Wang Chunying, press spokesperson, chief economist and director of the Department of Balance of Payments of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) attended a State Council Policy Briefing held by the State Council Information Office, clarified the policies for optimizing foreign exchange administration initiatives and improving cross-border trade and investment facilitation and answered relevant media questions. The briefing started at 4pm on Friday, October 25, 2019.
Xi Yanchun:
Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon! Welcome to the State Council's policy briefing. The recent State Council executive meeting proposed 12 initiatives on optimizing foreign exchange administration and improving cross-border trade and investment facilitation. To help you better understand the initiatives, we are pleased to have with us here Ms. Wang Chunying, press spokesperson, chief economist and director of the Department of Balance of Payments of the SAFE. She will clarify relevant policies and take your questions. First, let's welcome Ms. Wang for some opening remarks.
2019-10-25 16:01:34
Wang Chunying:
Friends from the press, good afternoon. Welcome to today's policy briefing.
First, allow me to thank you for your enduring attention and support for foreign exchange administration. On October 23, 2019, the State Council executive meeting reviewed and adopted the policies for optimizing foreign exchange administration and improving cross-border trade and investment facilitation, and relevant documents can be found on the SAFE's official website. For a start, I'd like to give you a brief introduction of the policies.
Guided by the strategic arrangements made at the 19th CPC National Congress to promote comprehensive opening up and high-level trade and investment liberalization and facilitation and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the SAFE has proactively boosted the financial supply-side structural reform to serve the high-level opening up. In the year to date, the SAFE has introduced a series of initiatives to optimize the business environment and serve the growth of the real economy, such as deepening the reform of centralized funds operations and management by MNCs, piloting the facilitation of foreign exchange receipts and payments under the capital account, removing the limits on investment quotas for QFIIs and RQFIIs, and piloting the facilitation of foreign exchange receipts and payments under trade in goods.
Twelve initiatives on foreign exchange administration for boosting cross-border trade and investment facilitation were deliberated and adopted at the State Council executive meeting, including six for cross-border trade facilitation and another six for cross-border investment and financing facilitation.
I. Cross-border trade facilitation initiatives
First, expanding piloting for the facilitation of foreign exchange receipts and payments under trade. When processing foreign exchange receipts and payments under trade in services and trade in goods for creditworthy companies, qualified banks can optimize their processes at their discretion. The SAFE started a pilot program for this in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Shanghai and Zhejiang at the beginning of 2019. According to pilot banks, the program can cut more than 50% off the time for document preparation and review. This time, the pilot program will be rolled out to other eligible regions with the scope expanded to include trade in services.
Second, simplifying receipt and payment procedures under trade in goods for micro and small cross-border ecommerce players. Micro and small cross-border ecommerce players whose annual size of trade in goods is below USD 200,000 can be waived of registering in the directory of enterprises with foreign exchange receipts and payments under trade. This initiative is expected to benefit more than 95% cross-border ecommerce corporate customers of payment institutions. But the SAFE and banks will use scientific and technological means to verify the authenticity of foreign exchange receipts and payments under trade in goods, for the purpose of tightened ongoing and ex-post management.
Third, optimizing reporting of foreign exchange service under trade in goods. Companies will no longer be required to report to foreign exchange authorities their imports and exports in the early period and corresponding foreign exchange receipts and payments. Special business like trade credit will all be reported online.
Fourth, allowing discretion to open accounts pending verification for export revenues. Companies can open an account pending verification for export revenues at their discretion and recognize export revenues into foreign exchange account in simplified procedures or settle the revenues directly.
Fifth, facilitating the directory registration of branches and sub-branches. Branches that need to settle foreign exchange under trade can register in the directory of enterprises involved in foreign exchange receipts and payments under trade as legal persons do.
Sixth, allowing centralized management of offshore funds by engineering contractors. Engineering contractors can centralize the management of offshore funds for different engineering projects to put idle- offshore funds to work and support diversified market expansion.
II. Cross-border investment and financing facilitation
First, allowing non-investment-oriented foreign investors to make equity investment in China with their capital in compliance with laws. Non-investment-oriented foreign investors, or foreign investors excluding foreign investment companies, foreign venture capital investment companies and foreign equity investment companies will be allowed to make equity investment in China with their capital in compliance with laws, including setting up new subsidiaries or merging other domestic players with their capital, provided that they follow the negative list approach to market access for foreign investors and the state's macro control policies.
