配资专业炒股理财 Shanghai Weekly Bulletin (Issue 135 No.4, March 2026）_Foreign_the_is

Shanghai Weekly Bulletin is an information service presented by the Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government in collaboration with Wolters Kluwer to foreign-funded enterprises, foreign-related institutions as well as people from overseas living in Shanghai. Covering major national and Shanghai foreign-related news, event information, policy Q&A and interpretations in the past week, it keeps you up-to-date with the latest foreign-related policies and developments in Shanghai.

If you have any comments or suggestions for Shanghai Weekly Bulletin, please feel free to send an email to shanghai_weekly@shanghai.gov.cn. Thank you!

Laws and Regulations

【National】

2026 Cross-Border Trade Facilitation Campaign Officially Launched

GAC Fully Rolls Out Cross-District Return Policy for Cross-Border E-Commerce Retail Exports

2026 Cross-Border Trade Facilitation Campaign Officially Launched

GAC Fully Rolls Out Cross-District Return Policy for Cross-Border E-Commerce Retail Exports

【Shanghai】

Shanghai Releases 2026 Key Tasks for Transforming Government Functions and Reforming the Administrative Approval System

Shanghai Issues Plan to Build the “Shanghai Style” Brand

Shanghai Releases Version 3.0 of the Policy List for the High-Quality Development of the Digital Advertising Industry

Shanghai Releases 2026 Key Tasks for Transforming Government Functions and Reforming the Administrative Approval System

Shanghai Issues Plan to Build the “Shanghai Style” Brand

Shanghai Releases Version 3.0 of the Policy List for the High-Quality Development of the Digital Advertising Industry

Q&A

At a press conference held by the GAC to interpret the newly revised regulatory framework for registration of overseas manufacturers of imported foods, an official from the GAC answered questions from the media.

Q: It was mentioned that the newly revised Regulations of the Customs of the People’s Republic of China on the Registration Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Foods introduces four major innovations in facilitation measures. Could you elaborate on the specific conveniences that will be brought to applicant enterprises after the implementation of the Regulations?

Expert Perspective

Foreign Investment Guide to China: Interpretation of Key Revisions and Highlights of the Catalogue of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment (2025 Edition)

One Week in Shanghai

【Latest News】

Certificating Ceremony Held for 42nd Batch of MNCs Regional Headquarters and R&D Centers

Fifth Anniversary of the Hongqiao International CBD

GARP Shanghai Representative Office Settles in Dishui Lake Financial Bay

RCA Shanghai Centre Settles at Donghua University

Certificating Ceremony Held for 42nd Batch of MNCs Regional Headquarters and R&D Centers

Fifth Anniversary of the Hongqiao International CBD

GARP Shanghai Representative Office Settles in Dishui Lake Financial Bay

RCA Shanghai Centre Settles at Donghua University

【Corporate Activities】

AstraZeneca Cell Therapy Innovation Center to be Established in Zhangjiang

BASF’s First Wholly-Owned Agricultural Solutions Company in China Settles in Pudong

Haleon Builds its First Oral Health Manufacturing Base in China in Shanghai Lingang

Global Microelectronics Engineering Company Melexis Chooses Huangpu

Ralliant’s Asia-Pacific Headquarters Officially Lands in Minhang

AstraZeneca Cell Therapy Innovation Center to be Established in Zhangjiang

BASF’s First Wholly-Owned Agricultural Solutions Company in China Settles in Pudong

Haleon Builds its First Oral Health Manufacturing Base in China in Shanghai Lingang

Global Microelectronics Engineering Company Melexis Chooses Huangpu

Ralliant’s Asia-Pacific Headquarters Officially Lands in Minhang

【Forums and Exhibitions】

Global Developer Pioneers Summit 2026 Set to Open

【Culture & Arts】

AW2026 Shanghai Fashion Week Set to Open

The 41st Shanghai Spring International Music Festival to Open on March 26

Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra Launch In-Depth Cooperation

AW2026 Shanghai Fashion Week Set to Open

The 41st Shanghai Spring International Music Festival to Open on March 26

Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra Launch In-Depth Cooperation

Laws and Regulations

National

1.2026 Cross-Border Trade Facilitation Campaign Officially Launched

[Keywords: Cross-border trade]

On March 16, the General Administration of Customs (GAC), together with 24 other authorities, jointly launched a six-month cross-border trade facilitation campaign for 2026. This year’s campaign introduces a new package of 29 policy measures to enhance the quality and efficiency of foreign trade. The measures mainly focus on deepening innovation in import and export customs clearance supervision, optimizing supervision services for new forms of foreign trade, improving cross-border logistics efficiency, strengthening smarter port construction, promoting the alignment of standards and rules, and enhancing comprehensive support for enterprises.

