By Cheng Jiajia
Up to 2 million yuan in rewards for high-quality commercial, tourism, cultural, and sports events that boost consumption.
Up to 1 million yuan for opening a brand's first store in the district.
500,000 yuan for newly relocated or newly recognized municipal-level private enterprise headquarters.
100,000 yuan for newly certified national or municipal-level green malls.
These policies were officially introduced at the 2025 Yangpu District High-Quality Business Development and Opening-Up Conference, which focused primarily on explaining the district's newest initiatives to support business growth.
Notably, this year's meeting setup broke from tradition. Business representatives were seated front and center, with government departments and subdistrict offices behind them. From customs services to investment promotion and grassroots support, Yangpu has built a coordinated, top-to-bottom system to optimize its business environment.
Yangpu's newly released Version 8.0 business environment reform plan outlines improvements to the entire policy service process. All new measures will be delivered in clear, straightforward language, with enhanced access through multiple channels and formats. The goal is to make policies easier to understand and apply, ensuring that businesses can fully enjoy the benefits available to them.
The new business incentives are designed to be practical, easy to access, and truly valuable. By offering meaningful financial support, these measures aim to boost business confidence and drive high-quality development across the district.
At the conference, Yangpu also launched a dedicated task force for foreign-oriented economic development. The focus is clear: to attract and secure new investment.
For foreign-invested companies aligned with key industries, those bringing in over five million US dollars in actual foreign capital can receive up to three million yuan in support after official approval. Recognized regional headquarters or business units of multinational companies are eligible for a 500,000 yuan reward. Certified global R&D centers, foreign-invested research hubs, or open innovation platforms can also receive up to 300,000 yuan.
Yangpu also announced its "Top Ten Foreign-Focused Projects" for 2025. These include Siemens' Smart Cooling AI Box initiative, Agora's investment expansion and AI engine project, Subway China's new investment and store network, Aspire's regional headquarters project, XTransfer's upgraded cross-border payment platform, Tishman Speyer's headquarters R&D cluster, Laos' national e-commerce platform rollout, Ombra's outdoor lifestyle tech initiative, Chia Tai's overseas industrial-financial chain project, and the Sino-Italian cultural festival led by the Italy Innovation Center.
In recent years, Yangpu has worked to integrate business, tourism, culture, and sports to create engaging, multi-dimensional consumption experiences. Through efforts like the "Play in Yangshupu" campaign, the district has helped build a distinct consumer brand while attracting foot traffic through themed events and dynamic commercial spaces. At the same time, Yangpu has prioritized creating a welcoming environment for foreign businesses through its "Warm Yangyang" initiative. From policy support and resource matching to resolving business challenges and expanding market access, the district actively promotes communication, cooperation, and mutual growth between enterprises.
Yangpu is also focusing on four major development zones. These include an international consumer hub, a livestreaming economy cluster, a creative industry center called the "Capital of Dimensions," and a model zone for digital trade. Drawing on its growing digital economy, the district is tailoring development strategies to local demographics and industry trends, encouraging strong functional clustering to maximize scale and synergy.
Commerce plays a vital role in China's domestic economy and serves as a key link between domestic and international markets. Looking ahead, Yangpu will continue to strengthen global partnerships, improve services, and further enhance its position as the most business-friendly district in the city. With stronger support and better services, the district aims to help businesses grow and inject new momentum into economic development.