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The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) will guide local commerce authorities to improve their support and facilitation for foreign businesses to secure trade and economic growth amid latest adjustments to anti-coronavirus measures, said An Baojun, a ministry official, at a press conference during which officials explained the introduction and implementation of the 20 optimized anti-epidemic measures which were announced on Friday.

China will continue to secure smooth operation of foreign businesses by improving anti-epidemic measures including improving closed-loop management and facilitating entry for international businesspeople, An said.

In addressing foreign trade, An said that China will boost efficiency of ports to ease burdens on enterprises and continue to improve the level of trade liberalization.

In response to concerns over logistics and supply chain disruptions, Han Jinghua, an official from the Ministry of Transport (MOT), said at the press conference that China will promote stability of industrial and supply chains to support economic growth. 

The MOT attaches great importance to recent problems of excessive control of truck movements in some regions and will make every effort to secure transport sector' smooth operation, Han said.

It is now strictly forbidden to shut down transportation and logistics infrastructure and deny transportation services without authorization, Han said.

Commerce and transport regulators also vowed to secure smooth supply of key materials and guarantee stable supply of essential goods for this winter and next spring, while stressing anti-epidemic efforts will not be relaxed.

The MOFCOM will continue to strengthen market monitoring and release reserved materials to ensure a stable market supply of essential goods, An said, adding the ministry will guide local commerce departments to strictly abide by the central government's latest 20 measures on curbing coronavirus.

Major businesses such as large supermarkets and agricultural produce wholesale markets will strictly implement epidemic prevention measures, An said.

Global Times