ICFE [2013] No.148
Attention: Shanghai Municipal Administration for Industry & Commerce:
We acknowledge receipt of your Request for Approval of Plan for Trial Implementation of New Business License in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (SICF [2013] No.317). Here is the reply:
We approve in principle the Plan for Trial Implementation of New Business License in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the implementation of new business license in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (herein after referred to as the “Pilot Zone”).
You shall, in accordance with the requirements of the Framework Plan for China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, in line with the reality of the Pilot Zone, further strengthen the organizational leadership, perfect registration rules, intensify follow-up supervision, endeavor to build a market subject access environment in favor of healthy development of enterprises of all kinds in the Pilot Zone, and in favor of a stable market in good order, so as to acquire soon the replicable and applicable experience and offer high-quality service to the healthy development of enterprises.
Please submit in time any new situation and new problem in the trial implementation of new business license in the Pilot Zone to the foreign–capital registration bureau under the state administration.
Annex: Plan for Trial Implementation of New Business License in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone

                                                              State Administration for Industry & Commerce
September 26, 2013
 

Annex

Plan for Trial Implementation of New Business License in China (Shanghai) 
Pilot Free Trade Zone

With a view to pushing forward the pilot reform of industrial and commercial registration system in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (hereinafter referred to as the “Pilot Zone”), standardizing and consolidating the business licenses of enterprises of all kinds, creating a business environment of fair competition and improving the administrative efficiency of industrial and commercial registration, the following trial plan for new business license is formulated in line with the actual needs of the construction of the Pilot Zone. 
I. Class and application scope of new business license
Except for the Corporation Business License of Farmers’ Specialized Cooperative and the Business License of Individual Business, the business licenses of enterprises of all kinds are consolidated as one form, namely, Enterprise Business License of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (hereinafter referred to as the “PZ business license”). 
The PZ business license is applicable to production and operation activities conducted by companies, branch companies, non-company corporations and their branch offices, enterprises with individual investment and their branch offices, partnership enterprises and their branch offices, China-foreign cooperative non-corporation enterprises and foreign (regional) enterprises registered in the Pilot Zone.
II. Contents on new business license
1. The design of the national emblem of the People’s Republic of China is printed on the right above of the original of PZ business license.
2. “Registration number” displays under the designation of PZ business license. The registration number follows relevant provisions and standards of the state administration for industry & commerce, with China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone marked after the “registration number”. 
3. The content area of the PZ business license leaves a blank, with records and contents automatically printed by the system according to the different type of enterprises. For a company exercising the subscription registration system, the words “(subscription, a shareholder takes responsibility for the company in the limits of capital or share subscription)” are described in the column of registered capital, and for a company exercising the paid-in system, the words “(paid-in)” described. No paid-in capital is recorded in the company’s business license. No alteration is made to the records in the business license of enterprises of other kinds. 
 4. A seal of registration authority is affixed at down right of the PZ business license, with “year, month, day” under the seal displaying the last registration date of the enterprise.
5. The words “Made under supervision of the state administration for industry & commerce of the People’s Republic of China” are printed at down right of the PZ business license.
6. The words “instructions” are printed at the bottom of a copy of the PZ business license. The contents are: “(1) Enterprise Business License is the certificate of enterprise’s statute of a subject and legal operation. (2) Enterprise Business License has original and copy, both bearing equal legal validity.”
III. Specifications of new business license
1. The PZ business license has original and copy, both being page vertical. The specification of original is standard format A3 (420x297mm), and that of copy, format A4 (297x210mm). The copy of business license has the word (copy) under the designation of license and has a column “instructions” added, with other contents alike to the original.
2. The PZ business license has an anti-fake shading design and watermarked paper for printing.
IV. Explanations for other special registration certificates
In view of characteristics of foreign (regional) resident representative offices and enterprise groups, the registration certificates of the said subjects and organizations remain unchanged as the current format.
See the annex for the format of PZ business license.