Issue 102

Shanghai Weekly Bulletin

No.3,July 2025

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.

 

Laws and Regulations

【National】

1.China-Malaysia Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement to Take Effect Soon

【Keyword: Malaysia】

 

The Agreement Between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Malaysia on Mutual Visa Exemption for Holders of Passports for Public Affairs and Ordinary Passports will come into effect on July 17, 2025. According to the agreement, holders of valid Chinese passports for public affairs, Chinese ordinary passports, and Malaysian ordinary passports will be exempt from visa requirements when entering, exiting, or transiting through the other contracting party’s territory for purposes of tourism, family/friend visits, business, exchanges, private matters, medical treatment, or international transportation (for crew members). Each visa-free stay must not exceed 30 days per visit, with a cumulative visa-free stay of no more than 90 days within any 180-day period.

Source:Consular Express

 

2.NMPA Unveils Ten Key Measures to Support High-end Medical Device Innovation

【Keywords: High-end, Medical devices】

 

The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) recently released the Announcement on Relevant Measures to Optimize Full-lifecycle Regulation and Support High-end Medical Device Innovation, aiming to improve review and approval mechanisms, enhance full-lifecycle supervision, vigorously support major innovations in high-end medical devices, and promote the application of more new technologies, materials, processes, and methods in the healthcare sector.

Source:NMPA

https://www.nmpa.gov.cn/xxgk/ggtg/ylqxggtg/ylqxqtggtg/20250703163951182.html

 

3.SPC Releases First Batch of Model Cases on Foreign-related Commercial and Maritime Mediation

【Keywords: Foreign-related commercial and maritime affairs, Mediation】

 

The Supreme People’s Court (SPC) recently released the first batch of six model cases concerning foreign-related commercial and maritime mediation. The cases involve parties from six countries, including Singapore, South Korea, Italy, and the United States, and cover disputes arising from sales contracts, unjust enrichment, and equity transfer, etc.

Source:SPC

 

【Shanghai】

 

1.Shanghai Introduces Several Measures to Promote High-quality Development of Software and Information Services Industry

【Keywords: Software and information services industry】

 

The General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government recently issued the Several Measures of Shanghai to Promote the High-quality Development of the Software and Information Services Industry. The document encourages all districts to offer incentives to software and information service enterprises with annual revenue of over RMB 2 billion and a growth rate 1.2 times higher than the citywide average. The measures took effect on July 1, 2025, and will remain valid until June 30, 2028.

Source:Shanghai Municipal People’s Government

https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw12344/20250707/a981fd8d59e342f094dc5ebea47c6730.html

 

2.Shanghai Unveils Its First “High-growth Enterprises Policy”

【Keywords: High-growth enterprises】

 

The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization (SHMCEI) recently released the Shanghai Action Plan for Promoting the Accelerated Development of High-growth Enterprises (2025-2027). The plan aims to build a structured development system of high-growth enterprises, comprising “potential gazelle enterprises, gazelle enterprises, potential unicorn enterprises, and unicorn enterprises”. By 2027, the city expects to see the number of high-growth enterprises exceed 1,000.

 

Source:SHMCEI

https://www.sheitc.sh.gov.cn/cyfz/20250709/408c680c1d2b49a3adb1b3f92e19e2d5.html

 

3.E-Guide on Key Tax and Fee Support Policies for Building Shanghai into an International Financial Center Released

【Keyword: Shanghai, International financial center, Tax and fee】

 

The Shanghai Municipal Tax Service of the State Taxation Administration recently released the Guidelines on Key Tax and Fee Support Policies for Advancing the Development of Shanghai as an International Financial Center. The guidelines are structured into five sections: incentives for value-added tax, corporate income tax, individual income tax, property and behavior taxes, and comprehensive taxes and fees.

 

Source:Shanghai Tax Service

One Week in Shanghai

 

【Latest News】

 

1.Hongqiao “Cross-Border E-commerce + Industrial Belt” Pilot Zone Officially Launched

【Keyword: Hongqiao, Cross-border e-commerce】

 

The launch ceremony of the Hongqiao “Cross-border E-commerce + Industrial Belt” Pilot Zone was recently held in the Qingpu District of the Hongqiao International Central Business District under the theme “New Force for Cross-border Development • New Momentum of Growth”. The pilot zone aims to leverage cross-border e-commerce to empower five key industrial clusters — intelligent manufacturing, smart home, fashion cosmetics, health and leisure, and industrial goods. It will support the cultivation of homegrown national brands, promote industrial upgrading and transformation, and foster new competitive strengths for growth.

