April 27 marks the 7th anniversary of the inauguration of Qianhai Shekou Free 
Trade Zone, whose day-to-day changes are always fascinating. According to 
Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation 
Zone, in 2021, the number of Hong Kong-funded enterprises registered in Qianhai 
has increased by 156% year-on-year, and the actual use of Hong Kong capital 
accounts for 93.8% of the total foreign investments. Its Q1 2022 actual use of 
Hong Kong capital amounted to US$1.272bn, accounting for 92.97% of its foreign 
investments, a rise of 148.01%.

At the junctures of the global economic recovery, China continues to renew the 
layout of Qianhai, incorporating the development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and 
Macao. Institutional innovation turns to be the foundation for cultivating a 
first-class business environment in Qianhai, thus enticing many entrepreneurs 
from Hong Kong. Any sharp-eyed entrepreneur would lose no time in seizing the 
opportunities.

Xu Ziyan is among Hong Kong youth to start their business in Qianhai. This 90's 
girl has just registered her company here, believing that Qianhai is the first 
choice for Hong Kongers to do business in Chinese mainland. Previously, she has 
visited Qianhai many times for feasibility study.

Located in the west of Shenzhen and on the east bank of the Pearl River 
Estuary, Qianhai has been designated a "special area of the Special Economic 
Zone" since the State Council approved the Overall Development Plan for Qianhai 
Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industrial Cooperation Area of Shenzhen 
Special Economic Zone in 2010. Qianhai's institutional innovation is 
"avant-garde" and its soft services and support are "awesome". "Through various 
meetings, we can speak out our minds straight to the officials. Qianhai 
government can hear our voices directly," exclaimed Xu Ziyan.

Xu's company focuses on new media business, helping connect Hong Kong brands 
with the mainland through "live commerce". "By means of the Qianhai platform, 
not only can we dock to the supply chain, but also to the enterprises in need, 
which saves us from troubles, kind of like 'finding a needle in a haystack'," 
she said.

As the outside world sees it, Qianhai Cooperation Area is unswervingly forging 
a "Qianhai model" with institutional innovation in investment, trade, finance 
and rule of law as its core, making it an important "source" to be drawn upon 
by other places of China.

Sun Lecheng, partner of KPMG Intelligent Innovation Space, points out that 
Qianhai has set far-reaching goals of institutional innovation in the rules, 
systems, mechanisms and models. Not only is the standard high, but also 
"practicable and solid".

Qianhai is known to have been promoting institutional innovation in multiple 
sectors, including justice, finance, supply chain, integration of services and 
manufacturing industries, new technologies, new business models, and so on. For 
example, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Law Zone is opened; an 
International Talent Port created, a Multi-Country Consolidation (MCC) and 
Maritime Transit Hub and an Outbound Air Service Center set up, the Qianhai 
Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Financial City established, the World 
Intellectual Property Organization Technology and Innovation Support Center 
(WIPO-TISC) inaugurated, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao New R&D Institutions 
Support Program is being promoted.

Latest statistics show that, up to now, the Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone has 
launched 685 institutional innovations, and more than 80-billion-yuan 
(US$12.2bn) worth of goods are gathered from all over the world to Qianhai 
Comprehensive Bonded Zone and then transshipped worldwide.

Source: Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry 
Cooperation Zone