Zheng Haiao, deputy director of the Policy Research Bureau at the Management Committee of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, described his job as something like a "woodpecker".

By working out measures for reform and innovation, Zheng said he and his colleagues manage to "peck off" the institutional barriers that might affect international market players in the pilot FTZ, in order to make their business development more "simplified, efficient and free".

Speaking at a dialogue in Shanghai on Wednesday evening on the city"s achievements in practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, he discussed the development of the FTZ since it was founded in 2013.

Zheng spoke of the work to reduce the number of items on the zone"s "negative list". Industries not on the list are open for investment to all businesses and do not require prior approval by the authorities.

Over the past eight years, the number of the items on the negative list was reduced from more than 190 to only 30 in order to keep widening market access for foreign businesses, and more than 12,000 foreign companies had set up operations in the FTZ, he added.