The European Chamber is pleased to invite you to the next joint Banking & Securities Working Group meeting which will take place on Wednesday, 30 October, from 8:30-10:00 in our Beijing and Shanghai offices.

At this meeting, the Banking & Securities Working Group will have the honour and pleasure to welcome Ms. Annabella Fu in Beijing and Mr. Richard Gu in Shanghai at the same time. They will present on the topic of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone and its implications for foreign banks.

The eagerly awaited details of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone were finally released by the State Council on 27 September 2013, with the Free Trade Zone scheduled to be formally launched on 29 September 2013. Launch of this scheme is expected to ease the administrative burdens and legal restrictions currently imposed on both of foreign and domestic investors, at least within the confines of the Free Trade Zone, and to contribute to greater inflow of foreign investment into the Free Trade Zone (which covers an area including the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Bonded Logistics Zone, the Shanghai Pudong Airport Free Trade Zone and the Yangshan Free Trade Port Area, the “Zone”). It is also widely believed that success of this scheme will lay a solid foundation for nationwide financial reform and liberalisation of the Chinese market. The Shanghai municipal government is currently in the process of formulating various implementing rules which expect to be issued soon.

Tentative Agenda

• Presentation on the Shanghai Free Trade Zone and its implications for foreign banks by Ms. Annabella Fu, Partner of Linklaters Beijing and Mr. Richard Gu, Partner of Linklaters Shanghai

If you would like to attend this meeting, please register, indicating your attendance in Beijing or Shanghai, with Ms Shan Liyang at lyshan@europeanchamber.com.cn by Friday, 25 October COB. Please also feel free to suggest additional discussion points.

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