Recently, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Further Strengthening Trade Policy Compliance Work" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"), proposing a series of key tasks and safeguard measures. According to expert analysis, the Opinion aims to further clarify the guiding ideology of trade policy compliance work, strengthen the requirements of trade policy compliance work mechanism, promote the construction of a new system of higher-level open economy, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, and provide guidance for the current and future period of trade policy compliance work. Positive results have been achieved in compliance work, and strengthening trade policy compliance work is an important means to steadily expand institutional openness and an important part of building a new system of higher-level open economy. It is reported that since joining the World Trade Organization, China has introduced a series of measures to ensure that trade policy measures comply with WTO rules and China's accession commitments. In 2014, the General Office of the State Council issued a notice on further strengthening trade policy compliance work. Provincial governments and relevant departments of the State Council successively established mechanisms for trade policy compliance work, continuously improving compliance capabilities and the level of fulfilling commitments, achieving positive results in compliance work. The head of the World Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce stated that in recent years, the international economic and trade landscape has undergone profound changes, and China has gradually grown from a passive recipient and active participant in international economic and trade rules such as the World Trade Organization to an important participant. The new situation has put forward new requirements and tasks for trade policy compliance work. The person in charge stated that WTO rules are the "underlying logic" of international high standard economic and trade rules, and their advocated basic principles of openness, non discrimination, openness, and transparency are consistent with the direction of China's socialist market economy reform. Further strengthening compliance with trade policies can help create a first-class business environment, promote the construction of a unified national market, ensure a non discriminatory and transparent policy environment for all market entities, promote the smooth flow of production factors and efficient allocation of resources, thereby unleashing market potential and laying a solid foundation for steadily expanding institutional openness and building a new system of higher-level open economy. At the same time, further strengthening the compliance of trade policies fully reflects China's consistent stance of firmly upholding the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core. Based on in-depth research and extensive solicitation of opinions from various regions and relevant departments, the Ministry of Commerce has revised and improved the "Notice on Further Strengthening Trade Policy Compliance Work" and drafted the "Opinions". The Opinion will serve as a new guiding document for compliance work, and the Notice on Further Strengthening Trade Policy Compliance Work will no longer be implemented. The Opinion proposes six key tasks to strengthen the compliance mechanism of trade policies. Clarify the target of compliance work. The Opinion clarifies the scope of trade policies and requires State Council departments, local people's governments at or above the county level, and their departments to conduct compliance assessments of the formulated trade policies to ensure they comply with WTO rules and China's accession commitments. Highlight the responsibilities of compliance entities. The Opinion emphasizes that in the process of formulating trade policies, policy-making departments should evaluate whether the proposed policy measures are compliant in accordance with the principle of "who formulates, who evaluates". Strictly conduct compliance assessments. The policy-making department should strictly evaluate against the rules of the World Trade Organization and China's accession commitments. Fulfill compliance work procedures. The Opinion proposes that compliance assessment should be a necessary prerequisite before the introduction of trade policies. If the compliance assessment finds that there is a risk of non-compliance between trade policies and WTO rules and China's accession commitments, the policy-making department should make necessary modifications. Responding to foreign compliance concerns. The Opinion requires that the Ministry of Commerce is responsible for receiving opinions from other members of the World Trade Organization and assisting policy-making departments in providing external responses. The State Council departments and local governments should carry out relevant follow-up work. Conduct external compliance assessments. According to the Opinion, the Ministry of Commerce is responsible for raising concerns about other members' illegal measures in the World Trade Organization, actively conducting consultations and negotiations, and safeguarding the legitimate overseas rights and interests of enterprises. Currently, China is accelerating the construction of a new development pattern by comprehensively enhancing its compliance assessment capabilities. According to expert analysis, steadily expanding institutional openness such as rules, regulations, management, and standards is an important task to accelerate the construction of a new development pattern and promote high-quality development. The Opinion clearly requires the complete, accurate, and comprehensive implementation of the new development concept, better coordination of domestic and international situations, better coordination of development and security, standardization of work procedures, improvement of mechanism guarantees, enhancement of the ability to use international rules to safeguard China's development rights and interests, effective prevention and resolution of risks, and contribution to the construction of a higher-level open economic new system and the acceleration of the construction of a new development pattern. With the implementation of the Opinion, how can we ensure its effectiveness? The person in charge of the World Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce introduced that the "Opinions" propose to increase compliance training efforts, enrich training forms, establish and improve regular training and work exchange systems, make good use of trade policy compliance systems and other platforms, and comprehensively enhance compliance assessment capabilities. Strengthen compliance supervision and incentives, promptly supervise and rectify those who fail to carry out compliance work as required, hold accountable those who cause adverse consequences in accordance with discipline and law, and commend and encourage units that have carried out compliance work well, summarize and promote experience and practices. The Ministry of Commerce stated that it will take the lead in providing guidance, work with relevant departments to improve safeguard measures, and promote the implementation and effectiveness of the requirements of the Opinion. (New Society)