China in Africa
Annexure III: Ministry of Commerce
A
key
organ
playing
a
major
role
in
the
formulation
of
Chinese
global
economic
policy
is
undoubtedly
the
Ministry
of
Commerce
(MOFCOM),
which
prior
to
2003
was
known
for
many
years
as
the
Ministry
of
Foreign
Trade
and
Economic
Cooperation
(MOFTEC).
The
Ministry
plays
a
significant
role
in
forging
economic
relations
between
China
and
other
states
–
and
is
the
primary
bureaucratic
interface
between
China
the
rest
of
the
world
as
far
as
two-way
trade
and
investment
is
concerned.
Under
Chen
Deming,
it
leads
and
defines
the
international
stance
of
China’s
commodity
resource
base,
and
has
key
inputs
on
investment,
technological
competition,
markets,
prices,
etc.
Influential
key
figures,
with
vice-ministerial
rank,
are
Yu
Guangzhou,
Ms.
Ma
Xinhong,
Gao
Hucheng
and
Yi
Xiaozhun.
Yi
Xiaozhun
is
responsible
for
matters
related
to
the
World
Trade
Organisation
(WTO),
and
also
for
the
Ministry’s
extremely
relevant
Business
Intelligence
Unit
(see
below),
which
also
receives
inputs
from
the
State
Administration
for
Commerce,
under
Zhou
Bohua.
Comprising
a
staff
of
some
1350
people,
relevant
functions
of
MOFCOM
that
impinge
on
pricing,
production,
domestic
use
and
the
export
of
raw
and
processed
materials
are
the
following:
- Responsibility, under the guidance of the “Unified State Plan” and in collaboration withentities like the Ministry of State Security (MSS) and allied military entities such as NORINCO in the compilation of short (one year), medium (5 years) and Long term (> 5years) foreign trade plans.
- To organize the construction of export commodity production bases.
- Supervise the management, collection and analysis of data (formal economic statistics, mostly open source) on foreign economic and trade businesses.
- Give guidance to foreign economic and trade enterprises in management and financial accounting.
- Organize inter-governmental economic and trade negotiations; • Establish Joint Committees, under authorization of the State Council, to enter into bilateral governmental economic and trade treaties and agreements on behalf of China;
- Organize and manage China’s trade treaties and agreements;
- Formulate related rules and regulations in the management of foreign economic cooperation and trade.
- Organizing and coordinating the negotiation and signing of foreign government loans, foreign business investments, technology imports and exports (including imports of complete plants); and the examination and approval of agreements and contracts concerning major projects utilizing foreign capital and technology.
- Exercise sectoral management in overseas projects involving contractual construction, labour export and overseas economic cooperation.
- Exercise sectoral management of import/export licenses and export quota system. Examines how sectors exercise the setting up of foreign economic enterprises in China and abroad.
- Supervise the running of China’s commercial offices and economic counselors abroad in embassies and consulates (in conjunction with MSS and the Military Intelligence Department).
- Examine foreign business representations in China.
- Participate in the study and formulation of the overall tariff rate, tariff structure, exchange rates and other regulating measures governing external economic relations.
- Organise research and studies of international economic and trade situations and markets; and to keep abreast of international economic and trade information.
-
In
accordance
with
the
“Unified
State
Policy”,
provide
guidance
to
organs
attached
the
Ministry
as
well
as
to
different
regions
and
organs
along
with
organization
and
coordination.
7.5.1. The CCPIT
An
important
sub-structure
of
the
Ministry
is
the
Chinese
Council
for
the
Promotion
of
International
Trade
(CCPIT).
Ostensibly
acting
as
a
promotional
investment
entity
for
Chinese
investments
abroad,
is
used
by
MOFCOM’s
Business
Intelligence
Unit
(BIU)
as
a
primary
instrument
for
gathering
business
intelligence
against
the
country’s
competitors.
This
includes
foreign
pricing
strategies,
key
trade
figures,
tricks
of
the
trade,
production
secrets,
competitor
investment
and
business
plans,
etc.
It
also
plays
a
key
role
in
advising
and
spearheading
Chinese
investment
forays
abroad,
including
Africa.
The
CCPIT
is
directly
connected
to
the
Chinese
Chamber
of
International
Commerce
(CCIC).
It
is
headed
by
Wang
Jifei
(influential
in
party
and
business
circles),
who
is
supported
by
Zhang
Wei
(Vice-Chairman),
and
Wang
Jinghen
(Secretary
General).
The
CCPIT
participates
in
the
policy
formulation
of
product
prices,
especially
in
what
concerns
international
trade.
It
has
superior
knowledge
of
pricing
negotiations
abroad
and
all
close
and
open
secrets
of
international
commerce.
This
is
achieved
in
part
via
the
aggressive
use
of
intelligence
gathering
sub-units
located
in
MOFCOM
which
work
closely
with
their
counterparts
at
the
Ministry
of
State
Security
(MSS)
and
the
PLA’s
military
intelligence
wing.
MOFCOM’s
role
in
international
industry
negotiations
and
commercial
intelligence
gathering
is
crucial
for
the
country’s
oil,
coal,
steel
and
related
metals
producers
and
it
is
here
that
corporate,
security
and
defense
bureaucracies
find
a
synergistic
interface
–
a
pooling
and
coordination
of
resources
to
give
Chinese
negotiators
a
sharper
competitive
edge
over
their
opponents.
目次
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Africa in the Context of China's Resource Acquisition Requrements
- 3. The Origins of China's New Africa Policy
- 4. The Role of FOCAC
- 5. China's New Resource Acquistion Business Model
- 6. The Role of Chinese Institutions in the Acquisition of Business Intelligence
- 7. China's Energy Footprint in Africa
- 8. China's Mining Footprint in Africa
- 9. China's Telecommunications Footprint in Africa
- 10. China's Infrastructure Footprint in Africa
- 11. The Role of China's Financial Institutions
- 12. Implications for Japanese Investors
- Annexure I: The Focac Fuc Structure
- Appendix II: The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
- Annexure III: Ministry of Commerce
- Annexure IV:Profile Chen Yuan and Chi Janxin