rachel

At the Sixth Plenum, the 19th CPC Central Committee adopted a rare historical resolution on the “major achievements and historical experience” of the CPC in the century since its founding as well as its “future directions.” The Sixth Plenum was particularly important as it took place at a critical historic juncture in the CPC’s plans to achieve “national rejuvenation” through two centennial goals – the building of a “moderately prosperous society” by 2021 and transforming China into a “great modern socialist country” by 2049. In the “new era,” Chinese authorities can be expected to further intensify efforts to build a more self-reliant, sustainable, and inclusive economy at home, while pursuing an increasingly assertive foreign policy abroad. Going forward, businesses should be aware that the concept of achieving “common prosperity” will be at the heart of the official economic agenda.

MOFCOM has announced a target of attracting USD 700 billion in foreign direct investment cumulatively within the next five years. The Plan pledges to continue opening up to foreign investment, with a particular focus on market opening, fair competition and local-level policy innovations. Strengthening the government’s ability to mitigate risks, from oversight of cross-border technology transfers to national security review mechanisms, is also a key theme.

China’s new Leading Small Group (LSG) on peak carbon and carbon neutrality was announced on the 27th LSGs are informal mechanisms that allow for high-level coordination between different departments and local governments on specific policy areas. The LSG on carbon neutrality includes several key ministries and significant political figures, and is focused on a challenge that President Xi has personally tied himself to – all of which should grant it strong influence compared to other LSGs.

The UK recently characterised China as a major systemic challenger, but bilateral trade in 2020 remained robust. British businesses’ operations in China are now included in services exports, doubling the size of previous estimations. The UK and China have continued to cooperate in certain areas, such as ESG and academic exchange, and this engagement must be preserved.