Source:Shanghai Commerce

 

【Corporate Activities】

 

1.PINARELLO Establishes New Subsidiary in Shanghai

【Keyword: PINARELLO】

 

Cicli Pinarello recently announced the establishment of its new subsidiary in Shanghai — Pinarello China Ltd. The creation of this subsidiary stems from the brand’s explosive growth in the Chinese market in recent years, as well as the successful operation of its existing 24 flagship stores.

Source:Pinarello

 

【Forum & Exhibition】

 

1.2025 RISC-V Summit China to Take Place in Shanghai

【Keywords: RISC-V Summit China】

The 5th RISC-V Summit China is scheduled to be held from July 16 to 19 at the Zhangjiang Science Hall in Shanghai. This year’s summit will feature a main forum, nine vertical industry sub-forums, five workshops, eleven concurrent events, and a 4,500-square-meter future tech exhibition zone.

Source:Shanghai Open Processor Industry Innovation Center

 

【Culture & Art】

 

1.Inaugural Shanghai Summer International Anime Month Kicks Off

【Keywords: International Anime Month】

 

The 2025 Shanghai Summer International Anime Month officially kicked off on July 4 and will last until August 10. Featuring over 100 themed events and more than 1,000 limited-edition merchandise items, and with a vibrant array of exciting cross-dimensional activities, it is set to unleash a “highly intensive, fully immersive” summer anime cultural extravaganza in Shanghai.

Source:International Services Shanghai

https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-KeyEvents-2025ShanghaiSummer/20250708/b3c0325b2a2f48d5ba57112e54fbfb5e.html

 

2.12th Shanghai Lotus and Water Lily Exhibition Kicks Off

【Keywords: Lotus and Water Lily Exhibition】

The 12th Shanghai Lotus and Water Lily Exhibition, themed “Water Lily in Blossom, Lotus in Harmony”, recently opened to the public. The exhibition features one main venue, four sub-venues, and two promotional sites across five districts — Jing’an, Yangpu, Pudong, Jiading, and Songjiang. It will run across three traditional Chinese solar terms: Minor Heat, Major Heat, and the Beginning of Autumn.

Source:International Services Shanghai

https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-ArtExhibitions/20250704/47a34b0c32144c978bb49ba759c8b3cd.html

 

3.“The Greeks: Agamemnon to Alexander the Great” Exhibition Opens to the Public Free of Charge

【Keywords: Greece】

From July 9 to October 26, the exhibition “The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great” will be open to the public free of charge at the World Expo Museum in Shanghai. The exhibition brings together remarkable archaeological findings from 14 cultural relics protection institutions and museums across Greece, featuring 270 pieces/sets of precious artifacts spanning from the Neolithic period to the Hellenistic era (circa 6800 BC to 31 BC).

 

Source:International Services Shanghai

https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-Events/20250710/148a140c14d742fc839b2de8d13790d3.html

 

【Training】

 

1.2025 Cross-border Trade Business Environment Policy Briefing to Be Held in Shanghai

【Keywords: Cross-border trade】

 

To help enterprises better understand and implement the Several Measures for Promoting Cross-border Trade Facilitation at Shanghai Ports in 2025, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, in collaboration with the Shanghai Customs and other relevant authorities, plans to host a policy briefing on reform of cross-border trade business environment on July 18. The event will provide a detailed explanation of this year’s reform measures.

 

Source:Shanghai Foreign Investment Association

Q&A

 

Q:Relevant officials from the Ministry of Commerce answered questions from reporters at the regular policy briefing held by the State Council Information Office on the pilot results of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone’s full alignment with international high-standard economic and trade rules and the replication and promotion of its pilot experience — The 77 measures being replicated and promoted cover a wide range of areas and demonstrate a high level of openness. What are the main considerations behind these measures, and what benefits will they bring in terms of institutional opening-up?

A: Proactively aligning with high-standard international economic and trade rules and steadily expanding institutional opening-up are crucial steps in building a new system for a higher-standard open economy. China will steadily continue to advance institutional opening-up and share opportunities from institutional opening-up among all countries and parties. The replication and promotion of pilot experience of institutional opening-up from the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone is not only a powerful driver for reform and development through opening-up, but also a concrete action to foster win-win cooperation through opening-up.

