Lawyers’ Interpretation of Policies and Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on Optimizing Doing Business Environment

Content

Preface

I. Market Access

II. Business Premises

III. Public Infrastructure Services

IV. Labor and Employment

V. Financial Services

VI. International Trade

VII. Taxation

VIII. Settlement of Disputes

IX. Market Competition

X. Business Insolvency

Lawyers’ Interpretation of Policies and Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on Optimizing Doing Business Environment

“The development vitality of a place is closely related to doing business environment.”

                                                                      ---Xi Jinping

Preface

Doing business environment is fertile soil for survival and development of enterprises. A sound business environment not only significantly demonstrates the economic soft power, but also serves as one of the key elements of a country’s or region’s competitiveness. Moreover, it is the essence of building an open economy and enhancing the level and quality of opening up to the outside world. Optimizing business environment is a key move to cultivate and stimulate market vitality and enhance the endogenous driving force for development, which is of great significance for advancing Chinese modernization through high-quality development. Optimizing doing business environment is indeed a tough and long-term endeavor. As the General Secretary Xi Jinping points out, there is no optimal business environment, only better ones. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has been continuously advancing the construction of business environment, with gradual improvement in rankings of the global doing business environment. The Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization, adopted at the 3rd plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party once again proposed to create a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized, clarifying the direction for further optimizing doing business environment at a new historical starting point.

As the sole expert-surveyed city across the nation in terms of doing business assessment of the World Bank, it is an important task for Shanghai to take the lead in building a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized first-class business environment. In 2025, given the thorough implementation of the decisions and deployments of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on promoting the construction of doing business environment, Shanghai issued the Action Plan of Shanghai Municipality for Focusing on Enhancing Enterprises' Experience and Constantly Building a World-Class Business Environment (known as Action Plan 8.0). Shanghai is intensifying reforms to align with the World Bank B-READY standards and is devoted to comprehensively and systematically optimizing business environment from ten dimensions covering market access, access to business premises, public infrastructure services, labor and employment services, financial services, international trade, tax payment, settlement of commercial disputes, promotion of market competition and handling bankruptcy cases, so as to foster a stable, fair, transparent and predictable development environment for enterprises and other business entities to invest and start businesses, effectively enhancing the experience of enterprises, and continuously boosting their confidence in development.

I. Market Access

Break down barriers to market access and create a fair access environment

Continually remove hidden barriers and lower access costs for market entities

Strictly implement the negative list for market access. To implement a policy for investigating and clearing market access barriers in China, Shanghai must ensure all market access management measures are consolidated into the unified National Market Access Negative List and strictly prohibit any additional administrative approvals or market entry restrictions outside this list. For the areas not explicitly mentioned in the unified negative list, all types of market entities can enter on an equal footing in accordance with the law, with the practice of “extracorporeal circulation” and “hidden approval” eliminated.

Continuously optimize administrative licensing item management. Shanghai has compiled a list of intermediary service items for administrative licensing in 2025. For administrative matters managed under the filing system, not requiring market entry bans or licenses, authorities will ensure no licensing is falsely established under the guise of a filing requirement. The initiative emphasizes strengthened, full-lifecycle management for administrative licensing matters, from initial stages to completion. The Shanghai Municipal Government Service Matters Management System will be optimized and upgraded. The annual reporting system on the implementation of administrative licensing will be put into practice.

Facilitate efficient foreign investment access and coordinate access policies

Offer professional and convenient services for foreign investment access. Shanghai is promoting the construction of a dedicated window for foreign-related services on the “One-Stop Online Service” platform, offering convenient government services for foreign-invested enterprises and foreigners, and enabling the registration for foreign (regional) enterprises’ production and business operations within China and the registration of foreign enterprises' resident representative offices, which can be completed online for the entire process. Shanghai will promote trade facilitation, and encourage and boost foreign investment, aligning with international high-standard investment and trade rules.

Implement the pilot work of expanding opening up in some fields. Shanghai allows the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals in designated pilot areas, excluding traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and public hospitals. Wholly foreign-owned hospitals are allowed in pilot areas such as the Free Trade Zone, the Lingang New Area, the Hongqiao Business District, and the Dongfang Hub International Business District. They are also encouraged in areas with a significant biomedicine industry presence and those with large numbers of foreign residents. Shanghai is actively supporting foreign-funded enterprises in obtaining approval for the pilot programs expanding telecommunications services. This support contributes to creating a first-class business environment for the city's information and communication industry. The list of recognized overseas professional qualification certificates is to be dynamically released, promoting the recognition of these qualifications in key areas. The filing and approval processes for overseas direct investment (ODI) in key industries, including law and accounting, are being optimized.

