Canceling export tax rebates for photovoltaic, battery products conducive to curb rat-race competition: official

Canceling export tax rebates for photovoltaic and battery products is conducive to promoting green transformation and curbing rat-race competition, an official of the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Li Xianzhong, head of the ministry's Comprehensive Department, said the policy change has been made in accordance with the development needs.

"Export tax rebate is an important tax system arrangement. For a long time, China has implemented an export tax rebate policy for most products, and has adjusted it in a timely manner in accordance with the needs of economic and social development," he said.

The MOF and the State Taxation Administration jointly issued an announcement on Jan 9 that export tax rebates for the value added tax of photovoltaic products will be canceled starting from April 1, 2026.

Meanwhile, the export tax rebate rate for the value added tax of battery products will be reduced from 9 percent to 6 percent starting from April 1, 2026, and will be eliminated starting from Jan. 1, 2027, according to the announcement.

Li said the adjustment has been made in light of China's actual conditions on the basis of the reduction of export rebate rates for photovoltaic and battery products in December 2024.

"At present, China's economy and society have entered a stage of high-quality development characterized by accelerated greening and low carbon emissions. The adjustment to the export tax rebate policy this time is conducive to promoting efficient use of resources, reducing environmental pollution and carbon emissions, and driving comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development," Li said.

"Meanwhile, it will also help guide rational adjustment of the industrial structure, promote industrial transformation and upgrading, comprehensively address disorderly rat-race competition and promote high-quality economic development. In a next step, the MOF will work with the relevant other departments to ensure effective implementation of the policy," he said.

Canceling export tax rebates for photovoltaic, battery products conducive to curb rat-race competition: official

A Chinese envoy on Monday called on the international community to jointly prevent Japan from reverting to "the old and pernicious path of militarism."

Sun Lei, charge d'affaires of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, made the appeal at the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the UN Conference of Plenipotentiaries on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity.

Crimes against humanity constitute grave offenses that threaten international peace and security. This charge first appeared in the Charter of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and the Charter of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, embodying the conscience of humankind, he said.

During World War II, Japanese militarism inflicted profound atrocities on the people of China, other Asian nations, and the world. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the work of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East ("Tokyo trials"), he noted.

The Tribunal systematically adjudicated and exposed the crimes of Japanese militarism in planning, preparing for, and invading China and other Asian nations, as well as in launching the Pacific War. It sentenced relevant war criminals for crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, he said.

"The Tokyo trials stand as irrefutable historical evidence of Japan's crimes of aggression, pioneered the development of international criminal law, and sounded a clarion call for peace to correct Japan's expansionist policies. The international community should jointly safeguard the victorious outcomes of the Second World War, including the Tokyo trials, uphold the international order based on international law, and prevent Japan from reverting to the old and pernicious path of militarism," he said.

Against the current international situation marked by intertwined changes and turmoil and regional conflicts arising one after another, strengthening the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity is both timely and of great significance, said Sun.

China calls for efforts to prevent Japan from reverting to militarism