Policies

1. Major provincial policies

Policies for land use

Projects of industries listed in the Directory for Encouraged Projects of Foreign Investment are prioritized for the planned quota of land use.

Green Channels (fast track) are accessible for the land use review and approval of FDI projects with specially designated staffing plan, schedules and locations for parallel review to shorten the time for such formalities.

For industrial FDI projects falling into the scope of the Directory for Industries with Development Priority of Guangdong Province with an intensive utilization of land, the minimum land transfer fee can be charged at 70 percent of that of the same land category and grade as indicated in the National Standards for Minimum Land Transfer Fee for Industrial Use.

Policies for science and technology development

Special funds for Top 500 Modern Industry Projects and science and technology development are applicable to the projects involved in the industries listed in the Directory for Encouraged Projects of Foreign Investment.

Foreign-invested enterprises that meet certain criteria are encouraged to apply for the qualification of high-tech enterprise to grant further support to their growth.

Support is given to multi-national companies and overseas R&D organizations to set up their R&D headquarters or branches in Guangdong. Local universities, scientific and technological research institutes and companies are encouraged to establish joint R&D centers or key laboratories with foreign-invested companies, which will be included in the strategy of developing province-level engineering and technology R&D centers, key laboratories and public laboratories.

Policies for finance and taxation

Foreign-invested enterprises are encouraged to locate in the provincial-level industrial transfer parks. Priorities are granted to such enterprises over their peers with same qualification in terms of the arrangement of special fund for tapping potentials and leading innovation.

Greater support will be granted to the multi-national companies to establish regional headquarters in Guangdong. Approval procedures, supportive services and management of such headquarters will be further improved.

High-tech enterprises that are prioritized for support according to the national policies enjoy a corporate income tax reduction as high as 15 percent.

For foreign-invested enterprises specializing in service outsourcing that comply with the national regulations and are categorized as Class B or higher according to the customs administration, bonded area supervision policy is applied to the goods imported by such enterprises providing international advanced technological service outsourcing.

The encouraged projects under the Directory on Foreign Investment Industries can enjoy tax exemption on imported equipment and earn the import tax credit after collection.

Any foreign-invested R&D centers that comply with applicable regulations and passes qualification review can enjoy the tax/duty waived or rebated for any purchased equipment.

The four types of foreign-invested enterprises (encouraged types, export-oriented type, advanced technology type and R&D center), when importing any equipment, technology and spare parts for own use using four types of capital (reserve funds, development funds, depreciation fee and after-tax profit), are exempted from customs duty.

Policies for human resources

Foreign-invested enterprises are encouraged to attract high-level overseas professionals. Those who meet certain criteria are supported with preferential policies in such areas as housing, healthcare, and education of their children.

Overseas high-level executive officers working in the foreign-invested enterprises can enjoy the treatment stated in the Interim Provisions on Special Material Benefits for Attracting Leading Talents of Guangdong.

Overseas high-level management personnel and professionals of foreign-invested enterprises that satisfy the Directory for Encouraged Projects of Foreign Investment or overseas technical experts and high-level professionals employed by the joint R&D centers or key laboratories enjoy the priorities in application for visa letter, work permit in China and Foreign Expert Certificate. Assistance is also granted to them for the extension application for their stay in China

2.Innovative policies implemented in the Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone

In 2016, China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone witnessed improvement of three indicators, namely "Investment Facilitation" (42.1 percent), "Trade Facilitation" (27.5 percent) and "Cross-border Finance" (62.2 percent), compared with its performance before official establishment.

Investment facilitation

The pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list management model on the foreign investment is implemented. Filing is required on the foreign investment projects not included in the negative lists and self-service for filing document retrieval is implemented.

"One-window Acceptance" service is provided for parallel formality processing to handle procedures including approval (filing) of foreign investment projects, approval (filing) of foreign-invested enterprise establishment and change, registration of business entities, organization code certificate, taxation registration certificate (state taxation and local taxation), social security registration number, official seal engraving and filing. “One Offline Window Plus One Online Portal" model is adopted. "All-in-one License" and "One Code and One License" system to merge industrial and commercial business license, organization code certificate, tax registration certificate and other certificates is gradually put in place to combine the business license, organization code certificate and taxation registration certificate and to realize the parallel processing of procedures regarding "13 certificates and three seals".

The oversight mechanism is exercised over delegated matters when they are being handled and after they have been handled with a focus on using the credit information of market entities. A uniform enterprise credit information sharing system is adopted to improve the mechanisms for joint discipline on those who lose credibility and for coordinated oversight.

Trade facilitation

An entry and exit regulatory service model of "open at the first line and safe and efficient control at the second line" is implemented in Guangzhou Nansha Bonded Port, Shenzhen Qianhai Bay Bonded Port and other special customs supervision areas of the Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone. Zhuhai Hengqin New District, in accordance with the principle of the State Council, implements the separate management of the "restriction relaxation at the first line, control at the second line, separation of people and goods, and classified management".

With an import warehouse warrant, imported goods can have prioritized entry into Guangzhou Nansha Bonded Port, Shenzhen Qianhai Bay Bonded Port and Zhuhai Hengqin New District (the "fenced area") by undergoing the declaration procedures. Exported goods can be declared before entering the port. Warehoused and transported goods within the fenced area are exempt from inspection and quarantine.

"Internet + Easy Clearance" model consists of innovative services such as self-declaration, commodity classification and price review in advance, interactive check and inspection and tax payment through self-service to meet the needs of enterprises undergoing the customs procedures with the assistance of internet at any time they wish.