Second, expanding piloting for the facilitation of receipts and payments under the capital account. Any pilot company can make payments in China using receipts under the capital account like capital, external debt and overseas IPO funding without presenting in advance the authenticity supporting materials on a transaction-by-transaction basis to the pilot bank, who will process following the prudential regulation principle. A pilot program has been carried out in 12 pilot free trade zones including Shanghai and Tianjin. This time, the pilot program will be expanded to include six pilot free trade zones newly established in 2019 and the whole city of Shanghai.
Third, facilitating settlement and use of some foreign exchange funds under the capital account. While transferring their shares to foreign investors, domestic institutions or individuals can go through the procedures for foreign exchange settlement of the consideration for the transfer with banks, without presenting the supporting materials for the use of funds. When hitting the bid or closing a deal, the foreign investors can use the margins thus remitted for legal domestic investment contributions, payment of considerations or foreign exchange settlement, with no need to transfer the margins back.
Fourth, reforming the external debt registration mechanism. External debt write-offs can be registered with banks directly, rather than foreign exchange authorities, and the one-month time limit will be removed. The transaction-by-transaction registration for external debt of non-financial enterprises will be removed first in the Greater Bay Area and Hainan, and companies in these pilot regions can register with local foreign exchange authorities in a one-off manner, and borrow, use and repay external debt, provided that the debt is less than two times the net assets.
Fifth, removing restrictions on the number of foreign exchange accounts opened under the capital account. Companies can open more than one foreign exchange account under the capital account to meet their fund management needs, provided that they follow the prudential regulation requirements.
Sixth, expanding piloting for the transfers of domestic credit assets. Guided by the principles of risk controllability and prudent management, a pilot program will be carried out in the Greater Bay Area and Hainan to expand the scope of credit assets that can be transferred outside China from banks' non-performing loans to trade finance.
Now I'd like to take your questions.
2019-10-25 16:07:25
Xi Yanchun:
Thank you, Ms. Wang. Let's move on to the Q&A session, but remember to tell us your agency before raising your questions.
CCTV:
I am wondering what are your considerations behind the foreign exchange policy for optimizing cross-border trade and investment facilitation at this point of time? What would you say about the significance of this reform? Thank you.
2019-10-25 16:17:54
Wang Chunying:
Thank you for your question. I'd like to answer from the following perspective. Foreign trade and investment has drawn deep concern from the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Secretary-general Xi Jinping has stressed many times that "Six Stables" including stable foreign trade and stable foreign investment should be ensured to boost trade and investment facilitation and maintain sustainable and healthy economic growth. Premier Li Keqiang has made it clear that efforts should be stepped up to achieve comprehensive opening up, attract foreign investments and propel steady improvement in foreign trade. It has been clearly stated in this year's report on the work of the government that comprehensive opening up should be encouraged to boost trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. Leaders of the State Council including Han Zheng, Hu Chunhua, Liu He and Xiao Jie have also given similar instructions.
Following the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the SAFE introduces 12 initiatives for the facilitation of cross-border trade and investment after thorough surveys and initial piloting, with a view to strengthening the capabilities of foreign exchange administration to serve the real economy and boost trade and investment facilitation and high-quality economic growth.
This reform is purposed to deepen the reform of "combining power delegation with regulation & optimizing services" and the financial supply-side structural reform through optimizing foreign exchange administration and simplifying processes. This reform will expand the channels where the funds can be used, support domestic players to expand foreign trade and investment and improve cross-border trade and investment facilitation. Moreover, it will also reduce burdens on players, revitalize the market and yield policy dividends. In the global business environment ranking released by the World Bank yesterday, China climbed up by 15 spots to No. 31. The aforementioned facilitation initiatives will create a better business environment for domestic players and foreign investors to start businesses and make innovations. This is what we consider in introducing the initiatives and what they mean for us. Thank you.
2019-10-25 16:18:19
Economic Daily:
How would this reform facilitate and support foreign trading companies amid external challenges? Thank you.
Wang Chunying:
To answer your question, let's look at the 12 initiatives first. With six directly about trade, these 12 initiatives are launched to increase facilitation and reduce costs for foreign trade companies. Facing the complex external environment, the SAFE has deepened the reform of "combining power delegation with regulation & optimizing services" and the financial supply-side structural reform in accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, in a bid to help companies to save costs, increase the utilization efficiency of foreign exchange and support the growth of foreign trade companies.
