SHENZHEN released an action plan Monday aimed at meeting the needs of foreign nationals, Hong Kong and Macao residents, and international businesses, in a broader push to strengthen the city’s global competitiveness and business environment ahead of the upcoming APEC summit.

The plan, unveiled by the Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission, outlines 21 key tasks across five areas: cross-border personnel mobility, international trade and logistics, cross-border capital flows, cross-border data flows, and the optimization of the business environment.

It prioritizes facilitating the work and daily lives of residents from Hong Kong, Macao, and foreign nationals in Shenzhen, with a focus on tackling challenges related to language barriers, visas, accommodation, and payment.

To address language barriers and insurance issues faced by foreign nationals seeking medical care, the plan proposes improving bilingual signage in medical institutions and deploying multilingual AI-powered translation devices. Additionally, the city will support more hospitals in pursuing international accreditation and establishing partnerships with global insurance providers, enabling foreign nationals to receive medical services in Shenzhen as conveniently as they would in their home countries.

Visa facilitation — seen as critical to attracting international talent and multinational companies — is another key focus. The plan proposes that foreign executives setting up companies in the Qianhai Pilot Free Trade Zone be eligible for two-year visas or residence permits, with benefits extended to their family members. Personnel from enterprises designated as Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs) and trade-oriented headquarters enterprises will benefit from waived or eased restrictions when applying for APEC Business Travel Cards. Foreign executives with urgent entry requirements will have access to China’s port visas, which function similarly to visas on arrival offered by some other countries.

The plan addresses the nuances of daily life through technological integration, including smart devices for automated accommodation registration and multilingual AI tools in hotels. Additionally, the city will launch APEC-themed digital RMB hardware wallets, which will be accepted at major locations citywide to simplify payments for international visitors.

The plan also explores deeper integration with Hong Kong’s healthcare system. This includes establishing a mechanism to share clinical laboratory and imaging results between Shenzhen and Hong Kong institutions. More Shenzhen hospitals are expected to link with Hong Kong’s Electronic Health System (eHealth), facilitating the seamless exchange of medical information across the border. (SD News)