Source: Website of the Chinese Government

2.GAC Fully Rolls Out Cross-District Return Policy for Cross-Border E-Commerce Retail Exports

[Keywords: Cross-border e-commerce, Retail exports, Cross-district returns]

Recently, the GAC issued the Announcement on Fully Rolling Out Cross-District Returns for Cross-Border E-Commerce Retail Exports. The document specifies that enterprises engaging in cross-district returns for cross-border e-commerce retail exports shall operate in a compliant manner and have an independent functional area for processing. Relevant data from their production and operation systems shall be accessible to, or connected with, the GAC’s information systems. This document will take effect on April 1, 2026.

Source: International Services Shanghai

Shanghai

1.Shanghai Releases 2026 Key Tasks for Transforming Government Functions and Reforming the Administrative Approval System

[Keywords: Transformation of governmental functions, Administrative approval]

The General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government recently issued the Shanghai’s Key Tasks to Transform Government Functions and Reform the Administrative Approval System in 2026. The document sets out 24 measures across four areas: accelerating the development of a high-standard market system and building a world-class business environment; continuously deepening the reform of the administrative approval system and building an efficient service-oriented government; continuously strengthening precise and coordinated government supervision to enhance governance capacity; and advancing reform and innovation within the government itself to ensure high-quality economic and social development.

Source: Shanghai Municipal People’s Government

2.Shanghai Issues Plan to Build the “Shanghai Style” Brand

[Keywords: Shanghai Style]

The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce recently issued the Overall Plan for Building the “Shanghai Style” Brand to Drive Consumption Quality and Expansion. The document sets out 16 key tasks across five areas, including designing and releasing a unified visual identity system for the “Shanghai Style” brand, establishing a service certification and evaluation system for “Shanghai Style”, and including market entities or products that pass certification in an official recommendation list and authorizing them to use the unified logo.

Source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce

3.Shanghai Releases Version 3.0 of the Policy List for the High-Quality Development of the Digital Advertising Industry

[Keywords: Digital advertising industry]

On March 18, the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation issued the Shanghai Policy List for the High-Quality Development of the Digital Advertising Industry (3.0 Version). The document covers 41 robust measures, including funding support, tax and fee reductions, talent incentives, and technological innovation, thereby establishing a full-cycle, multi-tiered, and wide-coverage policy service system to support the industry’s development.

Q&A

It was mentioned that the newly revised Regulations of the Customs of the People’s Republic of China on the Registration Administration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Foods introduces four major innovations in facilitation measures. Could you elaborate on the specific conveniences that will be brought to applicant enterprises after the implementation of the Regulations?

First, the new Regulations gives full consideration to alignment with the existing registration system. The import trade of the 96,000 food enterprises already registered worldwide will not be affected, and they will benefit from the implementation of the new Regulations.

(1) Registration will be automatically renewed for 95% of the enterprises already registered. Pursuant to the Regulations and the relevant implementation announcement, food manufacturers other than those producing meat and meat products as well as bird’s nest and bird’s nest products will enjoy automatic renewal upon expiry of their registration. This makes the management of registration validity more efficient. For the above two categories of enterprises whose registration cannot be automatically renewed, the Regulations extends the application period for renewal from 3–6 months before expiry to 3–12 months, thereby allowing more sufficient time for these enterprises to apply for renewal of registration.

(2) Changes for existing enterprises will become more convenient. For registered enterprises seeking to make changes, we have adopted a more flexible and pragmatic approach. We mainly assess whether the changes will have a significant impact on the food safety, hygiene management or protection systems before deciding whether to approve them, thus ensuring the smooth operation of food trade to the greatest extent possible.

Second, for enterprises applying for new registrations, the revision introduces four aspects of facilitation.