Reengineer the enterprise access process and enhance the level of smart governance

Accelerate cross-departmental system interconnection and interoperability to deepen reforms for “efficiently completing one thing”

Promote the integrated handling of related matters. The Shanghai Administrative Assistance Management System will be leveraged for enhanced inter-departmental collaboration to ensure efficiency and quality across departments. Shanghai has innovated the “One Thing” service mode, implementing and continuously optimizing the key matters of each batch of integrated services uniformly deployed at the national level, and improving online and offline services. It has newly launched the “One Thing” integrated service, while sorting out the application scenarios with high frequency, wide coverage, high attention, and strong correlation.

Strengthen the integrated online and offline collaboration. Highlighting key areas like market access, Shanghai will promote the deep online and offline integration, and the efficient intercommunication of vertical and horizontal systems, and empower window services to improve quality and enhance efficiency. On the back of the “One-Stop Online Service” platform and the government service center, online and offline service zones for benefiting enterprises will be established to provide value-added services for enterprises such as law, finance, talent, science and technology innovation, intellectual property rights, and international trade.

Establish an integrated platform-type service mechanism and create the “Smart and Easy Handling” service brand

Promote the digital and intelligent upgrade of “Shanghai Enterprise Registration Online”. In the entire online process of enterprise establishment registration, “intelligent pre-filling of forms, intelligent generation of materials, and intelligent pre-inspection of conditions” have been adopted to achieve “less filling, less submission, and intelligent review” during the handling of affairs, to continuously enhance core service abilities. The intelligent assistance system for enterprise names is optimized, intelligently analyzing the preferences of applicants, and recommending real-time available names to alleviate the business bottleneck of difficult naming.

Enhance the service level of intelligent customer services. A unified citywide operation and management system for the “One-Stop Online Service” knowledge base of government affairs is established to support the intelligent customer service of “Xiao Shen” and “online professional human assistance”. The ability of "Xiao Shen" to identify intentions and provide precise responses is enhanced comprehensively to create an intelligent "Xiao Shen" service assistant. The service scope of the “online professional manual assistance” is expanded to achieve “first response within one minute and a 90% resolution rate”. Shanghai will continue to deepen the reform of “One-Stop Online Service” for government affairs, and promote the intelligence, precision, fairness, and accessibility for government services.

Optimize access services and enhance the business experience

Promote the implementation of preferential policies for enterprises and enhance the convenience of policy reach and implementation

Achieve precise delivery of access policies. With the “Shanghai Special Zone” for electronic business licenses, policy push services have been launched. The personalized and easy-to-understand policy guidance is directly delivered to the legal representatives and staff of enterprises through the mobile electronic business license program, enabling business entities to understand, remember, and apply the policy guidance. This provides more precise and intuitive policy guidance to assist enterprises in achieving high-quality development. Shanghai has optimized the intelligent guidance for online services, strengthened intelligent search services, and improved the associated retrieval functions for electronic certificates and licenses to fully achieve precise search and intelligent interaction.

Promote the efficient application and implementation of preferential policies for enterprises. Relying on the “Sui Shen Dui” service platform for preferential policies for enterprises in this city, the “Policy Double Search” application has been launched to support enterprises in finding policies and policies in finding enterprises. Shanghai will continue to promote the application for “Smart and Easy Handling”, streamlining the review procedures and application materials, accelerating the progress of policy implementation, enhancing the convenience and transparency of policy application, expanding the scope of “no application required but immediate enjoyment” and “direct and fast enjoyment”, and strengthening the publicity of preferential policies for enterprises.

Focus on the pain points and difficulties in handling affairs to enhance the sense of gain and satisfaction of enterprises

Improve services for handling and application of licenses and certificates. Shanghai has been continuously improving the full-process management system for comprehensive industry licensing and further expanding the coverage of industries. Multiple licenses concerned with industry access are integrated into a single comprehensive industry license, which can be handled through the “One-Stop Online Service” platform. The information integrated in the comprehensive industry license has the same probative force as that of relevant individual licenses, which is valid throughout the municipality. Real-name authentication, electronic signatures, and the download of electronic business licenses are simplified, while the “authorized processing” and “batch signature” are introduced, to offer more convenience for the registration of branches of chain enterprises.

Replicate and promote the standardized registration information database for enterprise addresses. Shanghai has promoted the centralized handling of cross-district business premises filing and enterprise branch registration, and expanded the coverage of benefits from reforms such as “one license, multiple addresses”. Shanghai has supported early service of registration and licensing for newly opened large commercial complexes and high-quality building premises, to meet the demand for concentrated opening registration in a short time and in large quantities.

