CBN丨Chinese provinces race to reach out for overseas business

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI.

大家好，我是主持人李莹亮。

Coming up on today’s program.

重点提要

• China’s export-starved regions roll out chartered flights to seek out orders;

• Hong Kong will scrap onsite PCR tests for outgoing travelers tomorrow.

Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours

中国经济要闻

Chinese local governments are stepping up efforts to revive the economy as the country updates its COVID-19 control policies. Some regional economic powerhouses are chartering flights for private business owners so they can travel abroad to drum up more export orders and investment.

From East China's Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces to South-west China's Sichuan and South China's Guangdong provinces, government-backed charter flights organized for private business groups have been making headlines since late November.

At a time when China's trade is confronted with mounting headwinds, the organized trips also inject a much-needed boost into public confidence, showcasing the government's all-out efforts to stabilize the economy and the country's firm recovery trajectory, which is set to make up for any epidemic-inflicted economic loss, observers said.

More than 20 business groups, organized by the commerce departments of Guangdong, Sichuan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, have set off for overseas destination since late November and early December, flying to Europe and neighboring markets such as Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea.

The trips have been described as "races against time" as they mark the first time in three years of coronavirus flare-ups that Chinese businessmen have been able to communicate face-to-face with foreign clients.

Zhejiang organised a six-day trip for a business delegation to travel to Germany and France last week, while its northern city of Jiaxing also chartered a flight to Japan for a group of 96. The province has the largest number of private enterprises in China and now plans to send more than 10,000 companies to overseas business events.

A 200-member delegation, which is made up of entrepreneurs and local government officials of Suzhou, the economic center of Jiangsu Province, departed for Europe on a chartered flight last Friday to visit world-renowned institutions and introduce the city’s latest industrial policies and business environment to foreign enterprise.

Enterprises from east China's economic powerhouse Shandong Province is also joining the race in seeking business opportunities in overseas trips planned from mid-December to mid-January next year, according to local authorities.

随着疫情形势的变化和防控政策的持续优化，不少地方正在将重心转移到“拼经济”上来。

连日来，江苏、浙江、广东、四川等地已经紧急行动起来。不完全统计，截至目前，全国各地至少已成功组织20个经贸团出海。

11月17日-23日，江苏省苏州市商务局组织开展了赴日包机服务工作，百名招商人员及外贸企业负责人赴日开展招商引资活动，成为2020年疫情以来中国地方政府层面组织的首次大型经贸团组包机服务。

据了解，苏州下辖各区市的“招商小分队”，共拜访62家企业和有关机构，举办3场交流推介会，达成投资意向项目32个，意向投资额18.6亿美元；外贸企业积极拓市场抢订单，共拜访日本客户200余家，争取订单金额超10亿元。

12月9日-18日，苏州市商务局组织开展的赴法国、德国包机服务再次启程。当地媒体报道，此次包机是自2020年疫情以来中国首个赴法国、德国经贸团组包机。

与江苏同为外贸大省的浙江，近日也正式启动“千团万企拓市场抢订单行动”。12月4日，一支由浙江省商务厅等省级部门相关负责人组成的队伍，开始为期6天的欧洲行。这次欧洲行是浙江省“千团万企拓市场抢订单行动”的首站，该行动由省商务厅牵头、政府带头联动企业赴境外参展、开展商务洽谈，联动企业赴境外参展、开展商务洽谈，助力企业拓展海外市场。

外贸第一大省广东，也悄然抢先“出海抢单”。10月底，广州市商务局就组织40多家外贸企业以包机的方式，赴马来西亚、新加坡开展经商贸易活动，助力外贸企业抢订单、拓市场。11月份至今，在防疫优化放松之后，深圳、佛山等地加入了奔赴海外抢订单的行列。

值得一提的是，除江苏、浙江、广东这样的沿海外贸大省之外，地处西部地区的四川省也积极行动。12月5日，四川食品、医药、汽车、家具、农产品等行业31家外贸企业40人乘坐商务包机飞赴法国、德国、意大利，开展为期9天的经贸促进活动。

Greater Bay Area, Greater future

新使命，大未来

• PCR tests will be scaled back, quarantine wristbands are out, and Hong Kong's LeaveHomeSafe QR codes can be removed, the SAR government said on Tuesday, as it gave further details of an easing of pandemic measures. The relaxation of rules from Wednesday also means the three-day amber health code for incoming travelers is no more and providing they test negative for Covid, arrivals can visit restaurants and bars as soon as they land in the city, Chief Executive John Lee announced Tuesday. Meanwhile, residents will no longer be required to take a PCR test at the borders with the Mainland and Macau, the city’s health secretary said, adding that they still need to present negative test results within 48 hours before entering Shenzhen and Macau.

