The Dream Factory of China

　　The establishment and operation of Qianhai and Shekou district is of vital importance for several reasons; it utilizes the pioneering effect of the new Shenzhen special economic zone to full effect, supports the Nation’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, explores the new open market economy, and forms a setup that fosters open and unhindered international trade.

　　Qianhai and Shekou district is an important building block for the Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), and key to the deep economic cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The planned area measures 28.2 square kilometers in total, and is divided into two regions: Qianhai (15 square kilometers, including the Qianhai Free Trade Port Zone at 3.71 square kilometers) and Shekou (13.2 square kilometers, including the Shekou and Chiwan Port Zones at 3.8 square kilometers). In terms of industry, the district consists of three functional zones, each of which has a different developmental focus: the west port zone, with Qianhai Free Trade Port Zone as its center, focuses on port logistics, international trade, supply chain management and shipping services; the financial and commercial zone in Qianhai focuses on finance, information services, technology services, professional services and other strategically important emerging industries; and the commercial zone in Shekou focuses on network information, technology services, and cultural and creative industries. As the three zones have their own distinctive main industries, they feature a staggered development pattern.　

　　The Qianhai and Shekou FTZ initiated a three-zone superposition model, positioning it as a cooperation zone, a pilot FTZ, and a free trade port zone at the same time. The zone benefits from the complementary interactions between Qianhai and Shekou, the innate advantages that come from Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation, and a unified management and integration system. In the future, Qianhai and Shekou FTZ will focus on becoming a role model in socialist law based on Chinese characteristics, accelerating the process of institutional reform, facilitating free trade for Shenzhen-Hong Kong services, creating an innovative financial center based on the shared capital market in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, driving forward the integration of international trade functions, and building a port that will be both an international hub and origin of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

　　Shenzhen will implement the overall development plan for the China (Guangdong) pilot FTZs, with a core emphasis on system innovation, exploring possibilities such as the changing of government duties and functions, and facilitating innovative management as well as trade and investment. The plan will also focus on constructing operational rules and institutional systems that conform to international practices. Through this, it will actively nurture an international, marketized, and legalized business environment, with key developments in strategically-important emerging service industries such as financial, modern logistic, information, and technology services. These all aim to facilitate the construction of a pilot display window for the opening-up of the Nation’s finance industry, making it an important base for world trade and an international hub. The FTZ aims to become a model zone for deep cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, a strategic support for the development of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, and the nation’s base for a pioneering series of new reform and opening-up policies.