The Global Operation Program (GOP) of Shanghai free trade zone was officially rolled out in Waigaoqiao, Pudong on Wednesday. The program is aimed at nurturing global operators. The first group of 41 enterprises signed a Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation for global Operator Program with the Waigaoqiao Bonded Area Administration of the free trade zone, while Panasonic Global Sourcing (China) Co., Ltd. was awarded a business license.

 “Global operator” refers to high-level headquarters with their operations covering at least two continents and that are involved in trade, investment, distribution or R&D. The project aims to gather high-level market players, talent and global capital and help enterprises to expand new markets, while enhancing the role that the free trade zone plays as an important hub, channel and platform.

Each member enterprise of the GOP has a dedicated file

The program also aims to foster a group of high-quality enterprises with superior capability to gather and allocate global resources in such areas as trade, investment, supply chains and R&D in three to five years.
The program will alter the previous one-way support where the government simply issue supportive policies. Instead, the government and enterprises will negotiate to form a “1 plus x” package where “1” is professional government service and “x” is customized development support for enterprises in line with the needs of each member enterprise, covering multiple areas including trade and investment, settlement, employment and information distribution.

Under this program, a GOP advisory think tank with international vision will also be established so as to implement relevant opening up measures of the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) while benchmarking the free trade zone against the high standard terms of the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership).