Shanghai Yangshan Port, giant ships loaded with containers sail to all parts of the world; Lujiazui Financial City, rolling data attract global attention; Xuhui District \Model Speed Space\ large model innovation ecological community, sparks of innovation keep shining...

Surrounding the primary task of promoting high-quality development and the strategic task of building a new development pattern, Shanghai is accelerating the construction of an international economic, financial, trade, shipping, and scientific and innovation center, further strengthening the city's core functions.

In 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during his inspection in Shanghai: \Accelerating the construction of 'five centers' is an important mission entrusted to Shanghai by the Central Committee of the Party. Shanghai should take this as the main direction, coordinate and lead the development of all aspects of economic and social development, adhere to overall planning and collaborative promotion, focus on breakthroughs and lead by example, and continuously enhance the city's capabilities and core competitiveness.\

Keep in mind the entrustment, bravely take on heavy responsibilities, Shanghai seeks momentum from further comprehensive deepening of reforms, and seeks vitality from joint development and mutual empowerment.

Benchmarking the highest international standards, further comprehensively deepening reforms, and expanding high-level opening up——

The other day, the UK plush toy company Jili Cat completed the declaration of the first batch of imported consumer goods. \Thanks to the efficient operation of Shanghai customs and business departments, most of the first batch of goods have arrived smoothly, fully ensuring the timeliness of new products. This has strengthened our confidence in bringing more new products to Shanghai and to China,\ said Kong Ying, the sales operations director of Jili Cat.

Developing the first-launch economy, Shanghai pioneered the \whitelist + differentiated qualification assessment\ inspection model nationwide, achieving \fast customs clearance\ and \non-destructive inspection\ for first-launch imported consumer goods. Since May of this year, more than 20,000 global and regional first-launch new products from 14 multinational brands have been included in the whitelist. In the first four months of this year, Shanghai added 301 new flagship stores, among which global and Asian flagship stores and other high-level flagship stores accounted for 16%.

Promote reform through opening up, and promote reform through opening up. Shanghai is comprehensively and vigorously advancing pioneering reforms and leading open policies, accelerating the formation of a policy and institutional system with international competitiveness, and striving to create a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, rule-of-law-based, and internationalized. Since the establishment of the Shanghai Free Trade Pilot Zone Lingang New Area over five years ago, 138 breakthrough institutional innovation cases have been formed, of which 70 are the first in the country. Pudong New Area has gathered 28,000 foreign-funded enterprises from 175 countries and regions, with about 350 of the world's top 500 enterprises investing here. In 2024, Shanghai newly established nearly 6,000 foreign-funded enterprises, with actual foreign investment exceeding 17.6 billion US dollars, maintaining a high level of investment attraction.

Adhere to a systematic approach, promote the joint development and mutual empowerment of the \five centers\——

In the sound of the whistle, ship after ship loaded with foreign trade \new three items\ sets sail from Shanghai to overseas. The first shipping index futures in the country, which was born in Shanghai - the container shipping index (Europe) futures, provide protection for these giant ships. Launched for less than two years, with an average daily trading volume of 132,800 contracts, an average daily turnover of 11.465 billion yuan, and an average daily position holding of 83,500 contracts, the trading volume and activity far exceed similar products abroad.

\Fluctuations in shipping rates are significant and risks are high. Through the innovation of containerized freight index futures, shipping and logistics companies have a tool to hedge risks,\ said Lin Jie, President of Shanghai HuanShi Logistics (Group) Co., Ltd.

While continuously improving the ocean freight index (Europe line) futures, Shanghai is accelerating the construction of an international reinsurance center, deeply promoting the integrated development of the international financial center with the international economic center, trade center, shipping center, and scientific and technological innovation center. As of the end of April this year, 22 reinsurance operation centers and branches of reinsurance companies have established reinsurance branches in the Lingang New Area of Shanghai, and the Shanghai International Reinsurance Registration and Trading Center has completed reinsurance premium transactions of 1.58 billion yuan.

Adhere to a greater focus on system integration, a greater emphasis on highlighting key points, and a greater emphasis on the timeliness of reforms, and the construction of Shanghai's \five centers\ is solidly advancing. In 2024, Shanghai's total foreign trade import and export volume reached 4.27 trillion yuan, the total transaction volume of the financial market increased by 8.2% for the year, and the ranking of the international financial center steadily rose, with Shanghai Port's annual container throughput exceeding 50 million standard boxes, and the ranking of the science and innovation center among the world's first echelon.

\Deeply implementing the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, Shanghai will adhere to a systematic