(1) Application process is more convenient. The previous dual-track system of “official recommendation” and “enterprise self-application” have been optimized into a single model where applications are submitted by enterprises. For imported foods categorized as requiring official recommendation for registration, enterprises may directly submit applications to the Chinese side after obtaining inspection reports and recommendation letters issued by the competent authorities.

(2) Application materials are further streamlined. The proof-of-identity documents for enterprises are no longer limited to business licenses; official certificates issued by authorities may also be submitted. Registration information such as “type of production” and “production capacity” is now required on an as-needed basis.

(3) Information feedback is faster. Enterprise registration progress will be notified directly to enterprises via the system and communicated to the overseas competent authorities.

(4) A fast-track “list-based registration” channel has been added. For countries and regions that have already established a good cooperative relationship and reached bilateral arrangements on import registration with China, their enterprises may benefit from the expedited registration process available under the “list-based registration” model.

We believe that, following the implementation of the new Regulations, the import registration process for law-abiding and compliant food enterprises will become more efficient and convenient.

Expert Perspective

Foreign Investment Guide to China: Interpretation of Key Revisions and Highlights of the Catalogue of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment (2025 Edition)

By Zhang Peng, Wang Siming [Beijing Dentons Law Offices]

[Continued from previous issue]

II. Key Items Removed or Adjusted in the 2025 Edition

Removal of regional “automobile manufacturing (complete vehicles)”

In the 2022 Edition, the catalogues of encouraged industries in many provinces in central and western China (including Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Xinjiang) explicitly listed “automobile manufacturing (complete vehicles)”. In the 2025 Edition, this expression has disappeared from the catalogues of the relevant provinces, and the following new features have emerged:

The policy orientation has shifted towards new energy vehicles. Provinces such as Hubei, Hunan, Anhui, Liaoning, and Hainan have newly added or highlighted industries related to the design, R&D, and component manufacturing for new energy vehicles.

Greater emphasis is placed on key segments of the automotive industry chain, such as design and R&D, the “trinity” of EV systems (battery, electric motor, and electronic control) and “three intelligences” (intelligent driving, intelligent cockpit, and intelligent connectivity), battery recycling and circular utilization, as well as charging and battery-swapping.

Manufacturing of special-purpose vehicles is retained (subject to the Provisions on Administration of Investment in the Automobile Industry).

III. Preferential Policies Available to Foreign-Funded Investment in Encouraged Fields

Foreign-funded enterprises that fall under the encouraged industries catalogue may enjoy the following preferential policies:

Exemption from customs duties: Equipment imported for self-use within the total amount of investment is exempt from customs duties, except for items specified in the Catalogue of Imported Commodities for Foreign-Funded Investment Projects Ineligible for Tax Exemption and the Catalogue of Major Technical Equipment and Products Ineligible for Tax Exemption on Import.

Preferential land use policies: Land will be supplied in priority for eligible projects. The minimum land transfer price (opening bid) may be set at no less than 70% of the national minimum price standard for the corresponding land grade and location. Flexible land-use arrangements such as long-term leasing, lease-before-transfer, and land transfers with flexible terms may be adopted to reduce initial land costs.

Income tax incentives: Investments in western regions and Hainan Province are eligible for a preferential corporate income tax rate of 15%.

Tax incentives for reinvestment: Where foreign investors use profits distributed by domestic enterprises to directly reinvest into industries listed in the National Catalogue and meet relevant conditions, they are eligible for tax credit benefits.

Income tax incentives: Investments in western regions and Hainan Province are eligible for a preferential corporate income tax rate of 15%.

IV. Conclusion

The revision of the Catalogue of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment (2025 Edition) reflects a shift in China’s foreign investment policy toward “systematic and deep integration”. Against the backdrop of a continued decline in global cross-border direct investment, beyond the basic objectives of stabilizing the overall scale of foreign investment and continuously optimizing its structure, China’s foreign investment policy now places greater emphasis on leveraging foreign investment to expand domestic demand, boost consumption, and promote sci-tech innovation. It also stresses enhancing high-quality services for foreign investment, bolstering support for key foreign investment projects, promoting domestic reinvestment by foreign investors, and encouraging localized production. Foreign investors are encouraged to actively position themselves in emerging sectors and adopt more in-depth localization strategies to tap into the potential of the Chinese market.

One Week in Shanghai