The Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District (CBD) achieved remarkable growth in trade in services in the first half of this year, with total imports and exports reaching $11.25 billion, marking a 33.7 percent year-on-year increase.
The impressive results raised its share of the city's total to 8.75 percent. The surge was primarily driven by the rapid development of transportation and travel services, with the latter accounting for over half of the total, or 52.08 percent.
The district has attracted a raft of big players, including Ctrip, China Eastern Airlines, Spring Airlines, Bosch, Unilever, KPMG and iFLYTEK. The presence of these high-profile enterprises enhances the district's service trade capabilities and level of internationalization.
Travel and transportation services experienced rapid growth in imports and exports in the first half of this year. The export of knowledge-intensive services was also accelerated, indicating enhanced competitiveness in high-value-added service sectors.
Delta Health Hospital, based in the CBD, has become the first wholly foreign-owned cardiovascular hospital in the country. The Beidou West Hongqiao Base, a national geospatial information service export base, has gathered over 300 enterprises related to BeiDou Navigation Satellite System.
The presence of international schools from Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea, and Germany has also enhanced the district's educational offerings. The Hongqiao Talent Service Center based in the CBD has served 48,073 expatriates.
The international internet data dedicated channel has been opened for 28 enterprises with 33 lines, while the Hongqiao Cross-Border Data Service Center and Hongqiao International Data Center continue to enhance their capabilities.