Highlight key access sectors and strengthen precise service support

Pay attention to the development trends of key industries and orderly relax access restrictions

Optimize the market access environment for new business forms and new fields. Shanghai has promoted the assistance and agency services for science and technology innovation industry projects. Adhering to "unifying all matters", in principle, one department should coordinate one category of matters and one department should be responsible for one matter, and the First Inquiry Responsibility System is implemented. Special managers of projects are set up to achieve the reform goal of “one-stop” planning and resource government services. Shanghai will strengthen coordination among various departments, sort out and form a flowchart for the approval of science and technology innovation industry projects, and provide enterprises with precise, all-round, and full-process approval agency services.

Optimize the access environment for catering enterprises. Shanghai will promote the facilitation of food business license approval for chain catering enterprises, introduce the “Internet + Open and Transparent Kitchen” policy, and exempt small restaurants and beverage stores of less than 150 square meters that implement the “Internet + Open and Transparent Kitchen” policy from on-site verification. Shanghai will promote the “One Thing” service for opening restaurants, optimize pre-licensing services and compliance guidance, and enhance the level and efficiency of government services. Besides, Shanghai will also optimize fire safety inspection prior to business operation, vigorously promote the "notification and commitment system", and reduce the business preparation time for enterprises.

Promote innovative development in key regions and encourage exploration and pilot projects

Promote the deepening of reforms in Pudong New Area. The achievements of the reform of “one industry, one license” and the market entry commitment system are consolidated to enhance the convenience of enterprises throughout their full business life cycle. The pilot program focuses on specific industries, with risk element management at its core, exploring the creation of an efficient regulatory model featuring coordinated review and management, technological empowerment, and full-process prevention and control. The integration of “artificial intelligence + government services” is deepened. The innovative applications such as “government digital humans” and “blockchain + electronic materials” are improved. The mechanisms for sorting out, aggregating, governing, sharing, and reusing electronic materials for high-frequency matters are optimized.

Promote institutional innovation in the Lingang New Area. The application of the notification and commitment system is expanded in engineering construction and enterprise-related fields, and the pilot program of the architect responsibility system is deepened to promote further integration of engineering construction and comprehensive supervision scenarios in enterprise-related fields, and accelerate the construction of five digital scenarios for “review, management, enforcement and credit”, including engineering waste and housing and municipal construction projects. The dynamic management of centralized exercise matters assigned by the municipal and district authorities has been intensified.

Support the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. With construction of doing business environment in the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone as the focus, efforts should be made to establish unified market access and regulatory rules, and to form a unified and open market with free flow of factors. We will promote cross-provincial government services, expand application scenarios such as “remote virtual windows”, “immediate enjoyment without application”, and “One Thing” in the Yangtze River Delta, and enhance data resource sharing and mutual recognition of electronic certificates, so as to improve the overall business environment in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Policies and Regulations

Notice of General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government on Issuing the Action Plan of Shanghai Municipality for Focusing on Enhancing Enterprises' Experience and Constantly Building a World-Class Business Environment (Hu Fu Ban Fa [2025] No. 1)

Notice of General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government on Issuing the Several Measures of Shanghai Municipality to Boost Innovation in the Service Industry (Hu Fu Ban Fa [2025] No. 5)

Notice of General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government on Issuing the Key Points of Shanghai Municipality on Promoting the Transformation of Government Functions and the Reform of Administrative Approval System in 2025 (Hu Fu Ban [2025] No. 6)

Notice of General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government on Issuing the Implementation Plan of Shanghai to Accelerate the Reform of "Artificial Intelligence + Government Services" and to Promote “Efficiently Completing a Task” (Hu Fu Ban Fa [2025] No. 7)

Notice of Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission on Intensifying and Accelerating Efforts to Advance the "Ten Key Breakthrough Tasks" for Optimizing doing Business Environment in 2025 (Hu Fa Gai Shang Ying [2025] No. 7)

Notice of Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Market Supervision and Administration on the Issuance of Action Plan of Shanghai Municipal Supervision Departments for Focusing on Enhancing Enterprises' Experience and Constantly Building a World-Class Business Environment (Hu Shi Jian Ying Shang [2025] No. 155)

Ten Measures of Shanghai to Facilitate Market Access Registration

Notice of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and Municipal Government on Issuing the Several Measures for Promoting the High-quality Development of the Private Economy in the New Era and New Journey

Notice of General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government on Issuing the Action Plan of Shanghai Municipality for the Reform on Optimizing Government Services, Improving Administrative Efficiency and Deepening the "One-Stop Online Services" (2024-2026) (Hu Fu Ban Fa [2024] No. 2)

Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on Optimizing Doing Business Environment (2024 Revision)

Notice of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and other nine departments on Issuing the Several Measures on Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Catering Industry in Shanghai (Hu Shang Gui [2024] No. 8)

Notice on Issuing the Work Plan for Deepening the Expansion of Open Pilot Programs in the Field of Wholly Foreign-Owned Hospitals in Shanghai (Hu Wei Yi [2024] No. 134)

Notice on Issuing the Several Opinions on Strengthening the Integration of Planning Resources Policy Innovation and Accelerating the Construction of Major Scientific and Technological Innovation Industrial Projects (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Jian [2024] No. 357)

II. Business Premises

The convenience of access to business premises is one of the key indicators of doing business environment measurement. A process of high efficiency but low costs for access to business location can not only reduce barriers to starting a business and invigorate market vitality, but also improve a city’s attractiveness to investors and bolster economic prosperity and development. An environment with high transparency and fair competition can intensify investors’ confidence and propel innovation and technological advancement. Policy regulations regarding access to business location not only manifest the direction of government support for a particular industry or field, but also serve as a significant channel for collecting enterprise feedback and market information, which may help the government to timely adjust and optimize relevant policies so as to achieve sustainable development and social stability. Hence, optimizing the procedure for access to business location is extremely vital to improving the quality of doing business environment.

In March of 2024, the Shanghai Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau printed and issued the Adhering to Benchmarking Reform: Implementation Plan for Constantly Fostering World-Class Doing Business Environment in the Planning Resources Area, aimed at streamlining and optimizing the whole-process approval service for various projects covering land acquisition, planning permit, completion acceptance, access to municipal public service, and real estate registration. In June of 2024, the Shanghai Housing and Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee and other departments printed and issued the Adhering to Benchmarking World-Class: Action Plan for Constantly Optimizing Dong Business Environment in the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Construction Area, aimed at simplifying the approval process for engineering construction projects and reducing encumbrance of an enterprise during the project approval, so as to promote the smooth progress for engineering construction projects. Data sharing and business collaboration can be achieved through integrating and optimizing the approval process, thereby improving doing business environment for the overall engineering construction. In February of 2025, the Shanghai Municipal People's Government issued the Action Plan of Shanghai Municipality for Focusing on Enhancing Enterprises' Experience and Constantly Building a World-Class Business Environment, according to which Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources formulated relevant detailed rules and proposals, continuously centering on the convenience of access to business premises and focusing on enhancing enterprises’ experience, thereby creating a first-class business environment in the field of planning and resources. In addition, Shanghai has also launched a set of policy documents conducive to facilitating the access to business premises. Below are the specific measures.

Focus on the connection between construction permits and planning land approval

With regards to the projects which are exempted from the review of construction drawing design documents and the planning permit for construction projects, we will classify and specify the mode of one-stop construction permit. As to the projects which have controllable risks, low costs for error correction and can effectively prevent risks via in-process and post-event supervision, the approval service mode of “commitment notification + tolerance for deficiencies and supplement later” will be adopted, with the planning permit for construction projects to be granted immediately if requirements for commitment notification are met.

Continuous promotion of area assessment

Implementing participants will be propelled to promote area assessments after confirmation of the national land space planning and prior to the land transfer, intensifying disclosure and application of the area assessment results, including the timely disclosure of regional assessment results reviewed by competent departments at the government website, and intensifying the application of regional assessment results in the project approval stage.

Deepen the implementation of “the list of land use”

The results of regional assessment and current status investigation can be accessed by a transfer consultation. In terms of the land supply, the general survey on the current situation, regional assessment results and department management requirements involved with the land parcel shall be offered to the land use right holder, incorporating the basic information of municipal pipelines into the land use list such as water supply, power supply, drainage, communication and roads around the project, so as to reduce the links such as evaluation, investigation and demonstration after the enterprise has acquired the land.

Explore ways to conduct and expand trials of “Multiple Certificates Integration”

In order to improve the approval efficiency and simplify and consolidate approval procedures, we will explore ways to carry out and expand the trials for integrating two certificates of “planning permit for construction land use” and “planning permit for construction projects”, so as to gradually realize information sharing for land supply, planning permit, construction permit, completion acceptance and real estate registration and intensify “exemption of two submissions”.

