46 e-commerce zones win Cabinet approval

The State Council, China’s Cabinet, has approved the establishment of integrated pilot zones for cross-border e-commerce in 46 cities and regions, including the Xiongan New Area, according to a circular published on Wednesday.

As required by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, the new zones should draw experience from existing zones to drive industrial upgrading and transformation, boost brand building, and propel cross-border e-commerce across the board, so as to stabilize the fundamentals of foreign trade and investment and promote the high-quality development of trade, it said.

The development of pilot zones should be well regulated to guarantee national security, internet security, the quality of imported and exported goods, and effectively prevent transaction risks.

The circular also said that a fair and sound business environment should be created for various market entities.

For orderly development, the circular required local governments to employ an innovation-driven model where the market can play a decisive role in resource allocation, and make new breakthroughs in improving mechanisms for cross-border e-commerce and related systems.

State Council departments should strengthen coordination, guidance and policy support for the integrated pilot zones and consider incorporating cities with eligible zones into the pilot program on retail e-commerce imports, it added.