On the morning
of today (February 21), the Information Office of the Shanghai Municipality
held a press briefing during which Gu Jun, deputy secretary-general of the
Shanghai Municipal Government and director of the Shanghai Municipal
Development and Reform Commission, introduced the details of the activities
under the 2024 “Ride the Wave of Rising Shanghai” Global Investment Promotion
Season. Yang Chao, executive deputy chief of Pudong New Area, Chen Guozhong,
deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission,
Liu Ping, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and
Informatization, Zhu Yi, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission
of Commerce, Wang Jianming, vice chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Federation
of Industry and Commerce, and Shen Honghua, Second-level Inspector of the
Shanghai Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Construction Management Committee,
attended the press briefing and answered questions from reporters.

Expanding effective investments stands out as a
key measure towards achieving the goal of promoting stable economic growth and
optimizing the structure. The activities under the 2024 “Ride the Wave of
Rising Shanghai” Global Investment Promotion Season are slated to unfold from
February to June this year. Aligned with the study and implementation of the
spirits from the Central Economic Work Conference and General Secretary Xi
Jinping’s crucial address during his inspection tour to Shanghai, the city is
poised to take substantial strides under the work requirements by the CPC
Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai Municipality on stepping up
efforts to hold the “Invest in Shanghai” series of activities, advance global
investment promotion, ensure project advocacy and policy interpretation to
elevate visibility on both domestic and international fronts. Embracing the
overarching vision of “expanding more effective investment, cultivating more
innovative momentum, and serving higher-quality development,” the activities
will be threaded with the theme of “business environment, deepened reform,
expanded opening-up, and regional coordination.” Through a coordinated effort
in investment promotion activities, Shanghai aims to showcase its unique
advantages and sound business environment, creating a robust narrative of a city
with “better environment, more opportunities, wider opening up, steadfast
reform and burgeoning momentum.”

This year’s
activities will highlight greater emphasis on four fronts.

The first
priority is to place greater emphasis on the implementation and guidance of
major strategies. Following General Secretary Xi Jinping’s strategic vision for
Shanghai’s development during his inspection tour in late November and early
December last year, the city was entrusted with a series of major national
strategic tasks by the central authorities. These initiatives provide robust
support and impetus for Shanghai’s pursuit of high-quality development. The
upcoming activities aim to leverage the leading and driving role of major
strategies in reform and opening up, with a particular focus on utilizing the
initiatives to build Pudong into a pioneer area for socialist modernization as
well as the Hongqiao International Hub for Opening-up and other leading areas
of reform and opening up in a bid to yield tangible outcomes with the signing
of a batch of pivotal projects. The overarching goal is to systematically and
collaboratively advance the implementation of major national strategic tasks.

The second priority
is to place greater emphasis on optimizing and promoting the business
environment. As a crucial barometer and showcase of China’s economy, Shanghai
has a top-tier business environment that consistently attracts elite domestic
and foreign investors. This year’s activities are geared towards reinforcing
effective implementation so as to elevate the city’s business environment to
new heights. Firstly, we endeavor to ensure a good start with solid work. At
the 2024 Business Environment Optimization Conference held on the first working
day after the Spring Festival, Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining outlined
plans and set high standards for the year ahead. The focus is on steering the
business environment work toward a high-quality advancement throughout the
year, kickstarting investment promotion efforts with a strong start and on a
positive trajectory. Secondly, we will reach out to promote the city’s “new
advantages.” The city will hold investment promotion events both domestically
and overseas and both within the city and out of town, so as to present Shanghai’s
development stories while championing the bright prospects of China’s economy. Thirdly,
efforts will be made to enhance the “sense of gain.” In the areas directly
related to investment like project construction, the city will unveil and
elucidate the 7.0 version of the business environment reform plan, with an aim
to lower thresholds and improve efficiency.

The third
priority is to place greater emphasis on optimizing the structure under a
“dual-drive” system. In steering this year’s investment initiatives, we are
steadfast in our commitment to refining the investment structure, and focus on
propelling the “dual-drive” system powered by both industrial investment and
private investment. The city will foster new growth areas, fortify emerging
momentum, improve future-oriented competitiveness, and bolster market vitality.
Within industrial investment, we will spotlight Shanghai’s accomplishments in
industrial economic development, emphasizing investment opportunities within
key industrial chains. Concurrently, with regards to the private economy, we
will illuminate areas of potential investment for private enterprises and
provide more accessible channels. We aim to create an investment-friendly
environment, champion investment opportunities, ensure the consistency of
investment policies, optimize investment services, invigorate private
investment vitality, and propel the rapid development of the private economy.

The fourth
priority is to place greater emphasis on regional coordination and collaboration
across the city. In alignment with the goals of promoting urban-rural
integration, fostering coordinated regional development, and contributing to
the establishment of a new development pattern, this year’s activities will
persistently concentrate on key areas, with the efforts to further propel the
high-quality development of Five New Cities, actively promote citywide coordination,
and encourage all districts to orchestrate events under a unified theme. By
doing so, we aim to facilitate city-wide collaboration and form a united effort
to promote investment.

