The proposed actions comprise a mix of initiatives to improve infrastructure, enhance processes, develop standards and target e-commerce growth and its development in specific key industries.

E-government infrastructure

One aim of the new initiatives is to promote greater coordination across government departments. The plans include a program to manage electronic files, plus the development of a unified and efficient commercial, trade and e-commerce statistics system. Other strategies feature improvements in e-commerce customs clearance and the acceleration of web-based electronic invoices for international trade transactions. The government will also continue to improve both taxation policies and practices in order to facilitate e-commerce, especially across national borders.

Standards

The new initiatives also promote the development of national standards to both facilitate e-commerce and encourage the people's faith in online activities. The Ministry of Agriculture will study and formulate the classification and grading standards for agricultural products. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), in conjunction with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) and other relevant departments, will study the measures to formulate the construction of a credit system regarding e-commerce product quality.

Improved logistics

AQSIQ will also work with the State Post Bureau (SPB) to explore the establishment of an inspection and quarantine regulatory model for e-commerce mail and express shipments under cross-border trade rules. The SPB will additionally explore the establishment of a mechanism to circulate information on the punctuality rate of express deliveries in key regions and improve the safeguarding of measures for e-commerce distribution during peak seasons. It will also cooperate with the GAC, the AQSIQ and other departments to improve the management of e-commerce mail and express shipments in cross-border trade.

Mobile (M)-Commerce facilitation

Recognizing the growing importance of M-Commerce, the People's Bank of China will study and formulate development policies for mobile financial payments, push forward the construction of a management system for safe and credible mobile financial payment services and establish a mobile payment information security system.

Specific industry initiatives

Forestry, tourism and agriculture are among the specific industries targeted for the related e-commerce support, growth and development. In the field of forestry, this includes the development of e-commerce models to enhance the assessment, trade and transfer of forestry assets.

Since China's exposure on the world stage of the Beijing Olympics, and with the Yunnan Rice Fields and Mount Tianshan recently listed as world heritage sites, China's tourism industry is set to expand significantly. This will include tourism spending by both Chinese citizens touring within China as well as by foreigners coming to China. These new e-commerce initiatives will put China in a good position to both facilitate the industry and maximize the economic return on these initiatives.

Another specific note in the government's latest plans is the need to enhance the legal structure to promote the use of electronic contracting in the tourism industry - something which has come to be expected, especially by international tourists.

Specific regions

The government plans to continue the special support and encouragement extended to the e-commerce development in key regions and cities, including those of Shenzhen, Beijing and 21 national e-commerce model cities.

Pilots

The combination of the Circular's new initiatives will provide a stronghold that can support the establishment and funding of different pilot projects across the abovementioned industries. This in turn will create an effective strategy from which lessons can be drawn and successes shared both rapidly and widely.

In summary, the new e-commerce and e-government initiatives are to be commended for their:

• Focus on providing an integrated, multi-channel service across government departments;
• Emphasis on organizational design and collaborative decision making;
• Attention to the development of a uniform standard and the improvement of processes, including organizational redesign;
• Recognition of the need for joint decision making;
• Attention to managing distributed domain knowledge; and
• Recognition of the need for a legal framework that facilitates e-government and e-commerce.

If China can successfully manage the execution of these plans, the future of e-commerce in China looks promising indeed.