The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) has recently convened the 2022 National Foreign Exchange Administration Work Conference via video. At the conference, participants thoroughly studied and implemented the spirit of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Central Economic Work Conference, summarized the foreign exchange administration work in 2021, analyzed the current foreign exchange situation, held discussions and made arrangements for the key tasks for 2022. Pan Gongsheng, Secretary of the CPC Leadership Group and Administrator of the SAFE, delivered a work report. Members of the CPC Leadership Group of the SAFE and the Chief Accountant also attended the conference.

According to the conference, in the year of 2021, the SAFE adhered to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and earnestly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council; under the specific guidance of the Financial Stability and Development Committee under the State Council, the SAFE coordinated development and safety by ensuring “stability on the six fronts” and “security in the six areas”, and constantly promoted the reform and opening-up of the foreign exchange sector as well as the modernization of management system and governance capacity; besides, the SAFE maintained basic stability of the foreign exchange market and China’s economic and financial security, ensuring a good start of the 14th Five-Year Plan. First, the SAFE constantly improved the liberation and convenience of cross-border trade and investment. To this end, the SAFE launched pilot projects on higher level of opening-up in foreign trade and investment, expanded the scale and improved the quality of pilot projects of cross-border trade payment facilitation, and promoted the healthy development of new forms and models of foreign trade. At the meantime, the SAFE supported private equity funds in making cross-border industrial investments, launched a pilot cash-pooling service integrating domestic and foreign currency management for multinational corporations, and enriched the application scenarios of cross-border financial service platforms. Besides, the SAFE further facilitated individuals’ use of foreign exchange and actively prepared for the entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Second, the SAFE achieved positive results in preventing and controlling cross-border capital flow risks. To this end, the SAFE strengthened macro-prudential management and expectation management, and encouraged enterprises to use exchange rate hedging tools more extensively. Meanwhile, the SAFE also improved the off-site supervision capabilities, severely cracked down on illegal activities in the foreign exchange sector, and maintained a healthy order in the foreign exchange market. Third, the SAFE constantly improved the operation and management of foreign exchange reserves, and the volume of China’s foreign exchange reserves remained stable at around US$3.2 trillion. Fourth, the SAFE made further efforts in exercising full and strict governance over the Party. The SAFE made solid progress in learning and education of the Party’s history, further promoted the practical activities by the name of “I do practical work for the masses”, and launched a series of activities to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. In addition, the SAFE, actively cooperated in the discipline inspections by the CPC Central Committee, further strengthened work style construction and enhanced the awareness of discipline and law among the Party members and cadres.

The conference stressed that, in the year of 2022, foreign exchange administration will follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and fully implement the guiding principles from the 19th CPC National Congress and each plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, as well as the arrangements made at the Central Economic Work Conference. The SAFE will enhance the “Four Consciousnesses”, affirm the “Four Matters of Confidence”, and ensure the “Two Upholds”, correctly understand and grasp major theoretical and practical issues in the new development stage. The SAFE will prioritize stability while pursuing progress, fully apply the new development philosophy, and integrate into the new development paradigm. In addition, the SAFE will coordinate development and security by maintaining the steady operation of the foreign exchange market and the proper scale of foreign exchange reserves, and deepening reform and opening-up in the foreign exchange sector for the stability of the macro-economy. The SAFE will also strive to maintain a healthy order in the foreign exchange market by further ensuring “stability on the six fronts” and “security in the six areas”, so as to promote the high-quality economic development, and welcome the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the CPC with outstanding achievements.

The conference outlined key tasks for foreign exchange administration in 2022. First, the SAFE will make further efforts to exercise full and strict governance over the Party. To be specific, the SAFE will further understand the decisions of the CPC on Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The SAFE will comprehensively improve the quality of Party building under the leadership of the Party’s political construction, implement the people-centered philosophy of development, and continuously consolidate and expand the achievements in learning and education of the Party’s history. The SAFE will also resolutely rectify the problems discovered by the discipline inspection, and turn the rectification results into a powerful driving force for the high-quality development of foreign exchange administration. In addition, the SAFE will encourage the branch offices to strictly implement the principle of “two duties for one post”, and build a contingent of competent and professional officials who are loyal, honest and responsible. Second, the SAFE will guard against and defuse the risks of external shocks. To be specific, the SAFE will enhance the monitoring, research and judgment of the foreign exchange market and macro-prudential management, strengthen risk prevention and control in key areas of foreign exchange, and maintain the stable operation of the foreign exchange market. Third, the SAFE will deepen reform and opening-up in the foreign exchange sector. To be specific, the SAFE will steadily promote the high-level opening-up of the capital account, expand the pilot cash-pooling service integrating domestic and foreign currency management for multinational corporations, advance the pilot projects for cross-border investment of private equity funds, and accelerate the reform of external debt facilitation. The SAFE will develop an open, diversified, well-functioning and standardized foreign exchange market. The SAFE will deepen reform to facilitate foreign exchange management in traditional forms of trade, promote the standardized and innovative development of new forms of foreign trade, and improve foreign exchange services for individuals. The SAFE will also optimize foreign exchange services by focusing on small and medium-sized import and export enterprises, guide enterprises to better manage exchange rate risks, and expand the application scenarios of cross-border financial service platforms. Fourth, the SAFE will improve micro-regulation of the foreign exchange market. To be specific, the SAFE will improve the authenticity audit methods of banks’ foreign exchange business, and gradually establish a management mechanism featuring substantial truth, diversified methods, due diligence, as well as safety and high efficiency. The SAFE will strengthen cross-departmental cooperation and capacity building for off-site supervision, adhere to the cross-cycle consistency, stability and predictability of law enforcement standards for micro-regulation of the foreign exchange market, and crack down on violations of laws and regulations in the foreign exchange sector with “zero tolerance”. Fifth, the SAFE will improve the management of foreign exchange reserves. To be specific, the SAFE will ensure the safety and liquidity of foreign exchange reserve assets while maintaining and increasing their value, and promote capacity building in terms of professional investment, scientific and technological operation and management, and market-oriented institutional governance. Sixth, the SAFE will consolidate the foundation of foreign exchange administration. To be specific, the SAFE will strengthen the construction of the rule of law in the foreign exchange market, advance the revision of the Regulations on Foreign Exchange Administration, develop a high-level statistical system on the balance of payments, increase research efforts on key projects in the foreign exchange sector, and further promote the “digital foreign exchange administration” and “safe foreign exchange administration”.

Leading officials of relevant departments, affiliated enterprises and institutions of the SAFE attended the conference at the main venue in Beijing. Attendees from each bureau (Foreign Exchange Management Department) participated in the conference at the branch venues. Relevant comrades from the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs, General Office of the State Council, National Audit Office, those accredited to the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Team, and representatives of veteran cadres of the SAFE attended the conference upon invitation. (End)