High-rise buildings and skyscrapers dominate the skyline of the Huangpu River and the Lujiazui Financial District in Pudong, Shanghai on July 12, 2018. [Photo/IC]

BEIJING -- The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council on Thursday jointly issued a directive calling for high-quality trade development.

By 2022, China aims to have an optimized trade structure and a notable improvement in trade efficiency, and set up an evaluation system for high-quality trade development, according to the document.

The guideline stressed the need to speed up the development of modern services, especially production-related services, while modern services should be deeply integrated with the advanced manufacturing industry.

China will gradually advance from processing and manufacturing to research and design, marketing services and brand management, generating more added value through exports.

The guideline also urged coordinating the development of trade and the environment, with strict control over the export of high-polluting and high energy consumption products.

Meanwhile, China will step up the construction of comprehensive cross-border e-commerce pilot zones, and actively participate in the formulation of rules for the global digital economy and digital trade.

China aims to make the China International Import Expo more globally influential and attractive, and expand the functions of comprehensive fairs such as the China Import and Export Fair and the China International Fair for Trade in Services.

The guideline also called for promoting the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement of the World Trade Organization in the domestic market and building a world-leading and fair business environment.