WM/T 15-2025 in English

Background and Significance of Standard Development

With the deepening implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, the number and scale of economic and trade cooperation zones established by Chinese companies overseas have continued to grow. However, in practice, the lack of a unified terminology and definition system has led to different understandings of cooperation zones among various stakeholders, hindering the efficiency of policy communication, project docking, and operational management. The release of the WM/T 15-2025 standard, "Terms and Definitions for Overseas Economic and Trade Cooperation Zones," marks a new stage in the standardized and regular development of overseas economic and trade cooperation zones.

Led by the Ministry of Commerce's International Trade and Economic Cooperation Research Institute, the standard was jointly drafted by authoritative institutions such as the Ministry of Commerce's Department of Overseas Investment and Economic Cooperation, Shandong Dihao International Investment Co., Ltd., and Southeast University. It fully incorporates years of practical experience in the development of overseas economic and trade cooperation zones. The standard, which was released on June 16, 2025, and officially implemented on January 1, 2026, will become a key technical document guiding the standardized development of overseas economic and trade cooperation zones.

Core Terminology Architecture Analysis

This standard establishes a complete terminology system for overseas economic and trade cooperation zones, covering seven major modules: basic terminology, cooperation zone types, entity types, planning and construction, management and services, high-quality development, and evaluation and assessment, with a total of more than 50 core term definitions. This systematic architecture ensures the integrity and logic of term definitions.

In-depth Analysis of the Cooperation Zone Type System

The standard divides overseas economic and trade cooperation zones into six major types, each with distinct industrial orientations and functional characteristics:

Processing and Manufacturing Cooperation Zones

These are defined as "cooperation zones whose dominant industries are processing raw materials or reprocessing and assembling intermediate products." These cooperation zones primarily undertake domestic industrial transfers and leverage the host country's labor cost advantages. Typical examples include the Long Jiang Industrial Park in Vietnam and the Oriental Industrial Park in Ethiopia.

Resource Utilization Cooperation Zones

These are defined as "cooperation zones whose dominant industries are resource and energy development, processing, and comprehensive utilization." These cooperation zones focus on developing and utilizing the host country's natural resources while also emphasizing value-added processing, such as the Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone.

Agricultural Industry Cooperation Zones

These are defined as "cooperation zones whose dominant industries are agricultural planting (breeding), agricultural product development, processing, procurement, and warehousing." These cooperation zones promote agricultural technology transfer and agricultural product trade, such as the China-Russia Agricultural Industry Cooperation Zone. Trade and Logistics Cooperation Zones are defined as "cooperation zones focused on establishing integrated industrial clusters and service systems encompassing trade, logistics and warehousing, information services, transportation and distribution, and customs processing." A typical example is the China-Europe Trade and Logistics Cooperation Park in Hungary. Science and Technology R&D Cooperation Zones are defined as "cooperation zones focused on scientific research and development, innovation, design, experimentation, trial production, and industrial incubation." These zones focus on high-tech industries, such as the China-Belarus Industrial Park. Comprehensive Industrial Cooperation Zones are defined as "cooperation zones encompassing two or more dominant industries with relatively balanced development." These zones are large in scale and have comprehensive industrial systems, such as the Thailand-China Rayong Industrial Park.

Entity Structure and Responsibilities

The standard clearly defines the three core entities of overseas economic and trade cooperation zones and establishes a comprehensive system of rights and responsibilities:

Implementing Enterprises

are defined as "independent legal entities that complete investment procedures for cooperation zones within China." As the investment entity, implementing enterprises are responsible for domestic procedures such as overseas investment filing and capital outflow, and are the legal investors of cooperation zone projects.

Zone Establishment Enterprises

are defined as "independent legal entities established in the host country (region) of the cooperation zone to engage in the development and operation of the cooperation zone." Zone Establishment Enterprises are specifically responsible for land development, infrastructure construction, investment attraction, and daily operations management of the cooperation zone.

Zone Entry Enterprises

are defined as "independent legal entities that establish themselves in the cooperation zone to conduct business activities." Zone Entry Enterprises are the actual production and operation entities of the cooperation zone and enjoy the various services and preferential policies provided by the cooperation zone.

Infrastructure Construction Standard System

The standard sets out clear requirements for infrastructure construction in the Cooperation Zone. Core concepts include:

Infrastructure

It is defined as "the hardware facilities provided to meet the basic production and operation needs of enterprises in the zone and the living needs of employees." This includes seven basic systems: roads, water supply, drainage, gas, electricity, communications, and land leveling.

N connections and one leveling

This concept expands on the traditional "seven connections and one leveling" and is defined as "the ability to provide multiple aspects of infrastructure within the Cooperation Zone, including electricity, water, gas, road access, land leveling, drainage and sewage treatment, communications, flood control and energy security, living facilities, and resource recycling, to meet the production and living needs of enterprises, institutions, and personnel in the zone." This reflects a higher requirement for the completeness of the Cooperation Zone's infrastructure.