Expand the list of planning permit exemptions

Centering on the improvement of the living environment, the lift of the life quality, and the efficient use of space resources of business operation projects, we will further expand the list of “exemption” from the planning permit. We will expand the scope of exempting the approval and issuance of the planning permit for construction engineering projects from “various added auxiliary facilities of the old residential communities, urban public space and production and business operation projects in the Municipality for the purpose of optimizing functions and improving quality” to “the projects added to or rebuilt for the public buildings under the premise of ensuring safety and not affecting the neighboring rights and interests”, and also carry out supervision through enhancing street and town planning as well as the masses’ self-governance.

Extend the scope of “One Certificate for Multiple Verification”

We will explore ways to extend the applicable scope for projects of “One Certificate for Multiple Verification”, extending such scope to commercial, office, and affordable housing projects, with the consent of the district government. We will further optimize the process for handling of comprehensive completion acceptance, build up the mode of engineering construction project acceptance inspection applicable to different project types and risk levels, and standardize advanced service and specify the handling of acceptance inspection by stages, so as to improve the closed-loop management of all professional acceptance items if “conditions for passage are met”.

Implement the requirements of “Mapping and Calculating Integration”

The project types of “Mapping and Calculating Integration” will be extended to public projects without involvement with division of property rights and apportionment of common areas, such as administrative offices, commercial offices, culture and education, and sports and health projects, from industrial projects such as factory buildings and warehouses. Following the acquisition of surveying and mapping results for projects meeting the standards of “Mapping and Calculating Integration”, the acceptance inspection of planning resources completion, completion acceptance filing, and the first real estate registration can be handled simultaneously through the online platform, to realize the “certificate issuance upon completion”. We will reinforce the results of the “Mapping and Calculating Integration” application in real estate registration and intensify the credit system construction for surveying and mapping units.

Specify and improve the fire control inspection reform

The filing of fire control acceptance of other construction projects shall be subject to management by grade and classification. As to other construction projects with the total investment value of below RMB1 million and built-up area of below 300 m² within the administrative area of Shanghai Municipality, the filing of fire control acceptance shall be performed via Notification and Commitment system, with the construction management department of each district and the management committee of particular areas to issue the filing certificate as per the letter of commitment of the construction unit and guide the sub-district and towns within the jurisdiction to carry out spot checks. The whole process of fire control acceptance matters for various projects, including historical protection and low-risk industrial projects, will be incorporated into the approval management system.

Deepen the reform on environmental impact assessment and pollutants discharge license

We will promote the preparation of detailed plans for the industrial parks (including industrial bases and industrial communities) and eligible flock areas outside the industrial parks in the Municipality, carrying out environmental impact assessments and incorporating the same into regional assessments, with optimized and simplified measures such as simplified form for environmental impact assessment, notification of commitment and sharing of regional environment quality monitoring data applicable to specific projects by classification.

Improve transparency of planning and building permit information

The Service Guide concerning approval for engineering construction projects will be disclosed and timely updated on the “Integrated Online Platform” to facilitate the access to building permits, completion acceptance inspection, and other related matters for the public. In the special column of doing business environment of the “Access to Business Location” which has been online, laws and regulations, policy documents and planning of various tiers regarding planning and construction will be disclosed and timely updated, facilitating the enterprise to inquire relevant planning information online, on the back of “locating regulations as per the drawing” via “one map”.

Introduce a one-stop online verification platform for due diligence on encumbrances

Real-time information related to real estate registration, encumbrance, state of business operation, national land space planning, and land use is available via the one-stop online verification platform for due diligence on encumbrances to reduce costs for encumbrances verification and improve the convenience of due diligence. Meanwhile, the Shanghai real estate registration complaint platform and the cadastral inventory complaint platform are integrated to enhance the supervision of the enterprise and people.

Optimize collaboration services for real estate registration

We will optimize the “One Thing” system for joint transfer of ownership for real estate registration, transaction, taxation, and utilities. Relying on the “Integrated Online Platform” of the municipal government, we will optimize the “One Thing” system for paying off the home loan, with the registration department, banks, and other departments to realize intelligent and quick approval for “paying off the house loan” via “whole process online handling”. We will optimize the “no meeting” handling service for real estate mortgage registration launched through cooperation with financial institutions, further advancing the registration services, such as the joint handling of certificate delivery and mortgage, mortgage for loan transfer with collateral, and transfer of ownership with mortgage. We will also optimize the “online handling” for real estate seizure registration implemented jointly with the court.

Deepen and expand reform pilots for the architect accountability system

When carrying out completion acceptance inspection, the construction unit can entrust the responsible architect to organize participation units to perform. On the premise of not affecting public safety and controllable risks, responsible architects are authorized to take technical control for some professional acceptance inspection matters at the stage of comprehensive completion acceptance inspection in Pudong New Area, simplifying and optimizing procedures for acceptance inspection as well. We will explore and study the supervision mode adaptive to the development of architect accountability system, conducting a study on architect responsibility system practice, liability insurance, and improving the insurance products.