This reform will empower banks and foreign trade companies to a larger extent. The aforementioned policy adjustments, whether expanding piloting for the facilitation of foreign exchange receipts and payments under trade, or simplifying procedures for micro and small cross-border ecommerce players to handle receipts and payments under trade, or optimizing business reporting, are intended to give banks and companies more autonomy, in order to communicate a philosophy of more facilitation for companies with integrity, more convenience for micro and small enterprises, greater easiness for business reporting, more discretion for account use, more clarity of registration procedures and higher efficiency of fund use.
I would here make an explanation or give you an overview. For example, when summarizing the outcomes of initial pilot for foreign exchange receipts and payments facilitation under trade in goods, pilot companies say that with substantial increase in the efficiency of foreign exchange receipts and payments, document preparation has been accelerated and labor costs have dropped. In the education program to promote that we should remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind, we sought ideas from a wealth of companies, and more companies voiced their desire to join the pilot program. All this has motivated us to push ahead with this reform.
While offering greater facilitation and helping save costs, these policy adjustments are designed to empower banks and foreign trade companies. In the meanwhile, we have implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, such as deepening the reform of "combining power delegation with regulation & optimizing services" and the financial supply-side structural reform, ensuring "Six Stables" including stable foreign trade and stable foreign investment, and improving the business environment. We are also considering deepening the education program to promote that we should remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind. I hope this could bring greater clarity to you. Thank you.
2019-10-25 16:37:49
China News Service:
You said that piloting for the facilitation of foreign exchange receipts and payments under the capital account will be expanded based on the initial piloting. Could you brief us on the initial piloting and its impact? Thank you.
2019-10-25 16:38:11
Wang Chunying:
Thank you for your question. Let me introduce the initial piloting first. According to existing regulations for foreign exchange administration, a company needs to present the authenticity supporting materials on a transaction-by-transaction basis for the bank to review the authenticity and compliance of transactions before handling the receipts and payments under the capital account (chiefly capital, external debt and overseas listing revenues). To implement the reform of "combining power delegation with regulation & optimizing services" and better serve the real economy, the SAFE has launched a pilot program for the facilitation of receipts and payments under the capital account since 2017.
The highlight of the pilot program is as follows: pilot companies can make domestic payments using receipts under the capital account (including the RMB obtained from foreign exchange settlement) based on the payment orders, without the need for transaction-by-transaction reviews of transaction documents by banks. Up till now, this program has been carried out in 12 pilot free trade zones including Shanghai and Tianjin, as well as Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shenzhen and Ningbo.
The pilot program has delivered positive results and been widely acclaimed by banks, enterprises and institutions since its launch. On the one hand, the program does have increased the facilitation of foreign exchange funds utilization by companies.
As pointed out by a well-known accounting firm in the system innovation assessment of China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone in two years since its launch, this pilot program is one of the most highly-appraised initiatives of the five innovation achievements in deepening financial liberalization and one of the top 70 highly valuable innovative initiatives of the pilot free trade zone. On the other hand, this program has implemented the requirements of the CPC Central Committee to maintain stable foreign investments, met market players' rising demand for policy support and improved the business environment.
Next, the scope of the facilitation piloting will be expanded to include six pilot free trade zones established in 2019 and the whole city of Shanghai. The SAFE will summarize its learnings to further roll out the pilot program to special economic regions with such demand and regions with flourishing foreign-related economies, and then to the entire country at a proper time. Hope this could shed some light on you. Thank you.
2019-10-25 16:38:30
Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting:
Could you kindly unveil the characteristics of foreign exchange receipts and payments in September? What will be the next steps? Thank you.
2019-10-25 16:53:10
Wang Chunying:
We have elaborated on the situations at the SAFE's press conference on foreign exchange receipts and payments data just now, and the data are now available on our website. To find out relevant information, you can visit our website. For further questions, you can contact our news unit.
2019-10-25 16:53:30
Xi Yanchun:
As the press conference started at 1:30 pm, relevant information has been released online, and you may have missed it on your way to this conference. You can view it when this conference is over. For further questions, we would be glad to help you.
2019-10-25 16:53:54
China Radio International of China Media Group
We notice that among the cross-border investment and financing facilitation initiatives, one is about allowing non-investment-oriented foreign investors to make equity investment in China. Could you clarify this initiative in more detail? Thank you.
