Political Lens

Meeting highlights progress in pilot free trade zones

Premier Li Qiang presided over a State Council executive meeting on Friday, with a key focus on the development of pilot free trade zones.

The meeting noted that the pilot FTZs have actively explored efforts in deepening reforms, expanding opening-up and promoting development, achieving a series of breakthroughs and pioneering results.

It was stressed at the meeting that plans should be tailored to each pilot zone based on local conditions and practical needs to ensure concrete progress in advancing high-quality development of the pilot FTZs.

The meeting also pledged support for such zones — such as the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone — in line with their functional positioning, enabling them to align with high-standard international economic and trade rules and to steadily expand institutional opening-up.