Optimize real estate registration services based on the big data resource platform

Transform and upgrade the “One Thing” system for housing transactions, optimizing independent preparation and assistance for materials, and supporting exemption from submitting more application materials. We will innovate the full life cycle registration service for project construction, such as “delivery of certificate immediately upon delivery of land” and “joint handling of land delivery, certificate delivery, and mortgage”. By optimizing the handling of high-frequency matters such as acceptance check of planning and resources (pipeline engineering) upon completion, and mortgage right registration (the first registration) of construction projects, smart review with less filling out and fewer submissions can be achieved to enhance the efficiency of project application and approval.

Facilitate the real estate transfer between enterprises

We will promote the “whole-process online handling” for the registration of real estate transfer between enterprises. We will promote the demonstration model of cross-provincial services with “whole-process online handling” as the main part and offline assistant handling as the supplement in the Yangtze River Delta region, advancing the “whole-process online handling” step by step to gradually realize full coverage of all types in the entire area.

Encourage the establishment of a unified operating entity platform for regional property rights

“To encourage the establishment of a unified operating entity platform for regional property rights” is proposed at the municipal level for the first time to encourage unified operation and management across buildings and blocks and to encourage operation as a whole among platform enterprises with professional operational capabilities, elevating the abilities of friendliness, doing business and investment attract as well as special professional services, thus building up a favorable business ecosystem.

Expand the scope of application of policies regarding integrated land use management requirements

Based on the pilot program of the Integrated Management Requirements (M0) policy for the industrial land in Zhangjiang Science City, the management will be expanded to nationally announced development zones or industrial communities that are eligible to apply the M0 policy. Under the condition that industry plays a dominant role and the requirements concerning environmental protection, safety, and adjacent relations are met, the land usage can be converted or mixed among industrial, research and development, and warehousing (except for hazardous chemicals warehousing) purposes.

Policies and Regulations

Notice of General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government on Issuing the Action Plan of Shanghai Municipality for Focusing on Enhancing Enterprises' Experience and Constantly Building a World-Class Business Environment (Hu Fu Ban Fa [2025] No. 1)

Action Plan of Shanghai Municipality for Focusing on Enhancing Enterprises' Experience and Constantly Building a World-Class Business Environment in the Planning and Resources Sector (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Jian [2025] No. 87)

Implementation Opinions of General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government on Promoting Renewal of Commercial Buildings (Hu Fu Ban Fa [2025] No. 13)

Adhering to Benchmarking World-Class: Action Plan for Constantly Optimizing Dong Business Environment in the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Construction Area (Hu Jian Jian Guan Lian [2024] No. 249)

Adhering to Benchmarking Reform: Implementation Plan for Constantly Fostering World-Class Doing Business Environment in the Planning Resources Area (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Jian [2024] No. 94)

Notification of General Office of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government on Issuance of the Action Plan of Shanghai Municipality on Adhering to Benchmarking Reform and Constantly Fostering World-Class Doing Business Environment (Hu Fu Ban Fa [2024] No. 1)

Opinions on Further Improving Detailed Planning Implementation and Intensification in Shanghai (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Jian [2024] No. 336)

Action Plan for Strengthening Integrated Innovation and Continuously Optimizing doing Business Environment in Shanghai (Hu Fu Ban Gui [2023] No. 1)

Several Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting High-quality Use of Land Resources in Shanghai Municipality (Hu Fu Gui [2023] No. 12)

Shanghai Municipality’s Implementation Scheme for Strengthening Integrated Innovation of Planning Resources to Improve doing   Business Environment (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Jian [2023] No. 79)

Planning Resources Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Transformation of Development Mode and Highlighting High-Quality Development of Urban Renewal in this Municipality (Trial) (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Yan [2023] No. 448)

Implementation Opinions on Promoting Integrated Development of Urban Functions and Innovating Flexible Management of Planning Land (Trial) (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Xiang [2023] No. 449)

Guideline Opinions on Establishing Joint Work Mechanism of “Responsible Planner, Responsible Architect and Responsible Appraiser” to Promote High-Quality Development of Urban Renewal (Trial) (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Feng [2023] No. 450)

Notification on Well Performing Housing Transaction via “One Thing” to Further Lift Service Efficiency (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Deng [2023] No. 12)

Implementation Measures for Planning Resources in Innovation Pilots of Doing Business Environment in Shanghai (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Jian [2022] No. 181)

