Shaping new advantages for the development of digital trade and accelerating the construction of a strong trading nation

Currently, the rapid development of digital technology has profoundly changed the way of social production, life, and international trade, accelerating the digital transformation and transformation of global trade. Vigorously developing digital trade is of great significance for building a higher-level open economic system and accelerating the construction of a strong trading nation. We need to follow the trend, grasp the overall situation, accelerate the pace of digital trade development, shape new advantages for digital trade development, and promote the construction of a strong trading nation to achieve new development and breakthroughs.

Digital technology stimulates new momentum

In recent years, digital trade has developed rapidly, expanding the space for trade development and cultivating new growth points, which is of great significance for creating new competitive advantages in trade.

Promote the integrated development of trade. Digital trade accelerates the flow and sharing of data information between different links in the value chain, promotes the formation of an efficient feedback mechanism between trade demand and industrial supply, and strengthens the linkage between trade and industry. The deep integration of digital technology and manufacturing industry has driven the growth of service trade such as research and development design and management consulting. At the same time, the digitization of trade methods and trade partners has also given rise to new demands for goods trade, promoting the deep integration and development of goods trade and service trade. Digital trade promotes domestic enterprises to deeply participate in global industrial division of labor and cooperation. Cross border e-commerce, overseas warehouses, and related digital infrastructure construction help enterprises "go global" and layout overseas research and development centers, product design centers, and marketing channels, further promoting the integration and linkage of foreign trade and investment.

Expand the scope of trade. Digital trade accelerates the flow of global capital, technology, talent, and other factors, improves the structure and efficiency of factor resource allocation, and expands the scope of trade. With the deepening of digital transformation, foreign trade enterprises fully tap into and utilize their own data resources, optimize production and operation strategies with the help of big data, and provide customized and precise products and services for consumers. Digital technology effectively improves the efficiency of energy resource conversion and utilization, which helps to further amplify China's advantages in the field of green trade.

Cultivate new driving forces for trade development. Digital technology is driving profound changes in production and lifestyle. The digitization of the entire process, including production, marketing, logistics, warehousing, and payment, is promoting trade efficiency, value growth, and structural optimization. It is constantly giving rise to new business models and bringing new growth points. Digital technology breaks down traditional trade barriers, significantly reduces international trade information and transaction costs, and expands the space for small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the division of labor in the global value chain. Foreign trade enterprises leverage digital and intelligent technologies to continuously promote innovation in areas such as production and manufacturing, marketing and promotion, logistics and transportation, and after-sales service. A group of internationally competitive digital platform enterprises and specialized and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises have emerged, becoming an important force in the development of trade innovation.

Create a new environment for trade development. Digital trade rules are an important part of international high-level economic and trade rules. The innovation and improvement of relevant economic and trade rules such as e-commerce, digital products, and digital services will help to continuously promote open development. Digital technology promotes the application of "single window" and "smart ports" in international trade, simplifies trade processes, improves customs clearance and logistics efficiency, and facilitates cross-border trade. Digital intelligent supervision services can solve many bottlenecks and pain points in the trade field, providing more effective support for the development of trade openness.

The flourishing development of digital trade

In recent years, we have continuously promoted policy and institutional innovation, gradually improved the top-level design and planning deployment of digital trade, accelerated the construction of a digital trade rule system, and achieved positive results in the development of digital trade.

Breakthroughs have been made in the digitization of trade. Since 2015, we have established 165 cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones, actively exploring and innovating in supervision, standards, information technology, and gradually building an institutional framework centered on the "six systems and two platforms". In response to the characteristics of "small batch, high frequency, and fragmentation" in cross-border e-commerce, five exclusive regulatory methods have been established, and the policy system supporting the development of cross-border e-commerce has been continuously improved. Nearly 200 policy measures have been introduced, and nearly 70 mature experience practices have been formed. In 2023, China's online retail sales reached 15.42 trillion yuan, becoming the world's largest online retail market for 11 consecutive years. Cross border e-commerce imports and exports amounted to 2.38 trillion yuan, accounting for 5.7% of foreign trade imports and exports.

The development trend of digital trade innovation is good. The innovation capability of digital technology continues to enhance, the advantages of rich digital service application scenarios continue to emerge, and digital products are revitalized. According to a report by the World Intellectual Property Organization, China ranked 12th in the Global Innovation Index in 2023. At present, China's AI, cloud computing, big data, blockchain, quantum information and other emerging technologies rank first in the world. According to World Trade Organization data, China's total trade in digitally deliverable services reached 366.61 billion US dollars in 2023. Among them, the export of digitally deliverable services reached 207.01 billion US dollars, achieving a surplus of 47.41 billion US dollars.

