Shanghai introduces new policies guiding free trade zone development

Shanghai municipal government on Tuesday released new policy document on China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lin-gang Special Area, aiming to deepen high-quality reform and opening-up and promote high-quality development in the area.

The document contains 16 measures covering five aspects, including better collection and utilization of global high-end and new resources, building a science and technology innovation system with full chain and whole process, and organizing key industries with competitiveness in the international market.

"We will comprehensively enhance the international competitiveness of the data industry and stimulate the vitality of innovation in the financial industry, continuously optimize the resource layout to create world-class advanced industry clusters, accelerate the innovation and application of intelligent connected equipment, promote the clustering of professional services, and support the improvement of environmental opening up and infrastructure construction in Lingang New Area," said Chen Yanfeng, deputy head of Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission on the press conference.

Officials also said that the Special Area will continuously strengthen measures to attract talents from home and abroad.

"In the next three years, we will create no less than 150,000 jobs. These jobs will mainly be in digital economy industries such as artificial intelligence and cross-border data services, high-end service industries such as technology finance, offshore finance and shipping services, and advanced manufacturing industries such as integrated circuits, intelligent new energy vehicles and civil aviation," said Chen Jinshan, secretary of the Party Working Committee and director of the management committee for Lin-gang Special Area.

Since its establishment in August 2019, the area's annual contribution of direct foreign investment has increased by 45.3 percent, while the annual import and export trade volume has grown by 37.5 percent. Nearly 110,000 companies have been registered in the area by far.

Shanghai introduces new policies guiding free trade zone development

China's top political advisor Wang Huning on Friday urged political advisors to intensify research and consultation to offer valuable suggestions for advancing the cause of people with disabilities.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made these remarks while presiding over a biweekly consultation session of the national committee.

Wang underlined that ensuring a happy and fulfilling life for people with disabilities is an essential requirement for promoting Chinese modernization.

He called upon political advisors to focus on the new situations and challenges in advancing the cause for such individuals while urging more targeted and practical proposals based on thorough investigations and research.

Democratic oversight should be strengthened to ensure the effective implementation of policies supporting those with disabilities, Wang noted.

Several national political advisors also made their remarks during the session. They called for efforts to create unobstructed career development pathways for people with disabilities, advance research and application of assistive technologies, and enhance the quality of public services to continuously improve their quality of life.

China's top political advisor stresses boosting services for people with disabilities