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Invest Shanghai
Shanghai's Hongqiao International Central Business District posted strong growth in foreign investment in the first half of 2026 with improved services for companies going global and international talent working in Shanghai.
Tax revenue of the business district reached 29.54 billion yuan ($4.38 billion) in the first half of 2026, up 14.9 percent year-on-year, while actual foreign investment surged 212.7 percent to $577 million.
Attracting international talent and advanced technologies
Self-service terminals at the Hongqiao International Talents Service Center now offer access to 253 government services, including printing certificates of origin, accessing information on foreign-related marriages, and renewing driver's licenses. The center recorded more than 38,000 visits in 2025, including 18,000 from foreign nationals.
In 2025, it hosted about 100 events covering recruitment for overseas returnees, APEC Business Travel Card applications, visa services, international documents certification, and visa endorsement services for travel to Hong Kong and Macao.
The business district is also strengthening its innovation ecosystem by bringing in high-quality resources.
The CAE Member and Expert Achievement Exhibition and Transformation Centre opened its Hongqiao facility in March. As the Chinese Academy of Engineering's only directly administered department outside Beijing, the center connects key resources, including platforms, technologies, and funding.
The clustering effect of the business district's innovation ecosystem is also becoming evident. A brain-computer interface cluster at the New Hongqiao International Medical Center now hosts 52 companies, and InnoMatch has 45,000 registered technology managers.
In the first half of this year, 2,207 scientific research and technical services companies were established in the business district, accounting for 31.7 percent of all newly established companies. During the same period, scientific research and technical services companies with annual operating revenue of at least 10 million yuan generated combined revenue of 6.08 billion yuan, up 20.7 percent year-on-year.
Supporting companies going global
The business district also supports companies from Shanghai and the broader Yangtze River Delta region developing their international operations.
The Hongqiao Overseas Development Service Center provides one-stop support for developing international operations, offering online tools to help them select service providers, secure business premises, and manage compliance risks.
Its digital platform connects 95 cross-border service institutions and provides access to resources in 103 countries and regions and 4,473 physical office locations.
Companies can also use MAZU, a multi-hazard early-warning AI agent, to receive local disaster alerts.
The Hongqiao Overseas Trade Center is now home to 50 international economic organizations, including the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Swiss Center Shanghai, and the Russia-China Business Center. Together, their networks and services cover more than 150 countries and regions, helping connect Chinese and international companies through platforms such as the China International Import Expo.
The service network has expanded to Wuhu in Anhui province, Jinhua in Zhejiang province, Suzhou's Xiangcheng district, and Changshu and Taicang in Jiangsu province through branch centers and support hubs, enabling companies to access services locally without relocating.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–30), the Hongqiao International CBD will strengthen its transportation, business, exhibition, and science and technology innovation functions, aiming to become a first-stop service hub for Yangtze River Delta companies developing international operations.