China has adopted a range of measures this year to support high-standard opening-up, said Cheng Zhijun, director-general of the Department of International Economic and Financial Cooperation of the Ministry of Finance.
Effective January 1 this year, China has applied import provisional tax rates lower than the most-favored-nation rates to 935 commodities, significantly enhancing the synergistic effects between domestic and international markets and resources, Cheng said.
In February, China implemented a "zero-tariff" policy on certain inbound goods for consumption by residents of the Hainan Free Trade Port, further enhancing the sense of gain among island residents. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance introduced multiple preferential import tax policies to support scientific and technological innovation, as well as the development and utilization of energy and resources, the official said.
Starting May 1, on the basis of applying "zero-tariff" treatment to all the least developed countries that have diplomatic relations with China, China implemented a two-year "zero-tariff" measure for 20 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China, injecting strong momentum into China-Africa cooperation, Cheng said.
"During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the financial authorities will accelerate the establishment of a scientific and efficient modern tariff system to support the development of a higher-standard open economy system. Efforts will be made to expand imports of high-quality global goods, develop a diverse array of pacesetters for opening up, and deepen international economic and trade cooperation," the official said.
China rolls out multiple measures to support high-level opening-up: official
China's summer box office has surpassed 11 billion yuan (about 1.64 billion U.S. dollars) as of Friday evening, driven by a diverse mix of domestic and imported titles.
According to the latest data from online platforms, daily box office has exceeded 100 million yuan for 42 consecutive days. The summer movie season has drawn over 300 million moviegoers across more than 35 million screenings, with momentum continuing to build as new films hit theaters.
Although the summer movie season is drawing to a close, theaters in Beijing remain bustling, with many moviegoers reporting multiple visits this summer.
"I'm here today to watch The Odyssey. I watched Once Upon a Time in the Middle East a couple of days ago. It was really, really good," said a moviegoer.
This summer's movie season has featured more than 120 Chinese and foreign films, offering a rich variety of fresh themes and genres including war epics, sci-fi adventures, crime thrillers, and traditional Chinese-style animation, providing a wide range of choices for audiences with diverse tastes.
Kung Fu Soccer, All Wishes Come True, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day currently rank as the top three box office hits of this season. The anti-war and food-themed film Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has seen steadily rising critical acclaim and box office.
The comedy-mystery animated film Mystery of Chang'an is set to officially premiere on August 22, offering audiences an audiovisual experience that blends Eastern aesthetics with a wealth of imaginative ideas.
"The film actually has quite a lot of elements to it, like fantasy, suspense, adventure, crime-solving, and comedy," said Li Yingying, the film's producer.
In addition, imported films such as the thriller-adventure The End of Oak Street and the 4K restored version of the cinematic classic The Shawshank Redemption are also set to premiere in August, further enriching the summer movie lineup.
Industry insiders say that with several new releases poised to hit theaters in the coming weeks, this year's summer movie season is expected to close on a strong note, laying a solid foundation for the steady and positive growth of the film market throughout the year.
Diverse film lineup drives China's summer box office past 11 billion yuan
