Kong Fu'an, executive deputy director of the CBD's administrative committee, presents Hongqiao's investment opportunities to a global audience. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District (CBD), a key gateway for China's global trade and a center for the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, is opening its doors wider to investors and entrepreneurs.

During the CBD's investment promotion conference on Oct 22, Kong Fu'an, executive deputy director of the CBD's administrative committee, highlighted the extensive opportunities in Hongqiao for a global investor audience.

The local government is committed to creating an inviting investment environment by capitalizing on geographical, policy, industrial, and talent strengths, while also providing comprehensive international services.

Kong reported that the CBD is experiencing rapid growth, with its GDP surpassing 200 billion yuan ($28 billion) in 2024, marking a 67.4 percent increase since the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). Imports and exports totaled 85.6 billion yuan, growing at an average annual rate of 37.3 percent over the past four years.

The positive trend persists into 2025. From January to September, foreign trade totaled 73.63 billion yuan, reflecting a 15.6 percent growth compared to the previous year. The CBD welcomed 616 key projects with investments exceeding 3.46 billion yuan, and saw an 18.4 percent increase in new businesses year-on-year.

"Today's Hongqiao is unprecedented, and its future is limitless," said Kong, encouraging global entrepreneurs to explore Hongqiao's opportunities and work together toward a brighter future.

The signing ceremony for key projects at the conference underscored investor trust. Officials from Minhang, Changning, Qingpu, and Jiading districts signed agreements for eight key projects in emerging industries such as biopharma, artificial intelligence, new energy, and new materials, injecting new momentum for regional growth and reinforcing Hongqiao's industrial supply chain.

Headquarters economy remains a strategic focus for Hongqiao's development. At the conference, eight enterprises were awarded headquarters certificates, increasing the total count of municipal-level headquarters in Hongqiao to 283.

"We offer comprehensive support policies for headquarters at every stage, encouraging expansion in R&D, sales, trade, and settlement functions to foster growth and internationalization," said Kong.

Developing new quality productive forces is key to Hongqiao's high-quality growth. Eight featured industrial parks were launched on-site, focusing on sectors including healthcare, biopharma, AI, low-altitude economy, tech services, and fashion, with the goal of fostering comprehensive industrial collaboration.

The Hongqiao Comprehensive Transportation Hub is one of the world's largest transportation complexes. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Hongqiao's strategic location and transportation infrastructure were key highlights of local government's presentation.

The Hongqiao Comprehensive Transportation Hub, one of the world's largest, includes Hongqiao Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station, connecting Shanghai to the Yangtze River Delta and the world. It offers one-hour rail connections to central Shanghai, high-speed rail access to major YRD cities in two hours, and three-hour flights to major Chinese cities.

Samyang Foods China, one of the trade headquarters enterprises certified at the conference, has gained advantages from Hongqiao's connectivity. The South Korean firm set up its China headquarters in the CBD in 2021 and reached sales of about 2.2 billion yuan in 2024.

Zhang Chi, Samyang Foods China's external communication director, said that the convenient transportation network allows for swift market growth throughout China and helps in maintaining communication with their South Korean headquarters.

"Flying from Seoul to Shanghai takes just over two hours, and we have monthly visits from South Korean headquarters for communication," Zhang said.

According to Kong, the CBD is home to the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the venue for the CIIE, and utilizes platforms like Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trade Center (Hongqiao 365) to enhance the expo's influence.

"Participating in the CIIE has significantly boosted our market share and brand influence in China and we plan to continue our participation in the 2025 CIIE," said Zhang. She also said that Hongqiao 365 played a key role in growing their live-streaming business.