China is steadily advancing free trade in services in its pilot free trade zones, with Zhejiang province among the key regions benefiting from expanded market access policies, a senior commerce official said on Aug 27.

Speaking at a press conference hosted by the State Council Information Office, Kong Dejun, director of the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services at the Ministry of Commerce, said multiple measures have been introduced across the free trade zones to open up professional services, finance, and cultural sectors.

He said that in pilot regions including Guangdong, Shanghai, Fujian, and Zhejiang, foreign nationals are now allowed to sit for qualification exams for registered urban and rural planners, real estate appraisers, supervision engineers, and certified engineers in survey and design. In addition, overseas individuals can open securities and futures accounts in these zones and provide consulting services in securities investment or futures trading.

Kong added that the Ministry of Commerce is closely monitoring the implementation of the negative list for cross-border services trade, working with local governments and other agencies to address challenges and remove bottlenecks in its application.