empathize with foreign-funded enterprises. By continuing to organize roundtable meetings for foreign-funded enterprises and other measures, we can open up communication channels with foreign-funded enterprises, improve their service level, and enhance the reputation of the business environment. On the other hand, we should take various major foreign affairs activities as opportunities to build the "Invest in Ningbo" brand and help implement the "Bring in" strategy. Continuously building the "Invest in Ningbo" series of activity platforms, considering restarting brand events such as the "Ningbo Help · Help Ningbo" development conference, promoting Ningbo to the world, and guiding more foreign investment to have a positive outlook on Ningbo, invest in Ningbo, and root in Ningbo.

Thirdly, we will strengthen comprehensive international cooperation and undertake and make good use of a series of important international conferences. Currently, Ningbo has established an international exchange and cooperation mechanism with Ningbo characteristics by hosting or undertaking a number of important international conferences. Next, Ningbo will continue to shine the golden card of international cooperation, undertake and make good use of existing international economic and trade cooperation mechanisms, and serve to strengthen the platform for Sino foreign cooperation and exchange. At the same time, we should actively shape new city business cards, explore international cooperation possibilities in emerging fields such as marine economy, digital trade, and green trade, create a number of professional exhibitions that are nationally leading and uniquely recognizable in Ningbo, seize new opportunities for expanding opening up, enhance international visibility and influence, and create a new situation for international cooperation.

Fourth, strengthen the comprehensive strength of shipping ports and promote key projects to empower shipping to "go global". Ningbo Port has a developed economy and is known as a port city. Therefore, in order to expand opening up to the outside world, efforts should be made to strengthen the core economic advantages of Ningbo Port and empower goods trade and shipping to "go global". One is to strengthen the construction of port infrastructure and promote the all-round improvement of shipping capacity. At the same time, we will accelerate the coordinated development of sea land intermodal transportation and smooth the connection with the Yangtze River Economic Belt and inland cities. The second is to continuously enhance the discourse power and influence of international shipping. To enhance the international competitiveness of major shipping ports, we will focus on important achievements such as the "Vision and Action for International Cooperation of Maritime Silk Road Ports" and the Ningbo Shipping Economic Index, in line with the "Common Era, Common Silk Road, and Common Strong Port". The third is to enhance the radiation and driving force of port economy. By promoting high-quality development of port economy and freight economy, we aim to drive the coordinated development of the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain.

Look at the development

Reporter: "One out of every four Ningbo residents is engaged in foreign trade related work." In the face of weak global trade and accelerated restructuring of industrial and supply chains, how should Ningbo accelerate the cultivation of new foreign trade drivers and further increase the proportion of foreign trade imports and exports in the whole country and province?

Lyu Yue: Foreign trade has always played an important role in promoting economic growth, stabilizing employment, and maintaining the stability of the industrial and supply chains. Enhancing the comprehensive competitiveness of foreign trade is an important aspect of building a high-level open economy. Specifically in Ningbo, we can start by expanding intermediate goods trade, service trade, and digital trade.

Firstly, in terms of intermediate goods trade. Ningbo has advantages in manufacturing and ports, providing conditions for the development of intermediate goods trade. In the future, Ningbo should further expand intermediate goods trade to provide solid support for the development of foreign trade. First, expand the scale of trade in intermediate goods with RCEP and countries jointly building the "the Belt and Road", deepen international cooperation in the supply chain of the industrial chain and release the potential of trade in intermediate goods by relying on free trade agreements and other cooperation mechanisms. Secondly, support the intermediate goods trade of advanced manufacturing industries, promote the transformation and upgrading of intermediate goods trade from low value-added products to high value-added, high-tech products, and promote the global value chain of intermediate goods trade. Thirdly, encourage enterprises to increase their R&D investment in core technologies and reduce their R&D costs through policies such as tax incentives, thereby enhancing their independent innovation capabilities and international competitiveness in intermediate goods trade.

Secondly, in terms of trade in services. In recent years, with the rapid development of emerging service trade in Ningbo, such as Internet health care and online education, Ningbo has injected new vitality into its service trade, and Ningbo has also shown great development potential in the field of service trade. In the future, we should continue to seize the opportunities of digital development, promote the digital transformation of the service trade field, and develop new formats and models. Gradually relaxing market access for the service industry, such as taking the Ningbo area of the Zhejiang Free Trade Zone as an example, actively promoting the opening up of the service industry sector. In addition, accelerate the development of knowledge intensive service trade in areas such as culture, digital services, and intellectual property, and improve the tradability of the service industry.

Finally, in terms of digital trade. Digital trade has become an important force driving the growth of foreign trade. To further promote the development of digital trade, Ningbo needs to optimize customs clearance, taxation, and foreign exchange policies, and enhance regulatory efficiency and convenience. At the same time, deepen economic and trade cooperation related to "Silk Road e-commerce", fully leverage the advantages of Ningbo Cross border E-commerce Comprehensive Pilot Zone, and promote high-quality development of digital trade.

