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
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that he is stepping down as the Liberal Party leader but will stay on as prime minister until a new leader is selected, while the opposition leader complained that "nothing has changed".
The prime minister said Governor General Mary Simon had granted his request to prorogue Parliament until March 24.
"Nothing has changed," federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on his social media, questioning what has changed with Trudeau's announcement.
"Every Liberal MP and Leadership contender supported everything Trudeau did for nine years, and now they want to trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians for another four years," said Poilievre, the official opposition leader.
Trudeau is facing a revolt within his caucus and dismal public opinion polls, which indicate that his party is likely to be swept from power by Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives in an election, according to local media.
The House of Commons was scheduled to resume on Jan. 27, with the Conservatives planning to advance a non-confidence motion. Other opposition parties had indicated their readiness to bring down Trudeau's minority Liberal government. Trudeau's request for prorogation buys the Liberals time to run an expedited leadership race without facing a confidence vote.
A new session of Parliament would begin with a Speech from the Throne, setting the stage for a key confidence vote that could trigger a federal election in May if the Liberals fall.
Trudeau's decision to continue as prime minister through the next two months comes as Canada braces for the start of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's second term and his threats of 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada.
A majority of members of Parliament from the regional Liberal caucuses told Trudeau over the Christmas break that he must step aside. A national, daylong caucus to discuss the matter had been set for Wednesday, but this is now moot with a leadership race underway.
Liberal members of Parliament and party members will be briefed in the coming days on the party's constitution and caucus' role in the upcoming leadership campaign. According to the Liberal Party of Canada's constitution, "upon the occurrence of a leadership trigger event," or if the leader announces resignation, a meeting of the national board of directors must be called within 27 days. In consultation with the caucus, the board could appoint an interim leader. The top party officials would also be required to set a date for a leadership vote and other parameters around the race.
Trudeau has been the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada since 2013 and prime minister since 2015.
Canadian prime minister to step down as opposition complains "nothing has changed"
