The State Council principally approved the general plan of constructing the eastern hub international business cooperation zone in Shanghai, the official website of China's Cabinet said on Monday.

The general plan of building the Shanghai eastern hub international business cooperation zone has been agreed in principle, and corresponding work can be organized accordingly, the State Council said in the official approval to the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and the General Administration of Customs dated on February 9.

To better exert Shanghai's strengths in opening-up, the plan should be implemented based on the city's existing status as an international aviation hub, making good use of the institutional innovative achievements of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, creating a highly convenient vehicle for international business communications, better connecting domestic and international markets, so as to make greater contribution in promoting high level opening-up, the statement said.

The municipal government of Shanghai is urged to strictly follow the development positioning, targets and key tasks of the plan, to make improvements of the specific implementation plan, and to effectively promote the construction and development of the eastern hub international business cooperation zone.

Relevant divisions of the State Council will work on detailed supplement policies to support the construction of the international business cooperation zone. The General Administration of Customs along with relevant departments will make evaluation of the international business cooperation zone in a timely manner through coordination, analysis, supervision and inspection, and further promote the experience of the zone in due time, said the statement.

Based on Shanghai's East Railway Station, the project would combine transportation functions of aviation, national railway, urban railway and metro together to facilitate the integration of the Yangtze River Delta region, serve Pudong New Area's goal of playing a leading role in China's new journey to fully build a modern socialist country and accelerate Shanghai's efforts to forge a socialist modern international metropolis with global influence, according to the official website of the Shanghai municipal government.