Core Viewpoint - The Shanghai Municipal Government has officially released the "Action Plan for Accelerating the Creation of an International First-Class Business Environment (2026)", marking the ninth iteration of its business environment optimization plan, which includes 26 specific tasks across four key areas [1][2]. Group 1: Market Competition and Regulation - The 9.0 version of the action plan emphasizes creating a fair and just market competition environment, specifically addressing the regulation of monopolistic and unfair competition behaviors, and aims to deepen the rectification of "involution" competition [3][5]. - Experts suggest that "involution" competition often arises from an imperfect market environment and excessive pursuit of short-term profits, highlighting the need for improved market access thresholds and regulatory enforcement [5]. Group 2: Policy Accessibility - As of November 30 last year, Shanghai has implemented "no application, immediate enjoyment" for 643 policy projects, serving enterprises over 6.11 million times [6]. - The action plan aims to fully integrate inclusive policies into a "one-stop service" platform, simplifying unnecessary expert reviews and exploring batch approval models to ensure policy benefits reach enterprises quickly [6]. Group 3: Financing Support for SMEs - The action plan proposes the establishment of a unified financing service platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) called "Sui Shen Rong", which will enhance policy integration and service delivery [7]. - This year's action plan shifts from "policy subsidies" to "credit empowerment", utilizing the "Sui Shen Rong" platform to aggregate and activate enterprise credit data assets [7]. Group 4: Payment Practices - The plan includes a commitment to ensure zero arrears in payments from government agencies and institutions, reflecting the government's determination to respect the basic rights of market entities [8]. - Measures will be taken to improve payment efficiency in supply chains and establish regular disclosure of payment terms to alleviate financial pressure on SMEs [8]. Group 5: Digital and Algorithm Governance - The action plan stresses the need for enhanced governance of platform algorithms to ensure fair and humane treatment of platform operators and workers, addressing the negative impacts of algorithmic management [11][12]. - It aims to regulate online platform activities and promote win-win development among platform enterprises and their operators [11]. Group 6: Import and Consumption Policies - The action plan seeks to expand the "white list" of enterprises and new products for the first-release economy of imported consumer goods, enhancing the convenience of inspection measures [13]. - Shanghai has seen the addition of 933 new stores from January to November 2025, including 14 global and Asian flagship stores, indicating a strong trend in the first-release economy [14]. Group 7: Urban Vitality and Cultural Development - The action plan proposes optimizing regulations for outdoor activities and advertisements to enhance urban vitality and the "smoky atmosphere" of neighborhoods, supporting the development of night economies [15][16]. - It emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture that respects and encourages entrepreneurship, aiming to transform the government's role from a manager to a service provider [20][29]. Group 8: Data Management - The action plan expands the scope of the negative list for data export to encompass all areas, facilitating compliant operations for enterprises while ensuring data security [17][18].

Core Viewpoint - Shanghai has shown strong performance in the World Bank's enterprise survey, with 22 out of 59 evaluation points reaching global best levels, indicating a favorable business environment [1] Group 1: Business Environment - The Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission has issued a notice to accelerate the optimization of the business environment by focusing on ten critical tasks that address urgent enterprise needs and require high departmental collaboration [1] - The city aims to introduce incremental measures to tackle existing bottlenecks in the business environment [1] Group 2: Financing Services for SMEs - Efforts are being made to innovate financing services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by enhancing the connection between banks and enterprises and reducing financing costs [1] - Policies such as seamless loan renewals and non-repayment loan renewals are being expanded to include medium-sized enterprises, alongside increasing the supply of credit financing products from financial institutions [1] - Initiatives like the "Park Instant Loan Action" and the deepening of supply chain finance are being promoted to improve the accessibility and convenience of financing for small and micro enterprises [1]