On June 2, the Ministry of Commerce issued the Notice on the Work of Border Economic Cooperation Zones and Cross-border Economic Cooperation Zones Centered on the Construction of a New Development Pattern (hereinafter referred to as the Notice). The Circular strengthened guidance and support to promote high-level opening up of border areas; We should deepen reform and innovation and enhance the internal driving force and vitality of development. We will strengthen policy support to stabilize border areas and revitalize rural areas. Fourteen measures were put forward from four aspects, including improving basic management and improving development level, to promote the development level of the border (trans-border) joint area, and to build an important node and platform for the opening up of the border area. The analysis points out that these measures, under the new situation, have clarified the open development path of the border (trans-border) area and given specific favorable policies, which will provide strong support for the open development of the border area.

The Circular calls for expanding and deepening high-level opening-up and cooperation. We will serve the Belt and Road Initiative and the national strategy for coordinated regional development, seize the opportunities of China's signing of high-level free trade agreements and regional trade agreements with neighboring countries, and continue to deepen economic and trade exchanges between the border (trans-border) cooperation zone and neighboring countries and regions such as Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos.

The circular stressed the optimization and stability of the border industrial chain and supply chain. We will better leverage the role of border (trans-border) cooperation zones in connecting domestic and international markets, coordinating the opening up of inland and border areas, and expanding and extending industrial chains and supply chains. We will promote innovative development of border trade and the logistics industry in the border (trans-border) cooperation region, vigorously promote the local processing of imported resources and agricultural products, and expand and strengthen industries with distinctive advantages. We will accelerate equipment upgrading and technological upgrading in the manufacturing sector, give full play to the leading role of leading enterprises and the supporting role of small, medium and micro enterprises, and enhance our ability to undertake the relocation of inland industries.

The Circular has made it clear that it will study and improve the opening layout of border areas. We will support the opening up of Xinjiang's border (trans-border) zone as part of the country's overall plan for westward opening-up. We will work to make the Guangxi Border Cooperation Zone a center of opening up and cooperation open to ASEAN, and the Yunnan Border (Trans-border) Cooperation Zone an important opening platform open to the radiating centers of South and Southeast Asia. The Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, and Inner Mongolia Border Cooperation Zone will play a better role in the forefront of opening up in Northeast China. We will move forward with the construction of the China-Laos Mohan-Boten Economic Cooperation Zone on the Chinese side in a standardized manner.

Zhou Mi, a researcher at the research institute of the Ministry of Commerce, said in an interview with Economic Information Daily that the Circular emphasizes the new development stage, the implementation of the new development concept and the construction of a new development pattern, and in this context, promotes the development level of the border (trans-border) cooperation area, and gives a specific implementation path. "The border areas, will be conducive to seize the sign up a high level the fta between China and neighboring countries and regional trade agreements opportunity, continue to deepen edge (across) and area economic and trade exchanges with neighboring countries and regions, in the play to the border area on the basis of their own advantages, and further open up new cooperation situation, create more open opportunities."

He also pointed out that the regions along the border have their own geographical conditions and characteristics of foreign cooperation, and there will be more options for opening up according to different international markets, which is conducive to exploring the mode of opening up under different circumstances. "These new models will be of great significance to China's future economic development and the integration of domestic and international markets. They will also have a more important radiating effect on neighboring countries and regions, and thus form a stronger leading role of the Chinese market."