Officials from the Ministry of Commerce have reassured foreign investors that they will not drop preferential policies in place that benefit them over domestic companies. Foreign companies are not required to pay tariffs and value-added tax when importing equipment for their own operation. They also enjoy a lower corporate income tax rate.
Under China's WTO agreement all companies, be they foreign or domestic, will eventually receive equal treatment, but officials say that they are planning to establish more policies which promote foreign investment in the immediate future. One such policy will allow the creation of foreign-funded, even solely funded, logistics companies.