First, it serves as an important vehicle for advancing high-standard opening-up. Guided by high-standard opening-up, with a strong focus on advancing trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, this round of replication and promotion aims to further expand market access and enable the world to benefit from the opportunities brought by China’s openness. For instance, in terms of trade in goods, measures such as optimizing the operational model of international consolidation and transshipment platforms, promoting integrated “zone-port” management of customs special supervision zones and port terminals, and recognizing overseas electronic quarantine supervision information will significantly enhance customs clearance efficiency, help enterprises reduce costs and increase efficiency, and drive innovation in trade in goods. Furthermore, in the area of financial opening-up, measures directly impacting businesses’ daily operations are being replicated and promoted, such as strengthening innovation of digital RMB pilot application scenarios, enhancing Free Trade Account (FTA) functionalities, and optimizing cross-border fund pooling and management of multinational corporations. These measures will further improve cross-border fund management and streamline trade, investment and financing across borders.

Second, it serves as a strong lever for deepening reform. In addition to the measures in the fields of trade and investment, this round of replication and promotion of institutional innovation also encompasses measures in areas such as intellectual property protection, government procurement, labor rights protection, state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform, and environmental protection — totalling 36 out of the 77 measures, or nearly half. These efforts are set to drive deeper reforms across various sectors and foster a more transparent, stable, and predictable institutional environment. For example, in the field of government procurement, a comprehensive package of 15 measures has been introduced. These include expanding the scope of application, further improving information transparency for limited-competition projects, continuously optimizing the procurement process by improving the level of digitalized procurement, and encouraging the bilingual release (in both Chinese and English) of procurement announcements. Collectively, these measures aim to raise the transparency and fairness of China’s government procurement procedures and steadily align them with international standards.

Third, this is a practical move toward high-quality development. By closely aligning high-standard international rules with China’s pursuit of high-quality economic development, we can resolve difficulties and problems encountered in industrial growth through institutional innovation, thereby enhancing the sense of gain for both enterprises and the public. For instance, pilot free trade zones are encouraged to formulate a negative list for outbound data transfer tailored to local industrial development. Data that does not fall within the scope of negative list may be transferred across borders without the need for security assessments, standard contracts and protection certifications. This will significantly meet the cross-border data transmission needs of enterprises and promote efficient, convenient, and secure international data flows. Additionally, strengthened protection of intellectual property rights including trademarks, patents, and geographical indications and enhanced administrative supervision and judicial safeguards will further ensure the legitimate rights of rights holders, stimulate corporate innovation, and inject fresh momentum into high-quality development.

Moving forward, the Ministry of Commerce will work closely with local governments and relevant departments to accelerate the implementation of these measures, expand the scope of institutional innovation, and enable more businesses and individuals to benefit from institutional opening-up.

Source:State Council Information Office

http://www.scio.gov.cn/live/2025/36679/tw/

Expert Perspective

 

Foreign Investment Access Regime in China’s Cell and Gene Therapy Industry: Policy Analysis, Industry Implications and Compliance Recommendations

By Zhang Qixiang, Cheng Junge, Zhang Menglin, and Deng Zike (Zhong Lun Law Firm)

[Continued from the Previous Issue]

II. Evolution of China’s Foreign Investment Access Policies in the CGT Industry

(3) Encouragement and Pilot Opening Stage (Since 2019)

3. Effectiveness of pilot policies to expand opening-up

On October 10, 2024, Beijing Kangda Xingjian Technology Development Co., Ltd., headquartered in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, completed the amendment of its business license, officially transforming into a Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan-invested enterprise. The company added frontier fields such as “development and application of human stem cell technologies” and “development of human gene diagnosis and treatment technologies” to its business scope. It became the first foreign-funded enterprise in China to be licensed for the development and application of human stem cell technologies and human gene diagnosis and treatment technologies.

On November 14, 2024, six foreign-funded enterprises — Merck Testing (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., JW Therapeutics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., OriCell Therapeutics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Frontera Therapeutics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., and Neukio Biotherapeutics Co, Ltd. — completed changes to their business licenses within the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, officially including the development and application of human stem cell and/or gene diagnosis and treatment technologies within their approved business scope.

III. Interpretation of China’s Current CGT Foreign Investment Access Policies

As previously noted, China’s foreign investment access policies for the cell and gene therapy (CGT) industry have evolved from an initial absence of regulation, selective prohibitions and encouragements, to progressive liberalization and pilot exploration. A review of current policies reveals the following:

[To be Continued]