Recently the branch companies of China Telecom in Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone and Hainan province signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly expand innovative services in the pilot free trade zones.

According to the agreement, the two sides will provide services to cater to the development of pilot free trade zones.

The two sides will establish a regular communication mechanism to share resources and give full play to the advantages of the two sides, jointly serve the customers of the two free trade zones, share the latest policies and technical solutions and expand businesses.

The two branches will jointly develop communication products to better serve the development of free trade zones.

By reviewing projects that have been operated in Shanghai and Hainan, the two sides will gain experience and establish a benchmark in the industry.

Last April China rolled out a plan to establish Hainan as a pilot free trade zone, the 12th and largest among its peers. The China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, established in September 2013, serves a strategic purpose for China's economic development.

Pedestrians walk past the entrance of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. [Photo by Wu Jun/For China Daily]

Skyscrapers dominate the skyline of Pudong New Area in Shanghai. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily]