Shanghai, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) — On November 28, ten national ministries and commissions led by the General Administration of Customs of China conducted a joint inspection and acceptance of the pilot start-up zone of the Shanghai Oriental Hub International Business Cooperation Zone and issued an acceptance certificate. This first-of-its-kind special zone in the country will inject new momentum into China’s efforts to further advance high-level reform and opening up.
November 28, the enclosed acceptance of the pilot start-up zone of the Shanghai Oriental Hub International Business Cooperation Zone. (Photo provided by the Administration of Shanghai Oriental Hub International Business Cooperation Zone)
The Shanghai Oriental Hub International Business Cooperation Zone (hereinafter referred to as the “International Business Cooperation Zone”) was established with the approval of the State Council in February 2024. It has a planned area of approximately 0.88 square kilometers and is divided into two blocks by the G1503 expressway, with the eastern block being the pilot start-up zone, covering a planned area of about 0.44 square kilometers.
As one of the regions with the highest level of international openness, the International Business Cooperation Zone aims to promote international business exchanges. Building upon the management systems of comprehensive bonded zones, customs surveillance zones, and port restricted areas, it overlays policies and measures facilitating cross-border personnel movement and business service functions for specific enclosed areas. It extends the “first-tier liberalization, second-tier control” system from goods to natural persons, striving to create a new platform for facilitating international business exchanges, a new carrier for aggregating resource elements, and a new node for promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.
Officials from the International Business Cooperation Zone stated that since the State Council approved the “Overall Plan for the Construction of the Shanghai Oriental Hub International Business Cooperation Zone” (hereinafter referred to as the “Overall Plan”) in February 2024, the zone has actively advanced construction in systems, management, and infrastructure, achieving phased results.
Shanghai has issued the “Measures for the Management of the Shanghai Oriental Hub International Business Cooperation Zone,” providing legal safeguards to guide its development, construction, and operation management; the General Administration of Customs has issued the “Interim Measures of the Customs of the People’s Republic of China for the Supervision of the Shanghai Oriental Hub International Business Cooperation Zone,” providing institutional support for the convenient and efficient management of personnel, luggage, goods, etc.; the National Immigration Administration has issued the “National Immigration Administration Regulations on the Passage Management of the Shanghai Oriental Hub International Business Cooperation Zone (Interim),” providing institutional support for ensuring free exchange and interaction between Chinese and foreign personnel.
The International Business Cooperation Zone has fully completed its infrastructure construction, including high-standard supervision facilities, an intelligent gantry system, and a comprehensive information management service platform. It has finished the construction of enclosed facilities for the pilot start-up zone and the connecting passage to Pudong International Airport, achieving enclosed management of the area. Facilities for categorized management, such as the international side inspection area for overseas personnel and the domestic side access channels for inbound personnel, have been established. (End)
