What Makes Shanghai’s Business Environment the Best in China 上海營商環境為何中國最佳

丹尼爾·海厄特　卜杭賓

A joint report released by four prominent Chinese think tanks has shed new light on1 Shanghais commercial potential. Ranking it the best business city in China， the WANB Institute， China Strategic Culture Promotion Association， China Economic Media Association， and YICAI Research Institute analyzed a series of interdependent factors that contribute to Shanghais urban business environment index.

The result was not a complete surprise since Shanghai has been leading Chinas growth for quite some time. But the study does offer an opportunity for China watchers to understand what makes the citys economy so remarkable.

One of the major reasons for Shanghais success is the infrastructure index that turned out to be the highest in all of China. The city has established itself as the de facto2 business capital by modernizing its infrastructure to cater to businesses from across the globe heading to China to benefit from the worlds second-largest economy. A monumental US$21 billion investment last year was spent on mega projects such as the construction of the Yangshan deepwater port， the renovation of the Hongqiao International Airport and the expansion of the metro network.

Shanghai is the worlds fifth largest financial hub and is working its way up to becoming the global leader. This January， an action plan3 was approved by the State Council to make the city a cutting edge financial center by 2020 with yuan-dominated products and an improved resource allocation capability.

Some recent developments have further strengthened the openness of Shanghais economy. First is the internationalization of the Shanghai Gold Exchange， which is already highly regarded by investors and whose regulation and transparency has often garnered4 praise from bodies like the World Gold Council.

The other is the launch of the crude oil5 futures6 index at the Shanghai International Energy Exchange. It is the first such index in Chinese mainland and is open to overseas investors， which has been well received by traders. Furthermore， the rapid rise in the volume of contracts has made China one of the most active markets in this area.

While becoming more open and transparent， the citys financial system is also focusing on innovative technologies to fuel its success. Strategic and policy support from the municipal government to innovation-driven sectors is gradually remodeling Shanghai into an entrepreneurial metropolis.

The backbone of this innovative drive is Artificial Intelligence （AI）. With zones like AIsland， which is dedicated to AI research， local and international companies are changing the way business is done. Especially encouraging is their will to utilize massive amounts of data to serve customers better and， at the same time， expand their businesses.

In addition to cultivating domestic expertise， Shanghai frequently attracts talent from abroad. Several programs have been launched to recruit fresh foreign graduates with innovative entrepreneurial plans. These graduates generate a stream of fresh ideas while young expats7 introduce modern practices and push local companies to keep pace with global conventions.

Shanghai is also simplifying the process of applying for permanent residencies and reducing the duration of the approval of applications. The city boasts a string of high-tech industries where foreign entrepreneurs are welcomed and issued with talent visas. Out of the 100，000 work visas issued in Shanghai since 2016， talent visas accounted for over 18%， which constituted almost a quarter of the nations total.

There are also scores of incubators tackling issues such as the processing of paperwork and the imparting8 of knowledge on how to succeed as a startup. Many foreigners who received business licenses within two weeks of their application consider the process much more efficient than that in Europe.

But the city does not thrive only on government incentives. Its rich cultural offerings stimulate ideas and activities. The unique haipai culture—where East meets West—is an immersive experience for both visitors and residents. This unique culture has evolved through the legacy of migrants and settlers from multiple nationalities and showcases a diverse and colorful Shanghai， which creates new business opportunities in the city every day.

Shanghais nightlife is also growing due to a steady rise in the spending power of wealthy Chinese as well as a thriving flow of tourists. The service sector has benefited most from the nightlife scene， benefiting the working class and ultimately the city.

Shanghai， by any account， is a crucial financial artery9 of China. Its constantly evolving commercial landscape allows it to retain its lead and set standards for the rest of the country. The market turnover10， fiscal11 policies and cultural contributions are all making its environment far friendlier for new ventures than that of many western cities.

