On June 21, at the High-Level Opening-Up Conference in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lin-gang Special Area (hereafter referred to as "Lin-gang Special Area"), the Lin-gang Special Area Equity Investment Comprehensive Service Platform (International Version) (hereafter referred to as "the Platform") was officially inaugurated. Experts interviewed expressed that the establishment of this Platform marks a significant step forward in integrating financial openness and technological innovation in the Lin-gang Special Area, providing momentum for Shanghai’s ambition to become a world-class international financial center.

The Lin-gang Special Area Administrative Committee revealed that the Platform aims to accelerate the construction of a full-lifecycle financial service system for technology-oriented enterprises. This initiative promotes the integrated development of innovation chains, industrial chains, capital chains, and talent chains within the Lin-gang Special Area. By collaborating with the Asset Management Association of China, Shanghai Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau, Shanghai Securities Regulatory Bureau, and various industry associations, and leveraging Lin-gang's main development entities, the Platform will offer comprehensive services including enterprise settlement, investment and financing services, fund services, information sharing, and training seminars.

Furthermore, the Platform is dedicated to creating a high-level international equity agglomeration ecosystem, fostering foreign investment openness and innovation, attracting leading international institutions, supporting the Qualified Foreign Limited Partner (QFLP) pilot program, and enhancing the facilitation of foreign investments. The Platform also aims to develop cutting-edge industrial funds and cross-border merger and acquisition funds, drawing global high-quality enterprises and capital to form a multi-level, all-encompassing, and sustainable equity investment ecosystem.

"The Platform will enhance the vibrancy and depth of Shanghai's financial market, aiding in the construction of an international financial center," said Niu Yijun, Deputy Director of the Institute of Cross-Border Finance, in an interview with Shanghai Securities News. "The establishment of the Platform is timely, providing an efficient exchange and service window for capital and tech enterprises, helping to direct capital towards strategic emerging industries, promote industrial upgrading, and optimize the industrial structure, thereby advancing Shanghai's economy to a higher level."

The Platform will establish a high-quality international equity agglomeration demonstration zone, strengthen cooperation and exchanges with internationally renowned equity investment institutions and industry organizations, promote the sharing of international experiences and resources, and elevate the internationalization level of the equity investment agglomeration zone. This effort will cultivate new advantages for Lin-gang Special Area in expanding cross-border financial services and enhancing the allocation of global high-end financial resources.

Niu Yijun emphasized that the Platform's appeal lies in two main aspects: first, it provides a window showcasing a stable and reliable investment channel, attracting foreign capital to participate in technological innovation investments and share in China's development dividends. Second, the Platform facilitates relatively free cross-border capital flows within the Lin-gang Special Area, improving the efficiency of cross-border capital usage and demonstrating Shanghai's openness and inclusiveness as an international financial center.

Li Peigong, Dean of the School of Accounting at Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, stated to Shanghai Securities News that the design of the Platform reflects a grand vision, high intentions, multi-level, all-encompassing, and functional characteristics. Its inherent advantages in attracting global enterprises, capital, and technological resources provide global support for Shanghai's accelerated construction of its "Five Centers."

He Jianhua, a researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and President of the Yangtze River Delta Modernization Research Institute at Nantong University, noted that the Lin-gang Special Area focuses on leveraging the role of the equity investment platform to aggregate high-quality capital and the technology, talent, and industries linked by such capital, laying a foundation for the construction of the Lin-gang Special Area. This newly established Platform will attract global high-quality capital, marking a novel approach for Shanghai in drawing foreign investment, signifying China's increasing openness to international capital.

"The establishment of the Platform demonstrates Shanghai's determination and courage to attract, serve, and utilize foreign capital. Against the backdrop of developing new productive forces, the Platform's establishment is undoubtedly a critical tool for integrating global resources and deploying in high-tech fields," said Li Peigong. "It also plays a significant exemplary role in stabilizing foreign capital expectations and attracting global resources to Shanghai."

Niu Yijun concluded that through these measures, the Platform will optimize the foreign investment experience, promote the deep integration of capital and technological innovation, and provide new impetus for Shanghai to build a world-class international financial center.