1. Basic concepts of free zones, free trade zones and free trade parks
In addition to our country characteristic free trade test zone，目前，There are also Free zones internationally，Concepts such as Free Trade Area (FTA) and Free Trade Zone (FTZ)，Free Zone is directly translated as free zone，Free Trade Area (FTA) and Free Trade Zone (FTZ) can be translated literally as free trade zones，These concepts can be confusing。In order to standardize the relevant expression, the Ministry of Commerce in 2008 explicitly translated Free Trade Area (FTA) and Free Trade Zone (FTZ) as free trade zones and free trade parks respectively。(1) Free zones and free trade parks
According to the definition of the Kyoto Convention, "a Free Zone is a part of the territory of a Contracting Party into which any goods entering are normally considered to be outside the customs territory for purposes of import duties and are exempt from the usual customs control measures."。 A Free Trade Zone generally refers to a small specific area within the territory of a certain country or region that implements preferential tax and special regulatory policies。From the definitions of both sides, we can see that free trade parks are similar to free zones。 At present, there is no area corresponding to "free zone" and "free trade park" in our country, and the concept of free zone is close to the customs special supervision area。(2) Free Trade zones
The concept of a free trade zone is completely different from that of a free zone or a free trade park。According to the interpretation of the World Trade Organization，Free Trade Area，FTA)，It refers to the signing of an agreement by two or more sovereign States or separate customs territories，On the basis of most-favored-nation treatment in the WTO，Further open markets to each other，Phasing out tariff and non-tariff barriers on most goods，Improve market access for services and investment，Thus forming a specific area to liberalize trade and investment。A free trade area covers the entire customs territory of all the members of a free trade agreement, not a part of it。 At present, the typical free trade areas in the world include the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA), the European Union (EU), the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and so on。The core of the free trade area involves two or more countries (regions), can also be said to be two or more independent customs areas, free trade area involves countries (regions) with free trade contracts, the implementation of free trade agreements。
2. Comparison between free trade parks and free trade zones
The establishment of free trade parks and free trade zones has achieved the purpose of reducing the cost of inter-country trade, promoting enterprise investment and expanding foreign trade, but there are obvious differences in the subject, scope and basis of the establishment。(1) From the point of view of the establishment subject, the free trade zone generally refers to a special area established by two or more sovereign countries or a number of separate customs territories with sovereign areas, while the free trade park is a special area delimited within a sovereign country or sovereign region。
(b) From the perspective of the scope of establishment, the scope of the free trade zone includes two or more sovereign states or multiple sovereign regions, while the scope of the free trade park is a small range of special areas established in a single sovereign state。
(3) From the perspective of the rules, the rules of the free trade area are more from the provisions of the free trade area involved in the provisions of the World Trade Organization, and there are relevant provisions such as trade openness, tax incentives and the abolition of trade barriers between trading members or contracting parties. While preserving the investment and trade policies of their respective sovereign states;The rules of free trade parks are more from the Kyoto Convention: Free trade parks established in sovereign countries or sovereign areas, the customs duties and various taxes on trade goods entered in this special area shall be treated as if the goods are outside the customs. Exemption from the usual customs supervision system, supplemented by preferential income tax and related investment policies。
(4) From the perspective of legal provisions, the free trade zone adopts more bilateral or multilateral legal agreements to adopt legal protection, while the free trade park adopts more laws and regulations of sovereign countries to adopt legal protection。
(5) From the perspective of management mode, the management of free trade zones is more focused on the management of trade opening, investment construction and financial management, especially through the investment, trade and financial agreements in free trade zones to promote and drive the development of national economy. However, the management of free trade parks is more focused on the management mode of "first-line opening, second-line management, and freedom within the zone"。
Three, the comparison of China's free trade test zone and the main international free trade parks
(1) Main characteristics of major international free trade parks
1.The level of trade and investment facilitation and liberalization continues to improve, most of the free trade zones provide a relatively high degree of investment freedom and financial services opening, basically no investment industry restrictions, free currency exchange, free access to funds and free choice of settlement currency。
