Shenzhen's Work Plan for Seizing the APEC Opportunity to Accelerate the Creation of a first-class Business Environment
To fully seize the significant historical opportunity presented by the hosting of the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen, proactively benchmark against international best practices, comprehensively enhance Shenzhen’s business environment, foster new advantages in openness and cooperation, and strengthen new drivers for development, this work plan has been specially formulated.
1. Optimizing and upgrading foreign-related medical services.In medical institutions frequented by foreign patients, accelerate the improvement of bilingual signage in consultation areas and equip them with multilingual AI translation devices to facilitate seamless communication between doctors and patients. Support more qualified hospitals in undertaking international hospital accreditation and collaborating with international insurance providers, offering convenient medical services to foreign nationals visiting Shenzhen.
2. Facilitating entry and residence for expatriate executives of multinational corporations.For senior managers of foreign enterprises establishing branches or subsidiaries in the Shenzhen Qianhai-Shekou Area of China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, issue visas or residence permits valid for up to two years, allowing accompanying spouses and family members to enjoy the same duration of entry and temporary stay. Provide similar visa or residence permit facilitation measures for those within Shenzhen but outside the Shenzhen Qianhai-Shekou Area of China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone.
3. Increasing support for facilitating entry and exit of personnel from key enterprises.Facilitate business endorsements for personnel of Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) enterprises and trade headquarters enterprises. When corporate executives or key business personnel apply for APEC Business Travel Cards, exemptions or relaxed requirements regarding tax payments and employee numbers may be granted. For foreign executives and technical staff of AEO enterprises and trade headquarters enterprises who have urgent entry needs and cannot obtain visas abroad in time, they may apply for port-of-entry visas at border control authorities with invitation letters and relevant supporting documents; those eligible for multiple entries may exchange their port-of-entry visas for multiple-entry visas at local public security organs’ immigration management departments upon arrival.
4. Enhancing accommodation registration convenience for Hong Kong, Macao, and foreign nationals.Encourage hotels across the city to equip themselves with multilingual AI translation devices or foreign language service staff to ensure smooth communication with foreign guests. Explore the application of automated identification and data entry technologies to expedite the registration process for Mainland Travel Permits for Residents of Hong Kong and Macao, passports of foreign nationals, and other documents, thereby improving the overall lodging experience.
5. Improving payment convenience for foreign nationals.Launch a digital RMB hard wallet featuring an APEC theme, promote full acceptance in designated sectors such as star-rated hotels, tourist attractions, key commercial districts, airports, and ports, and continuously expand digital RMB payment channels in hospitals, community health centers, and pharmacies. Encourage major commercial districts to fully support various payment methods including foreign bank cards, digital RMB, mobile payments, and cash, while exploring expanded use cases for the “external card, internal use” model.
6. Strengthening safety assurance for international cruise voyages.Establish a comprehensive management catalog encompassing a cruise vessel registry, recommended navigation routes for port entry and departure, and an emergency response resource database, building a dynamic monitoring system covering the entire cruise voyage cycle. Implement comprehensive safety oversight throughout all docking phases and provide tailored, point-to-point services for each vessel, significantly enhancing the level of regulation, service, and emergency response for international cruises.
7. Optimizing yacht-related service support.Develop an integrated smart service system for crew information collection and yacht license issuance/renewal, establishing a unified platform that combines photo capture, fingerprinting, signature recording, and examination functions. Introduce intelligent self-service physical examination machines compliant with yacht driver’s license medical standards, enabling one-stop processing of crew information collection, examinations, and medical reviews, with simultaneous certificate issuance. Improve the yacht import/export credit management system, collaborate with Hong Kong to establish a Greater Bay Area yacht import/export big data platform, elevate maritime service management standards, and facilitate cross-border yacht travel between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
8. Continuously easing market access for foreign investment.Continue advancing the comprehensive pilot program for expanding service sector opening-up, promoting higher-level liberalization in key service sectors such as internet, education, and culture. Deepen institutional reforms to attract foreign investment, ensuring national treatment for foreign-invested enterprises in areas such as factor acquisition, qualification licensing, standard setting, and government procurement.
9. Improving clearance efficiency for temporarily imported/exported goods.Complete preparatory work for the global transition phase of the electronic Temporary Admission Carnet (eATA Carnet) project, synchronizing Shenzhen’s ATA carnets data with the eATA system jointly developed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Customs Organization (WCO), enabling real-time data connection to achieve “online application, electronic endorsement, rapid clearance,” thus facilitating participation in trade fairs, sample testing, and temporary import/export of specialized equipment.
