The Shanghai free trade zone officially added a new area on Aug 20, doubling the size of China's major economic reform test ground.

The China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone now includes Lin-gang new area, a port town at the southeast tip of Shanghai.

The new section will match the standard of the most competitive free trade zones worldwide and will facilitate overseas investment and capital flows and realize the free flow of goods, according to the area's development plan.

The area will be built into a special economic function zone with global influence and competitiveness.

The Lin-gang Special Area is located south of Dazhi River and east of Jinhui port, and includes the south side of Xiaoyangshan Island and Pudong International Airport.

The first stage of development, covering 119.5 square kilometers, will be carried out in Nanhui New Town, the Lin-gang equipment industrial zone, Xiaoyangshan Island and the south side of Pudong airport.

Zhu Zhisong, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai government and executive deputy director of the China (Shanghai) Free Trade Zone Lin-gang Special Area Administration, said the Lin-gang area would become a new engine for China's reform and opening-up.

The plan stated that the gross regional product in the area will exceed 1 trillion yuan ($140 billion) by 2035.

With 100 billion yuan's worth of industrial projects in 2019, Zhu forecast 20 percent year-on-year growth to ensure that the goal will be achieved.