2.The functions of special areas are expanding day by day。The free trade park has expanded from the single function of bonded transit of goods trade to the multi-functional mode including commodity exhibition, processing and maintenance, logistics distribution, information distribution, research and development innovation, etc. Finance, insurance, freight forwarding, leasing, consulting and other value-added services are also increasingly valued, and the functional positioning of free zones is often gradually expanded from trade centers and logistics centers to financial centers, information centers, decision-making and operation centers, and plays an increasingly important role in global trade and investment activities。
3.The management system is more open。On the basis of the implementation of preferential policies and facilitation measures, countries should adopt an open management system for free trade parks that is more open and meets the actual development needs。
4.Pay more attention to the integration of port resources。On the one hand, the free trade park breaks through the restrictions of domestic administrative divisions, implements the linkage between districts and ports, integrates the resources of feeder ports, feed ports and adjacent port areas, and forms composite ports. To consolidate its hub, core role, on the other hand, with other international free trade port areas to form a transnational strategic alliance to enhance the competitiveness of the surrounding ports。
5.Legal protection is improving day by day。As a special economic area, free trade park often conflicts with the existing domestic laws and policies, so special legislation must be passed to protect the innovation of management system and supervision mode。 Many economies have specifically promulgated free trade zone laws or regulations at the national level to ensure their legitimacy and authority。
(2) The main characteristics of China's free trade pilot zones
The biggest difference between pilot free trade zones and free trade parks is that they highlight the word "experiment" and focus on accumulating opening experience through "stress testing"。
1.From the perspective of construction background, the construction of the China Pilot Free Trade Zone is to accelerate the transformation of government functions in the new era, actively explore management model innovation, promote trade and investment facilitation, and explore new paths for comprehensively deepening reform and expanding opening up. Strategic measures to accumulate new experience and promote。In the context of reform entering a critical period, opening up entering a new stage, and development entering a new normal, the CPC Central Committee and The State Council made the major decision to build the pilot free trade zone from the perspective of overall consideration of both domestic and international situations. It is not only in response to external changes and pressures, but also the internal reform needs spawned by China's economic development, which has a profound practical background and far-reaching strategic significance。
2.From the perspective of reform tasks, since the start of the construction of the pilot Free trade zone, it has shouldering the important mission of undertaking a high-level opening up stress test, giving play to the demonstration drive, and serving the country to comprehensively deepen reform and opening up. Its core is to focus on the national strategy, emancipate the mind, boldly try out bold and independent reform, with institutional innovation as the core, with replicability and promotion as the basic requirements, by deepening the reform of the administrative system, expanding new trade methods, and carrying out stress tests in some regions. Take the lead in exploring the establishment of cross-border investment and trade rules system in line with the requirements of internationalization and rule of law in the free trade pilot zone, and strive to form a number of replicable and scalable reform pilot experience, in order to promote the overall formation of China and international investment, The basic system system and supervision mode of connecting trade rules have accumulated experimental experience。
3.From the perspective of positioning tasks, the positioning of China's pilot free trade zone is to explore new paths for comprehensively deepening reform and expanding opening up, and accumulate new experience, its construction does not depend on financial support, The traditional development path of creating a "policy depression" in exchange for investment and economic growth, such as preferential funding, should be given greater autonomy to reform pilot free trade zones in trade, investment, finance, innovation and other fields, with institutional innovation as the core task. With the requirement of replicability and promotion, we will promote the alignment of the pilot free trade zones with advanced international rules, and form new advantages in international cooperation and competition through institutional opening up of rules, regulations, management and standards, so as to comprehensively deepen reform and opening up in China and build a new system of open economy. We will explore new paths and accumulate new experience for high-quality development。
(Source: Zhihu Sea and waves)