10. Strengthening information sharing on multimodal transport platforms.Vigorously develop multimodal transport systems such as road-to-rail, road-to-water, water-to-water transshipment, and sea-rail intermodal transport, encouraging operators to intensify data exchange and sharing on multimodal transport platforms, promoting “single document” and “single container” approaches to streamline logistics, reduce costs, and improve efficiency.
11. Supporting enterprises in actively addressing green trade initiatives.Integrate the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area carbon footprint labeling certification public service platform into Shenzhen’s International Trade “Single Window,” establishing a dedicated “Green Trade” service zone providing policy interpretation, knowledge dissemination, carbon tariff simulations, and green certification services, promoting integrated cross-border green trade services and enhancing enterprises’ overall capacity to respond to green trade barriers.
12. Strengthening cooperation with international ports on green shipping corridors.Encourage Shenzhen to sign green shipping corridor cooperation agreements with more international ports, jointly building international green shipping corridors characterized by “zero-carbon orientation, mutual recognition of standards, coordinated facilities, and joint rule-making.” Deepen collaboration in areas such as mutual recognition of green shipping carbon accounting standards, joint construction of green fuel refueling infrastructure, coordinated operations among green ports, joint efforts in cross-border shipping digitalization, and supervision of low-carbon vessel operations.
13. Improving capital pooling convenience for multinational corporations.Further advance the implementation of integrated domestic and foreign currency fund pools for multinational corporations, including more eligible large multinational groups in the pilot program. Support enterprises with genuine business backgrounds, cross-border capital transfer needs, and global business networks to efficiently register centralized domestic and foreign currency fund management, facilitating capital aggregation.
14. Promoting the implementation of facilitated sales models for cross-border financial products.Leveraging the “Cross-Border Wealth Management Connect” platform, allow participating mainland financial institutions, at investors’ request, to assist in establishing three-party online communication channels—“Mainland investor–Hong Kong sales agency–Mainland partner institution” or “Hong Kong investor–Mainland sales agency–Hong Kong partner institution”—within their outlets, providing advisory and explanatory services to shift cross-border wealth management from “limited engagement” to “precision service.”
15. Accelerating the implementation of pilot programs for private equity and venture capital share transfers.Encourage the Qianhai Equity Trading Center to introduce more resources for share transfer transactions, guiding eligible market participants to conduct transfers through the share transfer platform.
16. Accelerating the implementation of negative list filing management for outbound data.Push for the promulgation of the Negative List for Data Outbound in the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, providing clear and actionable compliance guidance for cross-border data flows.
17. Establishing a mechanism for cross-border credit information sharing and mutual recognition of results.Actively cooperate with overseas credit service agencies in terms of management systems, service standards, and product specifications, promoting cross-regional credit information sharing, mutual recognition of credit evaluation results, and shared benefits of cross-border creditworthiness. Deepen the application of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-border data verification platform, implementing no fewer than ten use cases, and encourage financial institutions to leverage the platform to promote Shenzhen-Hong Kong credit information mutual recognition, develop cross-border financing products, and further facilitate financing for Mainland-funded enterprises in Hong Kong and Hong Kong-funded enterprises in Mainland China.
18. Promoting a pilot program for cross-border medical data sharing between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.Explore establishing mechanisms for sharing clinical test and imaging results between medical and healthcare institutions in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong, encouraging more Shenzhen hospitals to participate in cross-border data pilots and connect with Hong Kong’s “MediLink” system to enable mutual sharing of medical information.
19. Deepening judicial cooperation and regulatory alignment among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.Optimize procedures for serving legal documents in civil and commercial cases involving Hong Kong and Macao, deepen trials integrating Hong Kong mediation organizations as specially invited mediators, and actively promote the establishment of an alliance with renowned universities in Mainland China and Hong Kong for researching foreign laws, creating a preferred venue for resolving cross-border commercial disputes.
20. Exploring administrative adjudication and mediation for standard-essential patent infringement disputes.Improve the mechanisms for administrative adjudication and mediation of standard-essential patent disputes, strengthening capabilities in identifying infringing acts and clarifying technical facts, providing an efficient, low-cost, and controllable administrative protection pathway for standard-essential patent infringement cases. Facilitate agreement between disputing parties on key issues such as patent licensing rates and conditions, promoting efficient and diversified resolution of standard-essential patent-related conflicts.
21. Promoting cultural integration of foreign residents.Expand outward opening in the cultural sector in a steady and orderly manner, cultivate internationally influential cultural brands and events, and enrich the supply of high-quality cultural products and services. Set up multilingual service stations in areas with high concentrations of foreign residents, staffed with multilingual translators, and upgrade “one-stop” advisory services to achieve “language barrier-free” access to frequently used foreign-related services.