China May Open More Free-Trade Zones if Shanghai FTZ Is Successful

China’s expansion of its Shanghai Free Trade Zone could serve as a model for similar schemes in other zones across the country if it is successful, according to an Aug. 13 post from Dezan Shira & Associates. The recently approved plan includes "pioneering" policies in the newly incorporated Lingang area that are more than just a “simple expansion,” the post said. The expansion will double the size of the original Shanghai zone and will “facilitate freer activities in trade, investment, finance, talents, and information” in the new area of the zone, according to the post.