Ministry of Commerce: new measures will help trade

The Ministry of Commerce will support domestic companies to establish a number of warehouses for goods export and operation centers in overseas markets to further optimize cross-border e-commerce businesses.

Vice Commerce Minister Qian Keming said new measures, such as cross-border e-commerce, multi-model logistics services and government procurement trade will help private companies diversify their global sales channels to enhance their earning ability under the current global business setting.

The government will also support high-end manufacturing industries, including railway and offshore engineering equipments, construction machinery, telecommunication, aviation and shipbuilding businesses, to build after-sales stations or centers and training schools in overseas markets to improve their brand influence.

"More efforts will be taken to improve foreign trade environment, promote nationwide integrated cargo-clearance system and strengthen international cooperation on production capacity," Qian said.

Zhang Ji, assistant minister of the Ministry of Commerce, said China's four pilot free trade zones along the country's developed east coast, including Shanghai and Guangdong, are also spearheading structural reforms to make it easier to start businesses and grant foreign firms more access to the service sector.

Official data show that loosened controls on capital and widened access to sectors that remain closed or restricted for foreign firms elsewhere have led to a surge in new business registrations and cross-border transactions in these zones between January and March of this year.