Shenzhen seeks better business environment ahead of APEC

Shenzhen’s economic planner, the Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission, has released a work plan to build a more favorable business environment ahead of the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, to be held in Shenzhen this year.

The plan sets out 21 key tasks across five areas: cross-border people mobility, international trade logistics, cross-border capital flows, cross-border data transfers, and the overall business climate. More details about the plan can be found at https://fgw.sz.gov.cn/zwgk/qt/gzdt/content/post_12695900.html.

Making life and work easier

The plan prioritizes improving daily life and work for residents from Hong Kong and Macao and expats, addressing issues such as language barriers, visa procedures, accommodation and payment.

Healthcare services will be upgraded with bilingual signage and the deployment of multilingual AI translation devices to enable barrier-free consultations. More hospitals will seek international accreditation and connect with overseas insurance networks so that expats can receive care with convenience comparable to that in their home countries.

Foreign executives establishing companies in the Qianhai-Shekou pilot free trade area can apply for visas or residence permits valid for up to two years, with family members included. Employees of AEO-certified companies and the headquarters of trading enterprises will also receive easier access to APEC Business Travel Cards. Urgent entry needs for foreign executives can be handled through port visas.

Streamlined logistics and shipping

The plan promotes continued opening-up in sectors, including internet, education and culture, while ensuring national treatment for foreign-invested firms.

For temporary imports such as exhibition materials and test samples, Shenzhen will implement the eATA (Electronic ATA Carnet) system, enabling online applications, electronic endorsements and faster customs clearance.

Shenzhen will accelerate multi-modal transport development to expand rail and water freight options. The “one bill, one container” model will be expanded to cut logistics costs. The city will also sign green shipping corridor agreements with international ports, cooperating on carbon accounting standards, green fuel bunkering and low-carbon vessel operations.

Smooth cross-border capital flows

The plan seeks to improve the efficiency of cross-border capital flows by offering convenient financial services for multinational corporations and strengthening Shenzhen’s appeal to global capital.

The pilot program for integrated domestic and foreign-currency cash pools will be expanded, helping more multinational companies allocate funds more efficiently worldwide, improving capital efficiency and reducing exchange costs.

Under the Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect scheme, sales of cross-border financial products will be further streamlined. Online communication channels will support professional investment consultations, helping meet rising demand for cross-asset allocation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In addition, pilot programs for share transfers of private equity and venture capital funds will be accelerated, supporting a smoother fundraising-investment-management-exit cycle for innovation capital.

Facilitating cross-border data flows

Balancing development with security, the plan promotes orderly cross-border data pilot programs to provide compliance assurance for companies’ global operations. A negative list for outbound data management in the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone will be introduced to provide clear, actionable compliance guidance.

Cooperation with overseas credit information service agencies will be strengthened to promote cross-region credit information sharing and mutual recognition of credit ratings. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-border data verification platform will be expanded to support at least 10 application scenarios, encouraging financial institutions to develop cross-border financing products.

The plan also proposes exploring mechanisms for sharing clinical laboratory and imaging results between Shenzhen and Hong Kong medical institutions. More Shenzhen hospitals will connect to Hong Kong’s “eHealth” system, bringing tangible benefits to Hong Kong residents in Shenzhen and to cross-border patients.

Legal collaboration and cultural appeal

The plan emphasizes deepening legal cooperation and aligning rules among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, strengthening intellectual property protection and enhancing Shenzhen’s cultural appeal to expats.

Commercial dispute resolution will be improved through streamlined document-handling services for civil and commercial cases involving Hong Kong and Macao. The pilot program inviting Hong Kong mediation organizations as specially invited mediators will be expanded. Shenzhen will also establish an alliance for foreign law ascertainment, positioning the city as a preferred destination for cross-border commercial dispute resolution.

Pilot programs for administrative adjudication and mediation of standard essential patent infringement disputes will be explored, aiming to provide efficient, low-cost and controllable pathways for handling high-value technology disputes.

Finally, the plan calls for establishing multilingual service stations in expat-concentrated areas, staffed with dedicated translators. These stations will upgrade one-stop consultation services to remove language barriers in high-frequency foreign-related services.