It is reported that in 2018 domestic consumption contributed 76.2 percent to China's economic growth and was the main engine driving the expansion.

The rising volume of cross-border e-commerce sales reflects the upgrading of consumption in the domestic market.

"In 2019, our international trade grew rapidly, and with great help from the Songjiang district and its comprehensive bonded zone, well-known consumer companies from Finland, Spain and other countries are coming here to negotiate business with us," said Zhang Qi, chairman of Shanghai Giessen Co.

A good business environment is the key to the stable business in Songjiang. In the first three quarters of 2019, the import and export value of the Songjiang comprehensive bonded zone ranked first among the five comprehensive bonded zones in Shanghai.

The high-quality development of Shanghai Songjiang enterprises is not only evident in the field of foreign trade, but also in the field of advanced manufacturing.

One such enterprise, Bobst, a Swiss company engaged in the printing and packaging business, in 2019 once again ushered in an "outbreak period" of growth - its annual sales nearly doubled to 1 billion yuan ($144 million).

"We position ourselves as a strategic partner for upgrading China's traditional manufacturing industry to intelligent manufacturing. With the help of the functional departments and industrial alliances in Songjiang district, we negotiated with hundreds of enterprises seeking this upgrading and obtained a large number of orders," said a Bobst representative.

A view of Songjiang district, Shanghai [Photo/WeChat account: scofcom]