Mu Hong, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), led a team from the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee to Shanghai on March 31 and April 1 to conduct a survey on promoting innovative trade development and accelerating the building of a strong trading nation. The research team continued its work in Shanghai from April 2 to 3.

The team visited many places, including the Hongqiao International Central Business District, the China International Import Expo Bureau, China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, Shanghai Electronic Port, Shanghai Electric Group, the Shanghai Eastern Hub International Business Cooperation Zone, and SAP (China) Co Ltd. They also held a symposium, engaging in in-depth exchanges with principals of relevant institutions and enterprise representatives to gain a detailed understanding of local exchanges and cooperation in trade and investment.

During the survey, the team also organized a "serving the people" activity, where members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs performed their duties by delivering a presentation on cross-border finance for relevant enterprises.

The team members said that the CPPCC should leverage its role as a specialized consultative body. Focusing on optimizing and upgrading trade in goods, vigorously developing trade in services, innovatively developing digital and green trade, and promoting the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), CPPCC members should conduct in-depth research, actively engage in political deliberation and offer suggestions, assist in scientific and effective policy-making, and pool wisdom and strength for the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, they noted.

Participants in the survey included He Ping, chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs; Wang Bingnan, Li Fei and Chen Siqing, vice-chairpersons of the Committee on Foreign Affairs; Zhou Hanmin, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee; and five CPPCC National Committee members, as well as Hu Wenrong, chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPPCC.