Shanghai has become a promising base
for international purchasers and other offshore companies in
China to cream off profits, city government figures show.
To date, a total of 48 international
purchasers, including Wal-Mart and Carrefour, and more than
1,800 offshore companies have set up branches or offices in
Shanghai, China's financial hub.
To promote
its efficiency and attract more international buyers, the
city established the Shanghai International Merchandising
Center in 2002, which handles all foreign trade procedures.
By Thursday, services provided at the center
ranged from foreign trade, customs, logistics and inspection
to taxation and training.
With the aim of
reducing operational costs and expanding exports, the center
is viewed as a major step toward sustaining Shanghai's
foreign trade economy, says Vice Mayor Zhou Yupeng.
Shanghai is keen to refashion itself as a
major global merchandising center within three to five years
and play an important role in the world purchasing chain,
according to Zhou.
Shanghai draws international merchandisers
2004-06-09 15:43