Shanghai FTZ aims for new breakthroughs in 2018, especially in free trade port

BEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- China’s Shanghai free trade zone aims for new breakthroughs in five aspects this year, the Xinhua-run cs.com.cn reported on Friday.

The Shanghai free trade zone has to make new breakthroughs in construction of the free trade port and quicken the pace to improve the construction scheme, according to Ying Yong, mayor of Shanghai.

It has to make new breakthroughs in separating business operation permits from business licenses. While deepening the existing reform items, it has to quicken the pace to release reform guidelines on other approval items.

Meanwhile, it has to make breakthroughs in improving the business environment for cross-border trade. It should not only lower the port charges, but also reduce the time-consuming procedures, said Ying.

Ying also noted that the Shanghai free trade zone has to make new breakthroughs in expanding functions and scope of the free trade accounts. It should also make new breakthroughs in investigation and research; deepen research on the internationally highest and best standards, and study real needs of the enterprises and actual results of the reform in a down-to-earth manner.

Last March, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council approved the implementation plan for deepening the reform and opening-up of Shanghai free trade zone.

Under the plan, Shanghai free trade zone will build itself into a comprehensive reform pilot zone integrating openness and innovation, a risk stress test zone for the open economy system, and a precursor of enhancing government governance capacity, and a bridgehead of serving the Belt and Road construction and promoting "going global” of main market players, Ying added.