This year, we are planning and holding a comprehensive array of nine
series of activities.

The first series commences with the theme of pioneering at the
forefront, with the staging of the 2024 Shanghai Business Environment
Optimization Conference on February 18. We also unveiled the 7.0 version of
Shanghai’s action plan for optimizing the business environment, while
introducing the
activities under the 2024 “Ride the Wave of Rising Shanghai” Global Investment
Promotion Season.

The second series unfolds with the theme of attracting investment to
Shanghai. We will reach out to hold a series of investment promotion
activities. By fostering cross-department and city-district cooperation, we aim
to bolster the brands of “Invest in China,” “Invest in Shanghai,” and “Ride the
Wave of Rising Shanghai” beyond the confines of Shanghai and into the global
arena. We will proactively attract premier domestic and international
enterprises, together with impactful projects, channeling global funds into
Shanghai.

The third series involves the theme of bolstering impact with
leadership. Aligned with the third anniversary of the Hongqiao International Hub
for Opening-up, we will hold the 2024 on-site meeting on the high-level
construction of the Hub. The objective is to distill effective experiences,
outline work plans, and facilitate a range of cooperative efforts, agreements,
and project signings. These endeavors collectively aim to elevate the impact
and leadership of Hongqiao International Hub for Opening-up, optimizing its
role in pioneering, leading, demonstrating, and exerting a pervasive influence
on the region.

The fourth series is centered on reform and innovation. We will
showcase the impactful outcomes of reform and innovation of Pudong as a
pioneer area for socialist modernization. It will involve the elucidation of the comprehensive reform
implementation plan of Pudong New Area, with the unveiling of a multitude of
major reform and innovation cases. We will vigorously champion pioneering
reform and expansive opening up in a comprehensive manner, while continually
augmenting development momentum and elevating global competitiveness.

The fifth series is centered on global investment promotion. We will
hold the 2024 Shanghai Global Investment Promotion Conference. Anchored by the
municipal-level major investment promotion platforms and centered around a
modern industrial system, this series will systematically highlight investment
opportunities in key areas and pivotal industrial chains. It will result in the
signing of a series of major investment projects and serve as a platform to
showcase Shanghai’s industrial economic development achievements and its
exceptional investment environment.

The sixth series is geared towards invigorating vitality. We will
hold activities for the Private Economy High-Quality Development Service Month.
The plenary meeting of the Joint Conference on Shanghai Private Economic
Development will be held. Intensive service activities, including project
promotion, bank-enterprise matchmaking, release of new infrastructure
investment opportunities, and interpretation of interest discount policies, will
be conducted. This concerted effort aims to stimulate the vitality of private
investment and foster the solid development of the private economy.

The seventh series is centered on system integration. We will unveil
the 7.0 version of the business environment reform plan within the realm of
project construction. Benchmarked against the highest international standards
and best practices, this initiative will meticulously interpret policies and
measures aimed at reforming the approval system for construction projects and
enhancing the business environment for project bidding. The overarching goal is
to continually elevate the sense of gain and satisfaction for business entities.

The eighth series is aimed at driving collaboration and
coordination. We will support all districts to hold their own “Ride the Wave of
Rising Shanghai” events. Tailored to each district’s unique circumstances, the
district governments and relevant administrations will hold specific events,
including investment promotion, project signing, and project commencement, forming
a dynamic citywide landscape marked by the same ambition, various highlights
and shared confidence.

The ninth series is aimed at empowering the New Cities. We will hold
an event to summarize the achievements of “Ride the Wave of Rising Shanghai”
and release a new round of support measures for the high-quality development of
the Five New Cities. With a focus on targeted policies, power deregulation, function
enhancement, and district-to-district collaboration, the city will introduce a
fresh set of key measures supporting the high-quality development of the Five New
Cities. The aim is to attract more business entities to invest in and establish
presence within the New Cities. Additionally, we will hold the summary and
review activities for the 2024 “Ride the Wave of Rising Shanghai” Global
Investment Promotion Season, in a bid to celebrate the results and further advocate investment opportunities in Shanghai.

Shanghai will make greater
efforts to deliver on the essence of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important
speeches, expedite the development of the “Five Centers”, and foster a
market-oriented, legally sound and internationally aligned business environment.
We will holistically and powerfully drive pioneering reforms and spearheading
opening-up initiatives towards a modern socialist international metropolis with
global influence. The city will forge new milestones with refreshing spirits on
this transformative journey.

At this juncture, we extend our
warmest invitation to enterprises, institutions, and investors both
domestically and internationally. As a city known for its opening and
diversity, Shanghai beckons all to actively engage with and participate in the “Ride
the Wave of Rising Shanghai” activities. We encourage you to consider Shanghai
as a pivotal hub and strategic location for your investment and business
development. Investing in Shanghai unveils boundless opportunities!