2019-10-25 16:54:25
One of our policies is to remove restrictions on equity investment by non-investment-oriented foreign investors with their capital in China. I suppose this is what you want to know.
Let me brief you on the situation before the reform first and then we can make a comparison to find out changes after the reform. Prior to the reform, investment-oriented foreign investors could make equity investment with their capital in compliance with laws and regulations. What is an investment-oriented foreign investor? It refers to foreign investment company, foreign venture capital investment company and foreign equity investment company. Before this reform, these investment-oriented foreign investors were all eligible for making equity investment with their capital in compliance with laws and regulations and could reinvest in China with the legal profits obtained therein. Starting from 2015, the SAFE has canceled verification of reinvestment by foreign investors with profits obtained. If "investment" is included in the business scope of a non-investment-oriented foreign investor, the investor would be allowed to make equity investment in China through transfers of original currency or foreign exchange settlement. But if not, the investor would be banned from making equity investment in China.
After the reform, no matter whether "investment" is included in the business scope or not, non-investment-oriented foreign investors could make equity investments in China in compliance with laws by using their capital in the original foreign currency or through foreign exchange settlement, provided that they comply with the existing special management measures on market access for foreign investors and the projects they intend to invest in in China are authentic and comply with regulations.
In other words, since the introduction of this policy, all types of foreign investors can make equity investment with their capital, provided that they comply with the special management measures on market access for foreign investors and the projects they intend to invest in in China are authentic and comply with regulations.
We have evaluated the effect of this policy. Of over 370,000 registered foreign-invested enterprises in China, less than 3,000 are investment-oriented, and more than 99% are non-investment-oriented, so this initiative could be of wide benefit. We believe it will significantly facilitate the use of capital and equity investment by non-investment-oriented foreign investors, especially when they invest in upstream and downstream enterprises along the industry chain. Hope this will be of some help to you. Thank you.
2019-10-25 16:55:06
South China Morning Post:
My question is about the RMB capital account. Is there a schedule for full liberalization of the RMB capital account? It was previously expected that the RMB capital account would become convertible in 2020. Is it still possible? In the latest trade talks between China and the US, it is said that substantive progress has been achieved in exchange rate. Could you brief us on what consensus has been achieved? Thank you.
2019-10-25 16:58:24
Xi Yanchun:
This seems a bit far from today's theme.
2019-10-25 16:58:38
Wang Chunying:
And you raise two questions. As for China-US trade talks, you say that the exchange rate issue is covered in the talks. We learn that in the new round of high-level China-US trade talks, guided by the consensus between the two heads of state, the two sides had candid, efficient and constructive discussions on the economic and trade issues they both concern, with topics covering agriculture, IP protection, foreign exchange rate, financial service, expansion of trade cooperation, technology transfer and dispute settlement, in which substantial progress has been achieved.
As for the RMB exchange rate, we will maintain the managed floating rate system based on market supply and demand and adjusted against a basket of currencies, so as to stabilize the RMB exchange rate at a reasonable and balanced level. This is what I want to say about the RMB exchange rate.
Second, there is no schedule for the capital account liberalization, as far as I know. In other words, this is an ongoing process, where we will constantly promote the liberalization and facilitation of cross-border trade and investment to stably drive the capital account liberalization. The major considerations would be coordinating the growth stage of the economy, the situation of financial markets and the requirements for financial stability, and coordinating transactions and exchanges to press ahead with the capital account liberalization in an orderly manner and improve the facilitation of convertible items, with a focus on two-way liberalization of financial markets.
We will properly expand the pilot program for foreign exchange sales and settlement by securities companies to increase the number of participants in foreign exchange markets, diversify trading products and further improve foreign exchange markets in depth, width and activeness. Second, we will support the healthy development of the STAR market, encouraging foreign investors to participate in the STAR market and ensure cross-border funds management for GDR under Shanghai-London Stock Connect. Third, we will standardize the management of domestic issuance of bonds by foreign institutions, and improve management approaches to systematically press ahead with the opening of domestic bond markets.
