Core Points - The Ministry of Commerce released a work plan to support Beijing as the first pilot city for the implementation of the WTO's Electronic Commerce Agreement, aiming to accelerate the establishment of global digital trade rules in China [1][2] - The work plan includes 41 specific measures across five key areas to enhance digital trade, improve data governance, optimize the digital consumption environment, expand telecommunications business openness, and strengthen international cooperation in digital trade [1][2] Group 1 - The work plan emphasizes three major innovations to systematically align with international high-standard rules, modernize digital trade governance, and expand international cooperation in digital trade [2] - Beijing has made significant progress in digital openness, being selected as one of the first pilot cities for expanding value-added telecommunications business, with 10 companies receiving pilot approvals [2] - The city has established a cross-border electronic contract signing platform with over 14,000 certified enterprises and leads the nation in data outbound diversity and success rates [2] Group 2 - The next steps involve establishing a city-level coordination mechanism to detail task assignments and ensure the effective implementation of policies, aiming to create replicable and scalable experiences for future nationwide promotion of the agreement [2]

Core Viewpoint - The Ministry of Commerce of China has released a work plan to support Beijing in being the first pilot city to implement the WTO's E-commerce Agreement, aiming to expedite the adoption of global digital trade rules established by the WTO by the end of 2024 [1] Group 1: Implementation of the Work Plan - The work plan was jointly developed by five national departments, including the Ministry of Commerce and the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, to leverage Beijing's advantages in digital industry and trade [1][2] - Beijing's digital economy accounted for 45% of its GDP in 2024, with digital trade making up half of its service trade, surpassing the national average [1][2] Group 2: Digital Trade Initiatives - Beijing has been selected as the only pilot city for the implementation of the E-commerce Agreement due to its achievements in digital openness and cross-border data flow management [2][3] - The city has established a cross-border electronic contract signing platform with over 14,000 certified enterprises and has initiated several digital trade pilot projects [2] Group 3: Specific Measures in the Work Plan - The work plan outlines 41 specific measures across five areas: enhancing trade digitization, improving data governance, optimizing the digital consumer environment, increasing transparency in telecom business, and strengthening international cooperation in digital trade [3] - Key initiatives include promoting paperless trade through electronic documents and payments, enhancing personal data protection, and expanding value-added telecom business [3][4] Group 4: Future Directions - The plan aims to create a favorable environment for enterprises to expand internationally by fostering cooperation in data protection and digital trade standards with other WTO members [4] - Beijing will establish a city-level coordination mechanism to ensure the effective implementation of the work plan and to accumulate experiences that can be replicated nationwide [4]