Lin-gang Special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone held a special signing ceremony on Feb 13 for its first batch of projects for 2020.

The projects implemented various cooperation terms with Lin-gang Special Area Administration by telephone negotiation, online visual telephone confirmation, and signing by representatives in Shanghai one by one due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia.

Company representatives in Shanghai sign project agreements with Lin-gang Special Area Administration one by one on Feb 13, 2020. [Photo/eastday.com]

With investment of over 20 billion yuan ($2.87 bilion), 12 industrial projects were signed at the ceremony, covering integrated circuits (IC), artificial intelligence (AI), intelligent manufacturing, new generation information technology (IT), new materials, new energy, high-end intelligent equipment and other cutting-edge industries.

The plan was for these projects to land in the special area by the end of 2019. According to the original plan, the contracts were to be signed after the recent Spring Festival holiday, land supply finalized by the end of June 2020, and construction completed by the end of the year.

Business representatives in other countries or abroad cannot come to sign the contracts due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus. To continue the project, Lin-gang Special Area Administration and development bodies in Lin-gang decided to do the signing online, with Shanghai-based representatives signing after communication with the foreign companies.

Lin-gang Special Area Administration negotiates contract details with project partners through an online visual telephone call. [Photo/eastday.com]

Zhu Zhisong, the deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal Government and executive deputy director of Lin-gang Special Area Administration, said the administration will set up project specialists and provide whole-process services to ensure that the project progresses as scheduled, while performing prevention and control of the coronavirus.

By the evening of Feb 12, 620 enterprises and 33,015 employees had resumed work in Lin-gang Special Area.