Issued by: The General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government
Issue No.: Hufubangui (2025) No. 1
Release Date: February 17, 2025
Effective date:  March 1, 2025
Links: https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw12344/20250227/e6ee1dc5e05540c39fd79278ffd27230.html

The Measures outline specific initiatives to support regional headquarters of multinational corporations across key areas, including increasing financial incentives, enhancing R&D innovation capabilities, improving treasury management functions, and facilitating the entry and exit of headquarters personnel. Key highlights include:

1. Encourage headquarters to consolidate functions and upgrade to higher-level roles. 
a. Headquarters are encouraged to integrate and expand their functions, including R&D innovation, treasury management, investment decision-making, procurement and distribution, supply chain management, and shared services, with the goal of upgrading to higher-level headquarters, such as Asia-Pacific regional headquarters or global business unit headquarters.
b. RMB 3 million will be granted to headquarters upgrading from a China regional headquarter to an Asia-Pacific regional headquarter, provided they incorporate two or more additional functions.
c. RMB 10 million will be awarded to those recognized as global business unit headquarters.

2. Support for new function additions and innovation platforms. 
a. RMB 3 million will be rewarded to headquarters that introduce new R&D innovation and treasury management functions, subject to evaluation.
b. RMB 3 million will be rewarded to headquarters recognized as open innovation platforms.

3. Support production line upgrades and equipment modernization. 
a. Headquarters and their affiliated manufacturing enterprises are encouraged to accelerate production line upgrades and equipment modernization. For eligible investment projects, a technical renovation subsidy up to 10% of the total verified project investment will be granted, capped at a maximum of RMB100 million.

4. Facilitate travel and visa arrangements for headquarters personnel. 
a.Headquarters personnel will benefit from streamlined processes for obtaining APEC Business Travel Cards and facilitated visa endorsements for travel to Hong Kong and Macau. Overseas employees of headquarters will also enjoy simplified procedures for obtaining multi-year, multi-entry visas.