See contact

Reporter: Currently, facing the new situation of accelerating the pace of national institutional opening up and the implementation of national level reform pilot projects in surrounding cities, how can Ningbo make full use of existing open platforms such as free trade zones and national level economic development zones?

Lyu Yue: Under the great changes, the academic community has been thinking about how local economies can activate new momentum of openness through smooth "dual circulation". Ningbo should take the lead in implementing international economic and trade rules based on elevation standards, in order to better serve the overall opening-up of the country. Efforts can be made from several aspects to seize the initiative. Firstly, in terms of digital trade rules, the comprehensive advantages of existing open platforms should be fully utilized, and high standard digital trade rules should be implemented first; Secondly, in terms of service trade rules, the service industry is an important part of opening up to the outside world. To this end, Ningbo should strive for comprehensive pilot projects to expand the opening up of the national service industry, and promote the orderly opening up of service industries such as education, healthcare, and technical services; In terms of the business environment, it is necessary to fully recognize the key role of the business environment in promoting high-level opening up, and make it a key area for aligning with international high standard economic and trade rules.

Reporter: Regarding digital trade and service trade, this year our province proposed to create a demonstration zone for innovative development of service trade and a demonstration zone for digital trade. How can Ningbo put it into practice and take the lead?

Lyu Yue: In terms of digital trade, firstly, we need to strengthen enterprise data management, promote effective exploration of cross-border data flow mechanisms within the Ningbo Free Trade Zone, and strictly protect data and personal information security, especially in the field of network security. Secondly, the Ningbo Free Trade Zone should actively explore digital trade methods, such as integrating electronic authentication, electronic bills of lading, and electronic payments into international trade, to promote the further development of paperless trade. Finally, by strengthening international cooperation and addressing key issues such as cross-border data flow, localization of data storage, and data security, we will promote policy coordination and interoperability, jointly advance the research and standardization of digital technology, enhance interoperability between systems, and improve the governance system of digital trade.

Given the particularity of trade in services, it is necessary to promote the free flow of goods, personnel, technology, capital, data and other factors, benchmark against high-level free trade agreements such as RCEP, DEPA, CPTPP, and eliminate obstacles in the development of trade in services while balancing openness and security.

Reporter: Optimizing the business environment is also a safeguard for high-quality development and high-level opening up. What key links should Ningbo focus on?

Lyu Yue: To create a high-quality business environment, the government needs to leave more tests to itself. One is to focus on improving international trade rules related to intellectual property rights, enhancing the role of information technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data in intellectual property protection, strengthening customs protection of intellectual property rights, improving the level of full process protection, and deepening international intellectual property cooperation. Secondly, we will further promote the facilitation of existing trade rules, enhance the standard transparency and facilitation level of customs clearance time in pilot areas, and continuously optimize the construction of the international trade "single window" and the "Yonge Tong" trade digital public service platform. Thirdly, simplify the approval process for foreign investment, improve the protection mechanism for foreign investment, provide relevant tax incentives for foreign investors, enhance their sense of gain, and further improve the level of foreign investment services.

Journalist's Diary

Plan one domain from a global perspective and serve the whole world with one domain

Ten years are often used as a unit of measurement, marked with special historical scales, and also represent new heights.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Ningbo becoming one of the first coastal open cities in China. This is the starting point of a major strategy. Through the pioneering and replication promotion here, a Chinese coastal open zone along the west coast of the Pacific has been gradually formed, ushering in a new stage of China's opening-up to the outside world.

During the interview, Professor Lyu Yue once lamented that as someone born and raised in Zhejiang, her main research area focuses on micro level studies of global value chains, exploring how to accelerate the construction of an open economy. During this period, hometown Zhejiang, especially Ningbo enterprises, provided typical research cases.

Regarding the construction of a high-level open economy, Lyu Yue not only focuses on Ningbo but also transcends it, looking at the overall situation, development, and connections, enhancing height, broadening breadth, and exploring depth.

The biggest advantage of Ningbo is its openness. In the context of globalization, more and more enterprises have become industry champions and compete for the global high-end stage. However, with the accelerated restructuring and adjustment of the global economic and trade system, new trends and characteristics of localization, regionalization, digitization, and greening have emerged in the global value chain. These are profoundly affecting the pulse and direction of China's high-quality development and high-level opening up. How Ningbo can, how it can, and how it can be strong... These judgments and suggestions are worth pondering.

Fortunately, the nine words have always been closely associated with Ningbo's opening up - bold experimentation, bold innovation, and independent reform. What they convey is that this city embraces a high-level open spirit and conscious actions.

At this new starting point, in the face of greater possibilities in the future, plan a domain from a global perspective and serve the whole with one domain. Ningbo is not only looking forward to bringing glory to one region, but also adding color to the whole world.