China
Beijing is committed to opening up its economy in 2023
Author: Xirui Li, NTU
The private sector and foreign investors have become increasingly sceptical about doing business in China since COVID-19. The risks of shutdowns, travel restrictions, disruptions to normal operation and supply chains, and liquidity shortages resulting from China’s zero-COVID policy have significantly shaken their confidence.
China has engaged in a multi-pronged regulatory crackdown on a wide range of sectors, from platform economy to online finance to real estate. The crackdown signals that Beijing values loyalty from the private sector and financial stability over growth and access to capital. Beijing’s advocation for ‘common prosperity’ and opposition to ‘unconstrained economic growth’ has only heightened business concerns regarding China’s aggressive redistribution policies.
The increasing antagonism and decoupling between China and the West as well as China’s decision to develop ‘self-reliance in technology and science’ have created enormous uncertainties for business operations and lowered companies’ confidence. Many have questioned whether China is adopting a state-centric and inward-facing economic development strategy and whether the reform and opening up era has come to an end.
With the termination of China’s zero-COVID policy at the end of 2022 and the recent announcement of a new line-up of top government leaders, 2023 is a crucial year for China to restore business’ confidence. China will need to demonstrate to the world that it still places a premium on opening up and pro-business policies, particularly for the private sector, in the post-pandemic era.
Chinese leaders have reiterated their determination to open the country up. The 2022 report of the 20th National Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party emphasises that China will remain ‘committed to reform and opening up’, ‘promote high-standard opening up’ and ‘facilitate the healthy development of the non-public sector’. During the first plenary session of the State Council’s new term, the new Chinese Premier Li Qiang told his colleagues that advancing opening up, empowering private sectors and attracting more foreign investment are their top priorities.
Li highlighted the importance of the private sector in upgrading China’s manufacturing by visiting the facilities of Build Your Dreams, one of the country’s largest electric vehicle makers and a private company, on his first trip out of Beijing after he became the premier. During this trip, he also met with a number of heads of big enterprises. Among these heads was the CEO of Xiaomi, one of China’s largest smartphone manufacturers and a privately held company in China.
During the meeting, Li promised to create a business-friendly environment. In addition to sending a message to the domestic private sector, the Chinese government has used international conferences to reassure foreign investors. For instance, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent an unprecedented congratulatory letter to this year’s China Development Forum, reiterating that opening up is China’s fundamental national policy.
During the Forum, both Li and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with CEOs of numerous multinational corporations and promised to promote high-quality opening up. Li clearly stated in his opening remarks at the Boao Forum of Asia’s annual meeting that China will continue to increase market access with new measures and improve the business climate for state-owned enterprises (SOEs), private Chinese firms and foreign businesses.
China has taken a whole-of-government approach to addressing the concerns of the private sector. Xi emphasises that the operation of SOEs must follow the market. This could be interpreted to mean that SOEs should not enjoy privileges and should compete in the market. The central government has taken steps to ease up on the regulatory crackdowns on businesses. For instance, it granted publishing licenses to 44 foreign games for domestic release and approved over one hundred new video game licenses for domestic companies and Didi chuxing, a domestic ride hailing company, has been allowed to register new users.
Ministries of the Central government and local governments have taken steps to promote the development of the domestic private sector and expand opening up. In collaboration with provincial governments, the Ministry of Commerce has launched ‘The Year of Investment in China’ to attract more foreign investment through exhibitions and forums.
The provincial governments of Hebei, Shaanxi, Hainan and…
China
Guide for Foreign Residents: Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China
Foreign residents in China can request a criminal record check from their local security bureau. This certificate may be required for visa applications or job opportunities. Requirements and procedures vary by city. In Shanghai, foreigners must have lived there for 180 days with a valid visa to obtain the certificate.
Foreign residents living in China can request a criminal record check from the local security bureau in the city in which they have lived for at least 180 days. Certificates of no criminal record may be required for people leaving China, or those who are starting a new position in China and applying for a new visa or residence permit. Taking Shanghai as an example, we outline the requirements for obtaining a China criminal record check.
Securing a Certificate of No Criminal Record, often referred to as a criminal record or criminal background check, is a crucial step for various employment opportunities, as well as visa applications and residency permits in China. Nevertheless, navigating the process can be a daunting task due to bureaucratic procedures and language barriers.
In this article, we use Shanghai as an example to explore the essential information and steps required to successfully obtain a no-criminal record check. Requirements and procedures may differ in other cities and counties in China.
Note that foreigners who are not currently living in China and need a criminal record check to apply for a Chinese visa must obtain the certificate from their country of residence or nationality, and have it notarized by a Chinese embassy or consulate in that country.
Foreigners who have a valid residence permit and have lived in Shanghai for at least 180 days can request a criminal record check in the city. This means that the applicant will also need to currently have a work, study, or other form of visa or stay permit that allows them to live in China long-term.
If a foreigner has lived in another part of China and is planning to or has recently moved to Shanghai, they will need to request a criminal record check in the place where they previously spent at least 180 days.
