Xu Feng: Innovation 'golden key' to development

Shanghai Shine-Link International Logistics Company is listed at the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2017. [Photo/Official WeChat account: waigaoqiaowindows]

The Waigaoqiao bonded area of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) has experienced rapid economic development over the past three decades thanks to its nonstop reform and innovation, according to Xu Feng, president of the Shanghai Shine-Link International Logistics Company.

Waigaoqiao bonded area, the first bonded area in China, was approved by the State Council in 1990 and is now a special customs supervision area with the largest economic scale and the richest business functions in China. 

The area is a gateway for China's reform and opening-up and the birthplace of the country's first wholly foreign-owned trade enterprise, and the first "National Promotion and Innovation Demonstration Area of Import and Export Trade" in China. It also leads the country in implementing a series of innovative policies, such as reforms in examination and approval procedures, paperless customs clearance and optimizing customs regulation, according to Xu.

Shine-Link is one of many logistics companies in Waigaoqiao that enjoys the many favorable policies introduced in recent years. The logistics company, which was listed in the Shanghai A-Share market in 2017, serves more than 30 international companies.

"Shine-Link experienced a lot of difficulties in its early stages and faced fierce competition from other logistics companies. It found a new path to success by offering high-end services to clients, and served as a third-party contract logistics service provider," said Xu.

"Currently, it has set up a long-term strategic cooperative partnership with many world-renowned enterprises, such as iPhone maker Apple, Japanese tech giant Sony Corp, and US multinational General Electric. It has also expanded its business to various fields such as automobiles, machinery and health care," according to Xu.

He added that the innovative reforms carried out in Waigaoqiao meet the various demands of enterprises and enable them to enjoy the benefits of trade facilitation.

Dedicated to continuous improvement and innovation, Shine-Link has achieved remarkable development and progress since it was established in 2001. It now houses a modern warehouse with an area of 800,000 square meters and can handle 45,000 orders a day.

Currently, the company is beefing up efforts to develop intelligent logistics and has applied several advanced technologies in its daily work, which are expected to advance the high-quality development of the logistics industry and provide its clients with efficient and convenient services.