The fifth Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Tax Administration Cooperation Forum wrapped up on Thursday with a number of achievements that are expected to promote international tax collaboration and optimize tax environment, facilitating trade and investment between countries involved in the BRI.
As one of nine outcomes from the three-day event, the Hong Kong Action Plan (2025-2027) was unveiled at the closing ceremony. The plan is designed to deepen tax cooperation among BRI participants, with the goal of removing barriers to cross-border trade and investment.
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This marks the third action plan developed since the BRI Tax Administration Cooperation Mechanism (BRITACOM) was established in 2019, led by the State Taxation Administration of China. The previous two were named after the host places of the first two forums — Wuzhen in East China’s Zhejiang province and Nur-Sultan (now known as Astana), the capital of Kazakhstan.
The plan outlines 20 targeted measures aimed at raising tax certainty, promoting digital transformation of tax administration, fostering a business-friendly tax environment, and reinforcing capacity building of tax administration. The BRITACOM, for instance, will publish policy interpretations, case analysis, and risk alerts to help taxpayers navigate the complex tax regulations of different jurisdictions, so as to reduce disputes over misunderstandings.
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Moreover, the plan seeks to motivate BRI participants to refine tax legislation, optimize tax incentives, and streamline tax processes to improve the business climate. Over the next five years, the BRITACOM will offer 10,000 training slots for officials from BRI jurisdictions to help enhance their tax administration capabilities.
“I encourage BRI jurisdictions to participate in these multilateral initiatives, and to gain insights from each other’s experiences while also contributing their own best practices to improve their tax systems,” Tam Tai-pang, newly elected chairman of the BRITACOM council, said in an interview with China Daily.
Tam, also the commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, added the SAR will remain actively engaged in activities organized by the BRITACOM, including training, and emphasized that hosting this forum serves as “a perfect example” of the city’s commitment to international tax cooperation.
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As noted in the forum’s joint agreement released on Thursday, “We agree that, in the process of global integration, deepening tax administration cooperation is of great importance in removing barriers to cross-border trade and investment, and promoting coordinated regional development and inclusive growth of economic globalization.”
The forum’s outcomes also include four work reports under the Nur-Sultan Action Plan (2022-2024), the joint statement from the fifth forum, and the BRITACOM work report for 2024. In addition, the tax authority of Maldives joined as the 37th council member of the mechanism. The newly launched BRI tax academy in Algiers will offer training to tax officials from African nations in both French and Arabic.
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Nepal and Indonesia will take the reins as hosts for the sixth and seventh forums respectively, Wang Daoshu, executive secretary of the BRITACOM Secretariat and deputy commissioner of the State Taxation Administration of China, announced at the closing ceremony.
Kavita Regmi, deputy director general of the Inland Revenue Department of Nepal, said, “We are eager to showcase our commitment to excellence in tax administration and to provide a platform for meaningful discussions.”
These exchanges could further solidify Nepal’s bond of collaboration with the international community, she added.
