中國歐盟商會:實現持續增長需從根本上重估政府在商業環境中的角色

中國歐盟商會:實現持續增長需從根本上重估政府在商業環境中的角色

中國歐盟商會於二零一三年九月五日在北京發佈《歐盟企業在中國建議書2013/2014》(下稱《建議書》)。作為歐盟商會最具重要性年度政策影響出版物,今年的《建議書》是第十三版。中國歐盟商會表示,過去中國尚可在經濟結構調整與保增長之間進行抉擇,而當下經濟結構調整已成為保增長的必要前提。

中國亟需進行新一輪體制改革已是廣泛達成的共識。儘管中國已進行了一些局部調整,但需更加重視市場力量,以確保日漸有限的各項資源得以分配到生產效率高的社會領域。若要達到此目標,政府須首先從根本上重新認識其在商業環境中的角色。

「中國的領導人已經明確需要更好地發揮市場的作用,以促進中國經濟結構轉型,」中國歐盟商會主席大衛表示,「然而,微妙的是如何實現這一目標。一方面,政府須加強其監管方面的角色;而另一方面,真正的改革需要政府放開對商業領域中很大一部分的政治控制。這是一個艱難且繁複龐雜的過程,但只有政府從目前過分主導的角色上後退,市場力量才能得到加強。」

「市場自由化的進程被擱置,且本土企業、尤其是國企繼續受到偏袒對待,」大衛先生繼續說到,「這些往往通過帶有保護主義色彩的產業政策、以及外國投資者面臨的市場准入條件體現出來,比如對於技術轉讓的要求。中國目前真正需要的是提高生產力的創新技術,以及對資本和資源更加有效的利用。而這些具誤導性的產業政策,無法鼓勵企業致力於發展這些真正重要的領域。政府必須學會依靠一個公平和開放競爭市場的自身運轉。這樣將會有助於私營企業發展、帶來更加公平的財富分配、提升中國的國際形象以及更重要的是,為企業提供創新的動力以及採納技術和機制滿足中國社會需求的動力。」

關於《歐盟企業在中國建議書》
《歐盟企業在中國建議書》是歐盟商會最重要的年度出版物。此第十三版《建議書》向中國的政策制定者提出了逾八百條建議。其中每條建議均是直接來自商會一千七百多家會員企業的行業知識與經驗。這些建議由商會三十四個工作組歷經六個月的商討過程而形成,涵蓋二十六個垂直行業、八個橫向跨行業領域,以及八個直接向省級政府提交的地區分會《分會聚焦》。

《建議書》囊括了為中國政策制定者提供的宏觀及具體建議,勾劃出致力於改善中國商業環境的建議及步驟。書中涵蓋了改善行政及商業運營環境的宏觀建議,以及針對中國可從放寬對外國企業市場准入中獲益的具體領域建議。歐盟商會工作組在《建議書》中明確了二百一十九條主要建議,而其中三分之一均與市場准入問題有關。

在接下來的一年中,《建議書》將被呈遞給中國各級政府及監管機構,以探討通過合作落實這些建議的可能性。《建議書》還將在九月中旬被呈遞給歐盟委員會及歐盟各成員國政府。

下載《歐盟企業在中國建議書2013/2014》,請訪問以下連結:
http://www.europeanchamber.com.cn/en/publications-position-paper

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European Union Chamber of Commerce in China: Sustained Growth Requires a Fundamental Reassessment of the Government’s Role in the Business Environment

While China could previously make a choice between economic restructuring and maintaining growth, economic restructuring is now necessary to maintain growth, according to the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, which today launched the 13th annual edition of its primary lobbying document, the European Business in China Position Paper 2013/2014.

Widespread consensus has already formed that China needs to embark on a new round of structural reforms. Some small steps have been taken, but greater play must be given to market forces to ensure that China’s increasingly limited resources are directed to the most productive areas of society. To bring this about, the government must firstly fundamentally reassess its role in the business environment.

“China’s leaders have already identified a better use of market forces as the catalyst to transform China’s economy,” said European Chamber President Davide Cucino. “The tricky part is making this happen. While the government must still strengthen its own role as a regulator, real reform demands a vast ceding of political control over the business environment. This is a difficult and daunting process, but market forces can only be strengthened if the government steps back from its current overly-dominant role."

“Liberalisation has stalled and domestic companies—in particular state-owned enterprises—continue to receive partisan treatment,” Mr. Cucino continued. This plays out through nationalistic industrial policies and through conditions being placed on the opening of markets to foreign investment, like technology transfer requirements. These policies are misguided as they don’t produce the incentives for companies to strive for the things that China really needs right now, such as productivity-enhancing innovation or efficient usage of capital and resources. The government must rely more on the natural functioning of a fair and open competitive marketplace. Doing so will assist the development of private enterprises, lead to a more equitable distribution of wealth, improve China’s external reputation and, most importantly, give companies the freedom and incentives to innovate and employ the tools, technologies and systems to meet China’s societal needs.”

About the Position Paper

The Position Paper is the European Chamber’s primary annual publication. This 13th annual edition of the Position Paper offers both Chinese policy-makers over 800 recommendations that draw directly from the knowledge and expertise of the European Chamber’s 1,700 member companies. The recommendations were formulated over a six-month consultative process by 34 separate working groups, covering 26 vertical industry sectors and 8 horizontal cross-industry sectors, as well as through 8 local papers offering recommendations to municipal governments.

The Position Paper contains general and specific recommendations to Chinese policy-makers outlining suggested steps to improve the Chinese business environment. These cover general recommendations to improve the administrative and operational business environment, as well as recommendations aimed at identifying areas where China could benefit from giving greater market access to foreign-invested enterprises. Of the 219 key recommendations identified by the working groups within the Position Paper, nearly one-third of these are identified as clearly relating to market access issues.

Over the coming year, the European Chamber will present the Position Paper to relevant Chinese authorities at both ministerial level and working level to identify possibilities to cooperate together to promote the implementation of these recommendations. The Position Paper will also be presented to European authorities, both at the European Union and in EU member states in mid September as part of the European Chamber’s annual European Tour.

To download this year’s Position paper, please visit:
http://www.europeanchamber.com.cn/en/publications-position-paper