The "Intelligent Public Service Platform of GDCIQ" provides a platform for supervision and service provision via using IT technology. With "zero paper, zero distance, zero barrier, zero threshold, zero fee and zero time limit", the platform has been widely applied to businesses including cross-border e-commerce, export of market purchase and parallel car import.

"Intelligent Maritime Affairs Platform" integrates various types of maritime information including that of vessels, crew, ship inspection, security inspection and ship companies to support policies such as pre-declaration upon entry and exit of ships. The process of "customs clearance before inspection and zero waiting time for ships" is implemented to enable the container liners and cruisers to unload upon berthing.

"One-stop Widow 2.0" for international trade interconnects 21 administrative departments (e.g. the customs, inspection and quarantine, immigration control, maritime affairs, business affairs and port affairs) to provide 18 types of services (covering commodity declaration, declaration of means of transportation, cross-border e-commerce and logistics status), which realizes the mutual sharing of information, the mutual recognition by management and governance and the mutual assistance for law enforcement, and supports enterprises with its IT-based one-stop clearance service.

The first global quality tracing system for imported and exported goods in China has been launched to conduct the close-loop monitoring on the entire chain to "track the source and check the whereabouts" before, during and after certain handling processes. This system covers various categories of commodities (food, consumer goods, cars) dealt through the trading methods of general trade, cross-border e-commerce and export of market purchase and involves the commodities

Customs clearance within 24h through self-service for international customs clearance has been put in place. The "24h Clearance" policy is also effective at the Hengqin port.

Financial innovation

The cooperation, innovation and development in the cross-border renminbi business of the Guangdong PFTZ will be promoted to make renminbi as the main currency used in the PFTZ as well as for the valuation, transaction and settlement of trade and investment of large volume. The Guangdong PFTZ takes the lead to trial the "Four Cross-border Renminbi Businesses", namely cross-border renminbi loans, two-way cross-border renminbi bonds, two-way cross-border renminbi cash pool and two-way cross-border renminbi equity investment, which opens the two-way financing channels linking Chinese mainland with other markets (mainly Hong Kong and Macao).

In the Guangdong PFTZ, a financial service system established is compatible with the liberalization of service trade among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao including business, science, technology, tourism, logistics, and information. 

Cross-border investment and financing innovation is conducted through opening the free trade accounts and other risk controllable approaches. The formalities for foreign exchange receipt and payment of the current account has been significantly streamlined. The pilot scheme on macro prudential management of cross-border financing in full aperture has been launched to realize the integrated management of cross-border financing in both renminbi and foreign exchange.

The financial market is further opened to accelerate the settlement of financial organizations from Hong Kong and Macao in the Guangdong PFTZ within the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) framework, which lowers the access threshold and relax the restriction on the shareholding ratio by the Hong Kong and Macao organizations in a financial enterprise under joint investment.

The Guangdong PFTZ is also a pioneer in realizing Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Clearing of Electronic Checks. The payment of public services in the piloting areas of the PFTZ can be settled through the banks from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. The first cross-border public transportation IC card project has been implemented in the Hengqin area.

Innovation of legal service system

Piloting Measures for Management of China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone and Regulations on China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone are promulgated by the government. Honest and integrity index of the Guangdong PFTZ is measured and publicized.

The Guangdong PFTZ is also the first in China to establish the court and procuratorate within the free trade zone with a jurisdiction area covering several administrative divisions and adopts case-filing registration and separation of trials and enforcement.

International conciliation and arbitration is promoted. The Guangdong PFTZ has established the China FTZ Arbitration Alliance, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Commercial Conciliation Alliance as well as special arbitration and conciliation centers specialized in international shipping, maritime logistics, and international finance.

A complete system to assist the resolution of disputes over intellectual property right (IPR) and IPR protection is in effect. The Circuit for Intellectual Property Rights, the International Intellectual Property Exchange Center, the Service Center for IPR Protection, the Center for Proof of International Law and the Digital Forensics Lab of China Academy of Sciences (CAS) are already in operation.

Innovation of human resources management

The Guangdong PFTZ gives special preferential policies to high-level professionals from Hong Kong, Macao and overseas countries and regions in terms of immigration to and residence in China, project application, innovation and entrepreneurship, evaluation-based incentives, and supportive services. Special mechanisms will be introduced to realize the mutual recognition of the qualifications of talents working in the service industry in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Policies such as Opinions on Promoting Talent Development in China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone and Measures for Verifying Foreign High-level Talent in China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone are promulgated.

Various platforms for innovation and entrepreneurship are contributing to nurturing talents, such as the Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, the Qianhai Silicon Vally + Incubator Acceleration Platform, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Entrepreneurship Innovation Hub, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Dream Park and the Hengqin-Macao Youth Enterprise Valley.

Taxation administration

In principle, the tax policy piloted in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone could be applied in the Guangdong PFTZ.

Shenzhen Qianhai area provides 15 percent reduction on the corporate income tax for enterprises engaged in the encouraged industries. Meanwhile, for overseas high-level talents and overseas professionals in short supply, financial subsidies are provided to cover the excessive part of the individual income tax over 15 percent of the taxable income from wages and salaries.

Zhuhai Hengqin area provides 15 percent reduction on the corporate income tax for enterprises engaged in the encouraged industries. For Hong Kong and Macao citizens who work in Hengqin area, financial subsidies are provided to cover the individual income tax gap between Hengqin and Hong Kong or Macao.

Tax refund policy for foreign tourists is implemented.

[This English version is only for reference. To learn more, please refer to the authoritative Chinese version.]

Source: https://com.gd.gov.cn/en/