Core Insights - The article highlights the ongoing efforts by Shanghai to optimize its business environment, with a focus on addressing common issues faced by enterprises, such as intellectual property infringement and profit-driven occupational claims [1][3]. Group 1: Business Environment Optimization - Shanghai has achieved global best practices in 22 business environment assessment points according to the World Bank's 2025 report, reflecting the city's commitment to improving its business climate [1]. - The Shanghai government has launched the "8.0 Plan" to enhance the business environment, which includes 58 specific tasks aimed at improving enterprise experiences [1][2]. - The "Top Ten Key Tasks" have been identified to address urgent enterprise needs and enhance inter-departmental collaboration, ensuring public oversight to expedite implementation [2][3]. Group 2: Specific Challenges and Solutions - Common issues identified include the spread of infringement information, intellectual property violations, and profit-driven occupational claims, which have been addressed in the new action plan [3][6]. - The plan includes measures to combat profit-driven occupational claims by optimizing complaint management and establishing legal frameworks to reduce the impact on businesses [3][6]. - The introduction of "no disturbance" inspection lists aims to minimize unnecessary regulatory checks on low-risk businesses, enhancing operational efficiency [4][11]. Group 3: Financial Support and Growth - Local government initiatives, such as the "Oriental Beauty Valley Loan," have provided significant financial support to startups, enabling them to reduce financing costs and achieve growth [7]. - The implementation of tailored financing structures for mergers and acquisitions has facilitated strategic control for companies, promoting innovation and industry upgrades [8]. - The focus on grassroots business environment improvements is crucial for supporting small and medium enterprises, which constitute a significant portion of Shanghai's economic landscape [10].

Core Insights - The World Bank's recent survey of 2,189 Chinese enterprises indicates that China excels in 12 out of 59 business environment assessment points, particularly in electronic payments, electricity access, and skills training, achieving global best levels [1] - Shanghai's enterprises outperform national and eastern regional averages, with approximately 22 assessment points reaching global best levels [1] - The new Business Ready (BR) assessment incorporates enterprise sentiment, accounting for about 27% of the overall score, reflecting a shift towards prioritizing business experiences in evaluating the business environment [1][2] Business Environment Assessment - The BR assessment includes three pillars (regulatory framework, public services, enterprise efficiency), ten primary indicators, and three cross-cutting themes, utilizing both enterprise and expert surveys for data collection [2] - Chinese enterprises performed well in the BR assessment, with six out of eight efficiency indicators surpassing the median of 103 economies, particularly in resolving business disputes, taxation, and obtaining financial services [2][3] Efficiency and Cost Metrics - Chinese enterprises demonstrate superior time efficiency, with VAT refund processing taking one week, matching the best-performing economies [3] - In international trade, the average customs clearance time for exports is three days and for imports is ten days, which is better than many regional counterparts [4] - The cost of electronic payments for Chinese enterprises is zero, aligning with the best-performing economies [4][5] Shanghai's Leading Performance - Among the surveyed enterprises, 58 Shanghai companies show significant advantages, with 22 assessment points achieving global best levels, including zero power outages reported [6] - Shanghai's financial services, including electronic payment costs, are also at global best levels, indicating a robust business environment [6] International Trade and Logistics - Shanghai's port container throughput surpassed 50 million TEUs in 2024, maintaining its position as the world's leading port for 15 consecutive years [8] - The port has significantly reduced international shipping times, enhancing global supply chain efficiency [8] Continuous Improvement Initiatives - Shanghai has implemented extensive reforms since 2018, with over a thousand measures aimed at optimizing the business environment, resulting in increased market vitality [9][12] - In 2024, Shanghai established 342,681 new enterprises, leading the nation in business density [12] Future Directions - Despite positive survey results, there is a recognition that further enhancements are needed to meet global best practices and high-quality development standards [13] - Shanghai plans to introduce ten key initiatives to further optimize the business environment, focusing on administrative efficiency and support for small and medium enterprises [13]