The digital trade governance system is constantly improving. In recent years, China has introduced a series of laws and regulations on network security, data security, data infrastructure systems, personal information protection, and revised multiple laws such as the E-commerce Law and the Foreign Trade Law. In response to cross-border data flow, rules for cross-border data transmission have been formulated, including the "Measures for Security Assessment of Data Export" and the "Measures for Standard Contracts for Personal Information Export". The "Regulations on Promoting and Regulating Cross border Data Flow" announced and implemented in March this year optimized and adjusted the data export system, and established a negative list system for free trade pilot zones.

International cooperation in digital trade continues to expand. China is accelerating the high-level institutional opening-up, actively participating in global digital trade governance, strengthening digital trade cooperation with other countries and regions, and promoting the process of digital trade liberalization and facilitation. Signed memorandums of cooperation on e-commerce with 31 countries and established bilateral e-commerce cooperation mechanisms, with partners covering five continents. "Silk Road e-commerce" has become a new channel and highlight for economic and trade cooperation. The scope of service outsourcing business covers more than 200 countries and regions. In 2023, the contract amount of offshore service outsourcing undertaken was 215.4 billion US dollars, and the execution amount was 151.4 billion US dollars, an increase of 6.6% and 10.6% year-on-year, respectively.

Continuously promoting reform and innovation

Currently, the digital economy is continuously giving birth to new business models and modes. We need to seize the opportunity, give full play to the pioneering role of open platforms, promote reform and innovation in the field of digital trade through high-level institutional openness, and accelerate the improvement of the development level of digital trade.

Firstly, strengthen the top-level design of digital trade. Promote the issuance of policy documents on the reform, innovation and development of digital trade, clarify the development goals and key tasks of digital trade, and construct a policy and institutional framework for the innovative development of digital trade. Give full play to the role of the Standardization Technical Committee in the digital trade industry, strengthen research on cutting-edge issues in digital trade standardization, and develop standards. Drawing on international experience, establish a sound monitoring system for digital trade statistics, and research and develop classification and measurement methods for digital trade statistics in China.

Secondly, strengthen the construction of digital trade platforms. Strengthen and optimize the national digital service export base, create a digital trade demonstration zone, and cultivate a digital trade agglomeration zone with dual innovation in technology and system. High standard construction of service outsourcing demonstration cities, leveraging the role of various open platforms such as free trade pilot zones and free trade ports, innovating relevant policies and management systems, and accelerating the development of digital trade. Promote the construction of digital trade exhibition platform, build the Global Digital Trade Expo into an international brand exhibition and leading exhibition in the field of digital trade, hold exhibitions such as the China International Digital and Software Services Fair, give full play to the role of important exhibition platforms such as the China International Digital and Software Services Fair, and expand digital trade cooperation channels.

Thirdly, accelerate the digital transformation of the entire trade chain. Deepen the construction of the global trade digitalization pilot zone, solidly promote the construction of the cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone, and accelerate the construction of an industrial chain and ecosystem that meets the needs of cross-border e-commerce development. Collaboratively promote the digital transformation of trade entities, trade processes, trade management, trade platforms, etc., cultivate a group of digital trade leading enterprises with strong innovation capabilities and international competitiveness, and enhance the ability to allocate resources and layout market networks globally. Implement the "Hand in Hand" Action Plan for Trade Digitalization to promote the digital transformation of foreign trade enterprises, especially small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises.

Fourth, vigorously promote the development of new business models and formats. Enhance the independent innovation capability of digital technologies such as cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. Encourage the deep integration of digital technology with various industries such as finance, insurance, entertainment, education, healthcare, and sports, promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional trade, and promote the innovative development of digital trade formats such as professional services, remote healthcare, and online education. Actively explore and improve basic systems and standards for data ownership, transaction circulation, etc.

Fifth, continue to expand the "circle of friends" for digital trade. Actively participate in promoting the World Trade Organization to reach consensus on issues such as electronic payments and telecommunications services as soon as possible. Implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with high quality, fulfill e-commerce rules at a high level, and promote international mutual recognition of digital certificates, electronic signatures, and other technologies. Actively aligning with high standard international economic and trade rules, promoting the process of joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership and the Digital Economy Partnership. We will deepen multilateral, bilateral and regional digital trade dialogue and cooperation with the five Central Asian countries, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and countries jointly building the "the Belt and Road", and share opportunities for the development of digital trade. Actively developing "Silk Road e-commerce", accelerating the construction of "Silk Road e-commerce" cooperation pilot zones, and carrying out practical e-commerce cooperation with more countries and regions.