Notice on Promoting the Land Use List System Reform for Social Investment and Initiating New Land Transfer Consultation Form (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Yong [2022] No. 395)

Notification on Further Intensifying “Integrated Multiple Survey” Reform for Engineering Construction Projects in the Municipality (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Tiao [2022] No. 211)

Several Provisions on Enhancing Management over Commercial Land Transfer in the Municipality (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Gui [2022] No. 2)

Work Proposal for Paying Off House Loan via “One Thing” (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Deng [2022] No. 200)

Several Measures for Further Deepening the “Integrated Multiple Survey” Reform (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Tiao [2021] No. 97)

Notification on Promoting Area Assessment Work for Optimizing Doing Business Environment (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Xiang [2021] No. 106)

Several Provisions for Intensifying Management on Industrial Land Transfer in Shanghai (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Gui [2021] No. 6)

Technical Provisions for Real Estate Registration in Shanghai (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Gui [2021] No. 1)

Notification on Comprehensive Promotion of “Immediate Receipt” for Housing Transaction Transfer Registration in the Municipality (Hu Zi Ran Zi Yuan Deng [2021] No. 9)

Several Measures for Further Deepening Administrative Approval System Reform and Accelerating Advancement of Major Project Construction (Hu Fu Gui [2020] No. 16)

Provisions on Detailed Planning for Implementation of Deepening Management in Shanghai (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Xiang [2020] No. 503)

Standards for Planning Resources Acceptance Work for Engineering Construction Project Completion in Shanghai (Hu Gui Hua Zi Yuan Jian [2020] No. 59)

III. Public Infrastructure Services

On January 24, 2025, General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government issued the Action Plan of Shanghai Municipality for Focusing on Enhancing Enterprises' Experience and Constantly Building a World-Class Business Environment (Hu Fu Ban Fa [2025] No. 1). With regards to public infrastructure services, the Action Plan states that efforts will be made to promote service packages of power access and contract-based power access services, and to construct power infrastructure appropriately in advance in order to facilitate power access. Administrative regulations on information disclosure of water utility companies will be formulated. The construction and management of the supportive communication facilities in industrial parks and commercial buildings will be strengthened. Subsequently, relevant commissions and office bureaus also unveiled work proposals on deepening accordingly.

Continuously optimize and improve doing   business environment for power access in Shanghai

In order to continuously optimize and improve doing business environment for power access in Shanghai, in accordance with national and municipal requirements for deepening reforms on business environment and administrative approval systems, as well as the Regulations on Optimizing Doing Business Environment, the Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on Optimizing Doing Business Environment and the Management Measures of Shanghai Municipality for Notification and Commitment of Administrative Approval, the Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission revised the Measures for Implementation of Shanghai Municipality on Further Optimizing Business Environment in Power Access (Hu Fa Gai Gui Fan [2019] No. 15), and issued the Measures for Implementation of Shanghai Municipality on Further Optimizing Business Environment in Power Access on Dec. 30, 2024. The Implementation Measures are applicable to those low-voltage non-residential users who carry out “Three Zeros” services in terms of applying for new installations, capacity expansion, and other business expansion services across Shanghai, with conditional power access projects for 10kV users referring to the Measures for performance. The users’ application for power access will be accepted through a single window at powere grid enterprise. The handling procedures are simplified to two steps, namely, application for electricity use and installation of meters upon completion, which, in principle, shall be completed within 10 days, with the duration of government administrative approval not exceeding 2 days.

Promote the power access service package. In accordance with the Notice on Carrying Out Special Rectification of Users’ Power Connection Projects in the Municipality by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology and the East China Energy Regulatory Bureau of National Energy Administration of the People’s Republic of China, power supply enterprises shall establish and disclose “power connection service packages”, specifying the norms, procedures and standards of installation application, fully and transparently tracking in the whole course by digital means, so that users can obtain real-time information for the project progress. In the principle of “equality, willingness and consensus through consultation”, a contractual power connection service is introduced, with an explicitly stated and reasonable construction period, to meet users’ reasonable power connection demands.

Build power infrastructure moderately ahead of schedule

On Jul. 24, 2025, Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission issued the Guidelines for the Construction of Public Charging Networks in Shanghai, dividing the city into “development zones”, “maintenance zones” and “control zones” in a grid manner as per the matching of supply and demand sides of public charging facilities, and directing the orderly development of public charging facilities in each zone. In the “development zone”, the third-party charging operating enterprises are encouraged to build public charging facilities in advance as appropriate, after taking into account the resources such as parking space in parks and grassy areas, as well as the idle land.