Supporting facilities

are defined as "buildings or equipment in the area of medical care, production and operation, culture and entertainment, commercial finance, and management services provided within the zone to meet the production and living needs of enterprises, institutions, and personnel in the zone." This includes production service facilities such as standard factories and warehouses, commercial service facilities such as banks, post offices, transportation, hotels, and supermarkets, and living service facilities such as apartments, clinics, schools, and parks.

Management Service Standardization System

The standard system standardizes the management and service content of the cooperation zone and builds a complete service system:

Comprehensive Management of the Cooperation Zone

is defined as "the comprehensive operation and management activities such as planning, production, service, and investment attraction carried out in the various stages of investment, construction, and operation in the cooperation zone." Emphasis is placed on the concept of full life cycle management. One-stop service is defined as "the services provided by the Cooperation Zone to facilitate procedures for enterprises, institutions, and individuals entering the zone, including company registration, land and real estate transactions, customs, taxation, commodity inspection, and travel facilitation." This reflects the requirement for service facilitation. The standard also defines specialized services such as consulting, daily security, logistics, warehousing, and customs services, establishing a complete service ecosystem.

Connotation and Path of High-Quality Development

For the first time, the standard systematically proposes four major directions for high-quality development of overseas economic and trade cooperation zones:

Integrated Development of Industry and Cities

This is defined as "driven by the industrial space and economic development of the cooperation zone, driving the renewal and improvement of service facilities in the region where the cooperation zone is located, enhancing land value, accelerating the urbanization process, and promoting the integrated development of economic and trade within and outside the cooperation zone." It emphasizes the coordinated development of the cooperation zone and the local society.

Digital Development

It is defined as "strengthening the innovative application of key digital technologies, utilizing intelligent facilities to digitally manage the Cooperation Zone, and promoting a development model that empowers data to upgrade the management services of the Cooperation Zone and the coordinated transformation of the production and supply chain." This reflects the requirements of digital transformation.

Green Development

It is defined as "integrating green, low-carbon, and environmentally friendly concepts into the development and operation of the Cooperation Zone, and implementing measures such as energy conservation and resource conservation, pollution reduction and carbon reduction, ecological environmental protection, and renewable energy resource utilization." This emphasizes the concept of sustainable development.

Innovation-Driven Development

It is defined as "taking innovation as the driving force for the development of the Cooperation Zone, and combining scientific and technological innovation, management innovation, institutional innovation, model innovation, business model innovation, and cultural innovation." This highlights the core position of innovation in the development of the Cooperation Zone.

Evaluation and Assessment System Construction

The standards establish a scientific evaluation system for the Cooperation Zone:

High-Quality Development Level Evaluation

Defined as "an objective analysis and assessment of the Cooperation Zone's hardware and software infrastructure, operational effectiveness, functions, direction, and security, focusing on the integrated development of industry and cities, digital development, green development, and innovation-driven development." A multi-dimensional evaluation framework has been established.

Localized Operations

Defined as "operational and management activities conducted by enterprises establishing and relocating to the Cooperation Zone that closely integrate their operations with the local social environment, business practices, and cultural factors." This includes specific requirements for localized organizations, personnel, and technology.

Social Responsibility

Defined as "the proactive responsibility of enterprises establishing and relocating to the Cooperation Zone, while pursuing economic benefits, to employees, consumers, the environment, and the community." This emphasizes the social value creation of enterprises.

Safety and Risk Assessment

Defined as "the analysis and evaluation of the safety of the cooperation zone's operating environment, projects, and personnel, as well as the likelihood and severity of risks, in accordance with certain standards." A risk prevention and control mechanism should be established.

Suggestions and Outlook for Standard Implementation

Suggestions for Government Implementation

Commercial authorities at all levels should use this standard as a basis to unify the statistical caliber and assessment standards for overseas economic and trade cooperation zones and improve the relevant policy support system. It is recommended that standard terminology be incorporated into the outbound investment management information system to achieve standardized data collection and analysis.

Suggestions for Enterprise Implementation

Implementing enterprises and enterprises establishing zones should organize specialized training to ensure that management and business personnel accurately understand the meaning of the standard terminology. Strictly adhere to the standard requirements throughout all stages of project planning, construction, and operation, especially in areas such as infrastructure planning and service system development.

Prospects for Standardization Development

With the implementation of this standard, it is expected that related supporting standards for the construction, operation, and services of overseas economic and trade cooperation zones will be successively issued, forming a complete standard system. Future standard revisions should focus on emerging areas such as the digital economy and green and low-carbon development, and continuously improve the terminology definition system.

As the first terminology standard for overseas economic and trade cooperation zones, the release and implementation of WM/T 15-2025 will effectively promote the standardization and standardization of cooperation zone construction, provide important technical support for the high-quality "going global" of Chinese enterprises, and contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to the construction of an open world economy.