  明起香港赴内地和澳门无须在口岸测核酸：明天（14日）起，香港将调整防疫措施和相关安排。12月13日，香港特区政府医务卫生局局长卢宠茂称，除香港市民出行无须扫描安心出行二维码，以及香港取消黄码之外，撤销从香港前往内地和澳门人士在口岸、机场的“检测待行”安排，旅客持48小时内核酸检测阴性证明即可通行；调整本地核酸检测策略，将资源集中在高风险场所或人群，特区政府将减少向住宅大厦发出强制检测公告，改为在社区增加发放快速检测包；撤销居家隔离检疫人士佩戴电子手环的要求。

Next on industry and company news

产业及公司新闻

• Anti-COVID drugs and antigen test kits producers dropped today after a broad rally on Monday as such drugs, as well as antigen test kits, are in hot demand across the country. Beijing’s drug watchdog said Monday it has sent 12 inspectors to be stationed around the clock at 11 manufacturers of drugs that can help cope with COVID-19 symptoms from Saturday. The purpose of the inspections is to ensure the quality of drugs, normal supply and smooth circulation channels so as to ensure people’s demand for drugs, the regulator said.

  北京全力做好疫情防控药品保供：13日，新冠抗原检测相关板块大幅下跌。12日北京市药监局表示，已派12名工作人员进驻11家疫情防控药品生产企业，全力做好疫情防控药品保供工作。近期，市民对抗病毒类药品需求加大，多家药业相继发声表示，正采取多种措施扩大生产，全力保障市场供应。

• Bookings for flights between Jan. 7 and Jan. 21, Chinese New Year’s Eve, soared 8.5-fold since Dec. 7 from a week earlier, according to data from online travel agency Qunar.com.

  春运机票预定量周涨8.5倍：去哪儿平台最新数据显示，自12月7日以来，春运期间（2023年1月7日-21日）机票预订量显著增长，环比一周前增长近8.5倍。

• China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom will delete users’ mobile travel data from today, after the national app tracking people’s whereabouts was switched off midnight Monday. Information on users collected from the “itinerary code” app will be deleted in accordance with the law, the big three state-owned telecoms operators said.

  三大运营商同步删除行程卡用户信息：12月13日0时起，“通信行程卡”正式下线。中国三大电信运营商均表示，依据有关法律规定，自12月13日0时“通信行程卡”服务下线后，同步删除用户行程相关数据，依法保障个人信息安全。

Switching gears to financial news

金融市场消息

• Chinese developer CIFI Holdings Group said yesterday it will sell its lucrative property management subsidiary to help meet its overseas debt obligations. CIFI will sell its entire stake in CIFI Ever Sunshine Services, at 23.2 percent of total equity. Based on CIFI’s Ever Sunshine’s closing price yesterday, the sale may generate HK$2.5 billion for CIFI.

  旭辉拟售永升服务全部股份：为纾缓流动性压力，旭辉控股计划转让其所持物业公司权益。该公司12月12日公告称，公司拟通过投标程序出售其所持旭辉永升服务全部股份，该股份占公司已发行股本23.26%。旭辉控股相关人士表示，公司已正式邀请潜在投标人参与竞投，但截至公告日，尚未与任何投标人签订具有法律约束力的协议。目前，旭辉永升服务总股本为17.49亿股，若不考虑股价折让等因素，旭辉将从此次股权出让回笼资金25.47亿港元。

• Country Garden is to become one of the first private Chinese developers to receive offshore loans that could help their debt repayment. State-own lender ICBC plans to provide US$300 million in offshore loans to Country Garden backed by a domestic guarantee, media reported yesterday. The exact amount is not final yet.

  工行拟为碧桂园提供“内保外贷”：继龙湖集团宣布获“内保外贷”后，12月12日媒体获悉，目前中国工商银行拟为碧桂园提供“内保外贷”业务，贷款规模初定为3亿美元，具体金额还有待最后落定。

Wrapping up with a quick look at the stock market

股市收盘情况

• Chinese stocks fell on Tuesday with the benchmark Shanghai Composite losing 0.09 percent, and the Shenzhen Component slid 0.66 percent. Hong Kong stocks closed on the front foot as traderswelcomed the easing of more Covid measures in the city, as the Hang Seng index rose 0.68 percent, and the TECH index edged up 0.73 percent.

  A股缩量港股收涨：周二A股三大指数全天缩量下跌，截至收盘，沪指跌0.09%，深证成指跌0.66%，创业板指跌1.05%，沪深两市全天成交额8164亿元。港股恒指震荡收高0.68%，恒生科技指数涨0.73%。

Biz Word of the Day

财经词汇划重点

• Equityis ownership of assets that may have debts or other liabilities attached to them. Equity is measured for accounting purposes by subtracting liabilities from the value of the assets.

  股权，是有限责任公司或者股份有限公司的股东对公司享有的人身和财产权益的一种综合性权利。股权是股东基于其股东资格而享有的，从公司获得经济利益，并参与公司经营管理的权利。

Executive Editor: Sonia YU

Editor: LI Yanxia

Host: Stephanie LI

Writer: Stephanie LI

Sound Editor: Stephanie LI

Graphic Designer: ZHENG Wenjing, LIAO Yuanni

Produced by 21st Century Business Herald Dept. of Overseas News.

Presented by SFC

编委: 于晓娜

策划、编辑：李艳霞

播音：李莹亮

撰稿：李莹亮

音频制作：李莹亮

设计：郑文静、廖苑妮

21世纪经济报道海外部 制作

南方财经全媒体集团 出品

更多内容请下载21财经APP