Free trade a key part of Guiyang's wider opening up

Guiyang Free Trade Zone is making constant efforts to develop as an inland open economic pilot zone and a core area for international consumer goods manufacturing, as well as a modern services industry cluster featuring bonded services. 

Policies stimulate cross-border e-commerce

As an important carrier for cross-border e-commerce businesses and medium and high-end consumption, the free trade zone has attracted more than 3,000 kinds of goods from over 20 countries and regions. 

"I buy all the milk powder for my second child in the free trade zone, where I can see the product and enjoy the bonded prices and quality insurance," said a Guiyang resident, surnamed Yu. 

To accelerate the development of cross-border e-commerce, the free trade zone established a 24-hour technical response for bonded services for cross-border e-commerce. It has also established a fund management solution for cross-border e-commerce.

At present, the free trade zone has attracted a number of quality cross-border e-commerce businesses, including Hanbon International Investment Consulting Co Ltd and baoshuionline.com, an online shopping platform for bonded goods. 

Based in Guiyang, all these enterprises have opened 51 offline shops across Guizhou, with a total area of 26,000 square meters and annual sales 220 million yuan ($31.38 million). 

Platforms propel gathering of industry

As one of Guizhou's national opening-up and innovation platforms -- and the core of Guiyang's cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone -- the free trade zone has actively sought  policy and reform pilot zones, giving full play to its platform and constantly upgrading its business environment. 

"The cross-border e-commerce supervision warehouse provides a goods supply and online services, to ensure smooth operation of cross-border e-commerce shops," said Chen Junlin, deputy director of the cross-border e-commerce office in the free trade zone. 

A comprehensive foreign trade serviced platform was launched on Sept 10, with the cooperation of the free trade zone and Alibaba, providing services for e-commerce enterprises across Guizhou. 

To date, the platform has registered 147 enterprises, in the fields of automobile components, metals and tea.

"All the measures taken by the free trade zone intend to optimize services to attract more projects and enterprises," Chen added. 

Opportunities to develop bridgehead for opening up

Guiyang free trade zone has formulated working points to promote its opening-up, cleared blockages in trade channels, among other things, officials said. Through constant efforts to carry out the "bringing in and going global" strategy, the zone has made connections with 627 enterprises this year. 

The Guiyang Dulaying international land-sea corridor logistics port is a national important logistic park and western China's key water-free port, helping advance Guizhou's opening-up strategy. 

"Its first phase went into construction last December and it is expected to come into use next September. Upon completion, it will be able to transport 4 million metric tons of goods and better provide services for goods coming in and out of Guizhou," said Deng Renqing, head of the engineering department of the logistics port. 

Apart from channel expansion and improving connections to the outside world, the free trade zone is also sparing no efforts to strengthen cooperation and launch e-commerce trainings, primarily forming an industrial layout of sales, supply, finance, talent and demonstrations. 

"We will take medium and high-end consumption and manufacturing as an engine, accelerate the development of a bridgehead for Guizhou inland opening-up economic pilot zone and form a new pattern of high-level opening-up featuring bonded services," said Chen Zhongyu, deputy director of the development bureau in Guiyang Free Trade Zone.