Implement regular regulatory policies on environmental sustainability in the water supply sector and formulate management regulations for information disclosure of public water supply enterprises

On Mar. 11, 2025, Shanghai Water Authority issued the Work Program for Deepening Reform on Benchmarking to Enhance Enterprises’ Experience and Continuously Optimize Business Environment in Water Supply and Drainage.

Regularly conduct supervision over the reliability of water supply. Implement the requirements stipulated in the Shanghai Water Supply Reliability Control Plan (Trial), timely carrying out annual assessment on water supply reliability, and making public the evaluation results of water supply reliability in the respective region, as well as rewards and punishments for water supply enterprises. Strictly put in place the approval system for temporary water supply suspension permits, intensify in-operation and post-operation supervision, timely publicize the planned water supply suspensions, and effectively improve the reliability of water supply services.

Strictly implement construction qualification requirements for water supply and drainage connection; deepen and optimize the procedures for drainage connection. Comprehensively sort out qualification requirements of construction for water supply and drainage, providing information related to construction qualification requirements. Each and every water supply and drainage connection entity shall strictly comply with applicable laws and regulations in the construction field, ensuring that the entities and personnel of water supply and drainage connection construction have possessed the required construction qualifications. The level of water supply and drainage connection services will be continuously lifted, with water supply and drainage connection service units to complete construction services for the project of water supply and drainage connection within six (6) natural days.

Continuously promote the standardization of public water supply information disclosure. Propel the earnest implementation of the Provisions of Shanghai on Information Disclosure Management of Public Water Supply Enterprise by the water supply enterprises across the municipality. Further standardize the information disclosure of public water supply enterprises in the municipality. Add the disclosure of water supply costs and refine service information, adhering to the principle that openness is the norm, and non-disclosure is the exception. Clarify the time limit for information disclosure and handling procedures for appeals, ensuring that applicants are entitled to obtain information closely related to their own rights and interests.

Explore to carry out water supply sustainability. We will constantly well perform the water conservation work. We will promote the practice of Technical Specifications for Sludge Treatment and Disposal in Urban Water Supply Plants, formulating and introducing the rules for sludge treatment and disposal in urban water supply plants of the Municipality to ensure the real practice of standards. We will explore the promotion and application of wastewater reuse technology in water supply plants, promoting the formulation of standards for the General Technical Requirements for Wastewater Reuse in Water Supply Plants, and carrying out the wastewater reuse technology in some pilots of water supply plants.

Intensify the construction and management of the supportive communication facilities in industrial parks and commercial buildings to continuously optimize doing business environment

The construction and management of the supportive communication facilities in industrial parks and commercial buildings will be strengthened to ensure enterprises' voluntary choice of broadband access and to realize synchronized coverage of the mobile network.

Policies and Regulations

Implementation Opinions of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government on Deepening Reform on Environmental Impact Assessment and Pollutants Discharge License System (Hu Fu Gui [2024] No. 8)

Action Plan for Adhering to Benchmarking the World-Class: Constantly Optimizing Doing Business Environment in Engineering Construction Area of Shanghai Municipality (Hu Jian Jian Guan Lian [2024] No. 249)

Action Plan of Shanghai Water Authority for Adhering to Benchmarking the Reform, Improving Water Supply and Drainage Service and Constantly Optimizing Doing Business Environment (Hu Shui Wu [2024] No. 150)

Implementation Plan of Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment for Adhering to Benchmarking the Reform: Constantly Optimizing Doing Business Environment in Environmental Area (Hu Huan Fa [2024] No. 64)

Several Measures for Deepening Reform on Environmental Impact Assessment and Pollutants Discharge License System to Support Integrated Circuit Industry Development (Hu Huan Gui [2024] No. 4)

Measures of Shanghai Municipality for Information Infrastructure Administration (Shanghai Municipal People’s Government Order No. 75)

Twenty Provisions for Intensifying Integrated Innovation and Constantly Optimizing Doing Business Environment in Information and Communications Industry of Shanghai Municipality

Notice of General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government on Issuing the Action Plan of Shanghai Municipality for Focusing on Enhancing Enterprises' Experience and Constantly Building a World-Class Business Environment (Hu Fu Ban Fa [2025] No. 1)

Provisions of Shanghai on Information Disclosure Management of Public Water Supply Enterprises (Hu Shui Wu Gui Fan [2024] No. 6)

Measures for Implementation of Shanghai Municipality on Further Optimizing Business Environment in Power Access (Hu Fa Gai Gui Fan [2024] No. 14)

Work Program for Deepening Reform on Benchmarking to Enhance Enterprises’ Experience and Continuously Optimize Business Environment in Water Supply and Drainage (Hu Shui Wu [2025] No. 98)