There are two steps to obtaining a criminal record certificate in Shanghai: requesting the criminal record check from the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and getting the resulting Certificate of No Criminal Record notarized by an authorized notary agency.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
China
China Unveils Plan to Upgrade Industrial Equipment
China unveiled a comprehensive action plan for upgrading industrial equipment, with a focus on driving technological innovation and economic growth. The plan, released on April 9, 2024, aims to enhance competitiveness and sustainability within the manufacturing sector through extensive investment and regulatory support.
China announced an ambitious action plan for industrial equipment upgrading, which aims to drive technological innovation and economic growth through extensive investment and regulatory support.
On April 9, 2024, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and six other departments jointly released a notice introducing the Implementation Plan for Promoting Equipment Renewal in the Industrial Sector (hereafter referred to as the “action plan”).
Finalized earlier on March 23, 2024, this comprehensive action plan addresses critical issues related to technological innovation and economic development. It reflects China’s proactive stance in enhancing competitiveness and sustainability within its manufacturing sector. The initiative underscores the recognition of industrial equipment upgrading as a top policy priority.
The scope of China’s action plan to upgrade industrial equipment in manufacturing, is extensive, covering various aspects such as:
In line with China’s ambitious goals for industrial modernization and sustainable development, the action plan outlines several key objectives aimed at driving substantial advancements in the industrial sector by 2027.
These objectives encompass a wide range of areas, from increasing investment to enhancing digitalization and promoting innovation, including:
The objectives and key actions proposed in the action plan are summarized below.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
China
China deepens engagement with new Indonesian president as top diplomat visits Jakarta
China’s top diplomat met the outgoing Indonesian president and his successor in Jakarta on Thursday, as Beijing deepened its engagement with future leader Prabowo Subianto, amid a competition for regional influence with the United States.
The meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was part of a joint commitment to advance the partnership between the two countries, said Prabowo, who visited Beijing in early April after his landslide win in the February general election.
“It is a great honor for me to welcome him [Wang] today. Thank you for the kind reception I received in Beijing a few weeks ago,” Prabowo said, according to an Indonesian defense ministry statement.
Chinese President Xi Jinping had invited Prabowo to visit, and the latter accepting the invitation raised eyebrows in Indonesia because no president-elect had made a foreign visit such as this one without being sworn in. China is Indonesia’s largest trading partner.
Wang, too, mentioned Prabowo’s Beijing trip, according to the same statement.
“We really appreciate and welcome Defense Minister Prabowo’s visit to China,” he said.
“We are committed to continuing to increase bilateral cooperation with Indonesia, both in the defense sector and other fields such as economic, social and cultural.”
Wang is scheduled to go to East Nusa Tenggara province on Friday to attend the China-Indonesia High-Level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism, a process to support more effective bilateral cooperation. His Jakarta stop was the first of a six-day tour that also includes Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.
Prabowo and Wang discussed cooperation in the defense industry and sector, with potential measures such as educational and training collaboration, as well as joint exercises, said Brig. Gen. Edwin Adrian Sumantha, spokesman at the Indonesian defense ministry.
In fact, the ministry statement said that “China is Indonesia’s close partner and has had close bilateral relations, especially in the defense sector, for a long time.”
Of course, China has also invested billions of U.S. dollars in infrastructure projects in Indonesia, including as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative – the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train, which began commercial operations in October 2023, is one such BRI project.
The two countries have drawn closer during outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s two terms, and Beijing would like that to continue as the U.S. tries to catch up with China’s gargantuan influence in Southeast Asia, analysts have said.
Indonesia, China call for ceasefire in Gaza
Both Indonesia and China shared the same position on Israel’s devastating attacks on Gaza, said Wang’s Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi.
Israel’s air and ground strikes have killed more than 33,000 Palestinians following the Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state by Palestinian militant group Hamas, which killed around 1,100 Israelis.
“We … have the same view regarding the importance of a ceasefire in Gaza and resolving the Palestinian problem fairly through two state solutions,” Retno told reporters in a joint press conference after meeting with Wang.
“Indonesia will support full Palestinian membership in the U.N. Middle East stability will not be realized without resolving the Palestinian issue.”
For his part, Wang slammed Washington for repeatedly vetoing resolutions calling for Israel to end the attacks on the Palestinian territory it occupies.
“The conflict in Gaza has lasted for half a year and caused a rare humanitarian tragedy in the 21st century,” Wang told the media at the same press conference, according to the Associated Press.
“The United Nations Security Council responded to the call of the international community and continued to review the resolution draft on the cease-fire in Gaza, but it was repeatedly vetoed by the United States.”
The conflict in the Middle East offered a strategic opportunity for China to further expand its influence in Southeast Asia, said Muhamad Arif, a lecturer in international relations at the University of Indonesia.
“China is trying to strengthen its position as a key player in the region,” Arief told BenarNews.
China could present an alternative approach to the conflict in Gaza, he said, which may find approval in Southeast Asia’s largest country, Indonesia, and other Mulism-majority states in the region, such as Malaysia and Brunei.
BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.
Read the rest of this article here >>> China deepens engagement with new Indonesian president as top diplomat visits Jakarta
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