Further, I should say that we will improve the two-in-one management framework that combines macro-prudential and micro regulation of cross-border capital flows. For macro-prudential regulation, we will tighten the monitoring early warning and response mechanism and diversify our toolkits. We will adjust market ups and downs against business cycles in an open, transparent and market-based manner. For micro regulation, we will strive to ensure the cross-cycle stability, consistency and foreseeability of policies while cracking down on false and fraudulent foreign exchange transactions. The liberalization of the capital account, I would say, is always on the road. Thank you.
2019-10-25 16:58:51
China Daily:
Director Wang, you say that the SAFE will reform the registration mechanism for external debt. Could you provide more details? How will these initiatives facilitate companies? Thank you.
2019-10-25 17:08:04
Wang Chunying:
The reform on external debt is chiefly about simplifying the procedures of borrowing. According to our announcements and what I said just now, this initiative covers two aspects: first, companies will register write-offs of external debt with banks directly, rather than with the foreign exchange authorities; second, removal of transaction-by-transaction registration will be piloted. They are different as one is about write-off registration, and the other is about player registration for borrowing, use and repayment.
First, the external debt write-off registration reform. Companies should register write-offs of external debt with local foreign exchange authorities within one month since each debt is serviced, as per existing regulations. After this reform, this can be done directly with banks, with no one-month limit. This initiative was piloted in Guangdong, Fujian and Zhongguancun, Beijing at the end of 2018 and proved hugely beneficial. In Guangdong, for example, more than 500 write-offs involving over USD 10 billion in external debt have been registered with banks in the year to date, saving nearly 50,000km in mileage to and from the foreign exchange authorities. This is just one case of the pilot program. In the initial piloting, we found this could greatly facilitate companies and save plenty of travel costs, and therefore, this initiative is now rolled out across the board.
Second, piloting of removing transaction-by-transaction registration for external debt. In 2016, the People's Bank of China and the SAFE introduced a national full-scale macro-prudential management policy for cross-border financing and canceled ex-ante approval for external debt made by companies and financial institutions. Within the upper limit for the risk-weighted balance of cross-border financing, which are two times the net assets, companies were allowed to borrow external debt on their own but needed to go through transaction-by-transaction registration with local foreign exchange authorities. In March 2019, the SAFE adopted the one-time external debt registration policy for the simplification of external debt management under centralized cross-border funds operations by MNCs, which was widely acclaimed by companies and banks. This time we plan to continue to adopt this policy for centralized cross-border funds operations by MNCs, and also carry out a pilot program in the Greater Bay Area and Hainan, allowing non-financial companies to do so. Within the registered amount, they can borrow, use and repay external debt, with inward/outward remittances and foreign exchange settlements and purchases handled with banks directly.
Overall, I believe this reformative measure will further cut the cross-border financing costs. Thank you.
2019-10-25 17:08:55
ET Net:
Could you share with us the considerations behind choosing the Greater Bay Area and Hainan as pilots for the removal of external debt registration and transfers of offshore credit assets? Thank you.
2019-10-25 17:17:39
Wang Chunying:
We actually choose these regions as pilots for boosting cross-border trade and investment facilitation. These pilot regions, whether for cross-border trade or investment facilitation, can help to offer facilitation relevant to Hong Kong. The pilot policy for the Greater Bay Area is a case in point. In my view, the pilot policy shows our attention to the significance of the Greater Bay Area including Hong Kong across the board.
Of the 12 initiatives, some have been piloted in the Greater Bay Area, such as the facilitation of foreign exchange receipts and payments under trade in goods, and some are to be piloted in the area, like removing the transaction-by-transaction external debt registration for non-financial companies. In our opinion, the Greater Bay Area, a developed export-oriented region, is frequently involved in international communications, quick to make innovations and home to some emerging modern industries, and piloting cross-border trade and investment facilitation here can unlock the area's advantages in all respects, strengthen its roles in shoring up and leading the national economic growth and opening up, and allow it to better serve the key strategic arrangements of the state.
The same holds true for Hainan, a region that draws considerable attention from the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. This is why we think we should follow decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in introducing foreign exchange administration policies and carry out pilot programs in these regions.
2019-10-25 17:18:11
Xi Yanchun:
We always say that our motherland provides a strong back for Hong Kong and the prosperity of Hong Kong will drive our motherland to grow. We believe the series of facilitation initiatives unveiled by Ms. Wang will benefit Hong Kong too. Now I would like to conclude today's briefing with thanks to Ms. Wang again and thanks to you all.
2019-10-25 17:18:32
(The original text is available at www.people.com.cn)
