On Dec. 23rd, 2017 Tianfu Forum for Free Trade Pilot Zone was held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, with the theme of “New Strategy, New Opportunity and New Development”, the forum was hosted by Sichuan Federation of Social Science Associations, undertook by Chengdu Federation of Social Science Associations, and co-organized by Sichuan University, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, and Sichuan Normal University. The conference attracted many scholars and experts from Free Trade Pilot Zone Office, government, universities and financing institutions, etc. to discuss around “Free Trade Pilot Zone & System and Mechanism Innovation”, and Chengdu Consensus on Free Trade Pilot Zone was released as well.
Professor Jiang Yi, Secretary of Sichuan Federation of Social Sciences Associations' committee of the CPC hosted the opening ceremony, and Prof. Yang Quanming, the vice-president of Sichuan Federation of Social Sciences Associations, Liu Xin, the director-general of Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce, Vice-minister Xiang Baoyun of Publicity Department of Sichuan Provincial Committee of the CPC and so on delivered speeches separately.
Prof. Lin Guijun, the vice-president of University of International Business and Economics pointed out that the core of reform of Free Trade Pilot Zone was competition-oriented market economy system and creating a good business environment, he suggested the reform in inland regions was compared with international advanced mode, centered on inland logistic harbor for overcoming the development bottleneck in inland regions, and promoting openness in trade and investment.
Prof. Jiang Yumei of Southwestern University of Finance and Economics suggested that Sichuan Province followed international top level; actively explored “Four Centers & One Hub” based on itself characteristics – International Trade Center, International Finance Center, International Talent Exchange Center, International Information Center, and International Comprehensive Transport Hub.
On the conference, many scholars from Fujian Normal University, Fudan University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, Sichuan University, etc. offered advice and suggestions for the development of Sichuan Free Trade Zone, and eventually reached an agreement on Chengdu Consensus on Free Trade Pilot Zone, involved six aspects; and core tasks, emphasis and evaluation standards were proposed as well.
Chengdu Consensus proposed the construction of Free Trade Pilot Zone was an important measure for boosting deepening reform comprehensively, optimizing region distribution and forming a new pattern of comprehensive openness. Free Trade Pilot Zone should deepen supply-side structural reform, firmly grasp the need to build a modern economic system and promote high-quality development; its task were promoting system innovation, and forming a system frame for contacting with high-level international economic and trade rules; its emphasis focused on trade and investment management system innovation, and building free, open and transparent business environment: and its evaluation standard was pursuing the construction quality of Free Trade Pilot Zone as well.