中國四大著名智庫發布的一則聯合報告闡明了上海的商業潛力。萬博新經濟研究所、中國戰略文化促進會、中國經濟傳媒協會和第一財經研究院分析了一系列促進上海城市營商環境指數的相關因素，將上海列為中國最佳的商業城市。

由于上海長期以來一直引領中國的發展，這項結果并非完全出人意料。但這項研究確實為中國觀察者提供了一個機會，讓他們理解了是什么使這座城市的經濟如此非凡。

上海成功的一大主要原因是基礎建設指數，這一指數是全中國最高的。全世界的企業前往中國，希冀從這個全球第二大經濟體中獲益，而這座城市為了吸引這些企業，將基礎設施現代化，實際上已經將自身建設為中國的商業之都。去年，210億美元的巨額投資用于大型項目，例如建設洋山深水港、整修虹橋國際機場、擴建地鐵網絡。

上海是世界第五大金融中心，正努力引領全球。2019年1月，國務院通過了一項行動計劃，即于2020年將這座城市打造為以人民幣產品為主導、具有較強資源配置能力的高端金融中心。

一些近期發展進一步強化了上海經濟的開放力度。首先是上海黃金交易所的國際化，這一交易所備受投資商好評，其監管和透明度也常獲世界黃金協會等機構的贊譽。

另一大發展是在上海國際能源交易中心發布原油期貨指數。這是中國內地首個此類指數，面向海外投資商，交易者反映良好。此外，期貨合約數量的激增已使中國在該領域成為了最活躍的市場之一。

這座城市的金融體系不僅變得越來越開放透明，而且聚焦創新科技以加速成功。從市政府到創新驅動領域的戰略和政策支持，正逐漸將上海重塑為一個企業大都會。

這一創新驅動的核心是人工智能（AI）。本地和國際公司依托張江人工智能島等致力于AI研究的區域，正在改變商業模式。更加振奮人心的是，這些公司堅持利用海量數據，在更好服務顧客的同時擴展企業。

除了培養國內技術，上海還不斷吸引國外人才。數個項目已經啟動來招收具有創新企業計劃的國外應屆畢業生。這些畢業生創想出源源不斷的新鮮理念，同時年輕外籍人士引入現代操作，推動本地公司與國際慣例同步。

上海也在簡化永久居留申請流程，縮短申請審批周期。這座城市坐擁一系列高科技產業，歡迎外國企業家并向其頒發人才簽證。自2016年以來，上海頒發的10萬工作簽證中，人才簽證占18%以上，幾乎占了全國總數的1/4。

許多孵化基地還可處理文書工作以及向新興公司講授創業知識。許多申請后兩周內就獲得商業許可證的外國人，認為這種程序比歐洲更加高效。

但這座城市的繁榮并不只是依靠政府鼓勵。上海豐富的文化資源催生出各種觀念和活動。獨特的海派文化融匯中西，對游客和居住者而言都是一種引人入勝的體驗。這種獨特的文化衍生于不同國籍的移居者和定居者所留下的深遠影響，呈現了一個多元多彩的上海，每天都在這座城市里創造全新的商機。

由于中國富人消費力的穩固上升以及游客數量的蓬勃增長，上海的夜生活也在發展。夜生活發展使服務業獲益最多，造福了工薪階層，最終造福了這座城市。

就各方面而言，上海都是中國重要的金融動脈。上海不斷演變的商業面貌使其保持領先地位，為中國其他城市樹立了標準。對新興企業來說，上海的市場營業額、財政政策和文化貢獻都使其環境遠比許多西方城市要友好得多。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者）

Quotes from Animated Movies

Lifes a little bit messy. We all make mistakes.? ? —Zootopia

Dont hide， dont be afraid of the dark， follow the lights， then you can find tomorrow！? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?—The Croods

Love is putting someone elses needs before yours.

—Frozen

When youre feeling down， look up. The sky is big enough to hold all of your sadness.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? —Tangled

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of them all.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?—Mulan

The past can hurt. But the way I see it， you can either run from it or learn from it.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?—The Lion King

Its no use going back to yesterday. Because I was a different person then.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?—Alice in Wonderland

Life is not a spectator sport. If watching is all， youre gonna do. Then youre gonna watch your life go by without ya.

—The Hunchback of Notre Dame

I never look back， darling！ It distracts from the now.

—The Incredibles