On June 7, the third China–CEEC Customs Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation Dialogue was held in Ningbo. Zhang Jiwen, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs P.R.C., Zheng Shanjie, Deputy Secretary of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Commumist Party of China(CPC) and Secretary of Ningbo Municipal Committee of the Commumist Party of China(CPC), attended the meeting and delivered speeches, altogether 280 people attended the dialogue including officials from 13 CEE countries and Russia, Ukraine, representatives from the European Union Delegation in China, the OIE, the FAO of the United Nations, as well as Chinese representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Health Commission, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the China Railway, the COFCO and 42 Customs directly under the GACC.
Zhang Jiwen, then Vice Minister of GACC pointed out in his speech that along with the construction of the Belt & Road Initiative, the "16 + 1 Cooperation" as an important carrier of the BRI in its integration into the European economic circle, has encountered unprecedented opportunity. The dialogue meeting is a major task of the GACC in the implementation ofThe Budapest Guidelines for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries and an important measure to deepen international cooperation in inspection and quarantine, which aims to strengthen Customs cooperation, perfect communication and coordination mechanism for inspection and quarantine, accelerate imports of food and agricultural products into China, promote the logistics speed, and build the platform to expand trade and investment, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation between China and CEEO(16+1).
Zheng Shanjie, Deputy Secretary of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Commumist Party of China(CPC) and Secretary of Ningbo Municipal Committee of the Commumist Party of China(CPC), stated that Zhejiang is the pioneer of reform and opening up of China, Ningbo is the pivot for the BRI, and gateway connecting China and the CEEC. The success of the meeting will have a positive impact on the deepening of the economic and trade cooperation between China and CEEC, and it is hoped that the GACC and competent authorities of CEEC will continue to support the opened up economy of Ningbo and the construction of the economic and trade cooperation pilot zone within the 16+1 framework, and make Ningbo a role model for the cooperation and win-win between China and the CEEC.
At present, the economic and trade cooperation between China and the CEEC is increasingly close, the CEEC are China's important trade partner, and also the key areas to pushing the construction of the BRI. The GACC is the supervision and regulatory body for entry-exit, which shoulders responsibilities including the supervision of inbound and outbound transportation vehicles, commodities and goods, taxation, counter smuggling, and compilation of Customs statistics. In March of 2018, the first session of thirteenth session of the National People's Congress (NPC) reviewed and adopted the government restructuring reform of the State Council, and shift the mandate and staffing of the entry-exit inspection and quarantine of the former AQSIQ to the GACC. Hence, the GACC undertakes the supervision and regulatory work on frontier health and quarantine, entry and exit animals and plants quarantine, import and export commodity inspection, import and export food safety supervision.
After the restructuring reform, the Chinese Customs is given more duties and taskswith enriched means of supervision, which facilitates more convenient port clearance, and more efficient law enforcement. It is believed that this will provide the "China Solution" for the construction of the supervision and governance system for the global entry and exit commodities.
The dialogue was hosted by General Administration of Customs P.R.C. and Ningbo municipal people’s government, and sponsored by Ningbo Customs District P.R.C and China-CEEC Expo organizing committee, with the theme of "Better Cooperation for Enhanced Safety and Increased Trade", with the aim of strengthening cooperation between China and CEEC in the field of customs inspection and quarantine, and create a platform for all parties for policy interaction, technology exchange, the capacity assistance, so as to improve the quality and safety standard of food and agricultural products, smooth trade flow, achieve win-win for China and the CEEC and the countries alongside the BRI, so as to build the community of shared interests, shared responsibilities and shared future for the international trade of food and agricultural products. At the scene of the dialogue meeting, the participants unanimously agreed that strengthening the cooperation in food inspection and quarantine and establishing a long-term, stable and efficient information exchange and consultation mechanism were of great significance to promoting mutual understanding and trust, promoting the synergy and effectiveness of import and export food safety supervision measures and promoting trade facilitation.
The conference issued the “Common Vision in the 3rd China - CEEC Customs Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation Dialogue" and the “2018-2020 Action Plan for China-CEEC CustomsInspection & Quarantine SPS Cooperation” and has reached a number of consensus on establishing information communication and liaison mechanism, establishing regular meeting and consultation mechanism, and optimizing the customs inspection and quarantine cooperation information network between China and the CEEC, strengthening standard cooperation and service, promoting quarantine access and promoting trade flow.
It is reported that the 3rd China - CEEC Customs Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation Dialogue meeting was successfully held, opening a new chapter of "16+1 Customs Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation". Taking this as an opportunity, China will further strengthen the exchange and cooperation with the customs inspection and quarantine departments of all countries, jointly promote the economic and trade cooperation between China and the CEEC and countries along the China - Central European railways, and jointly build a safe and efficient regional epidemic and decease prevention and control system, jointly promote the quality and safety of food and agricultural products and promote the uninterrupted trade for countries alongside the BRI, and make greater contributions to the promotion of mutual benefits and win-win, as well as orderly development of international trade.(Zhou Zhe,Qin Huayang,Zhang Kongyu)
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