The Qianhai and Shekou Area in Shenzhen, China has cemented its role as a key platform for deepening Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation and facilitating Chinese enterprises’ push to “go global”, backed by its institutional innovations and preferential policies.

The area marked the 11th anniversary of its creation on Monday, and is part of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, which also covers Nansha in Guangzhou and Hengqin in Zhuhai.

Qianhai-based artificial intelligence firm LAiPIC said it has benefited greatly from the special economic zone’s integration dividends.

“With Qianhai’s support for Shenzhen-Hong Kong integration and institutional innovation, we started from an office here and expanded to over 180 countries and regions,” said Zhong Guanlin, director of Hong Kong market.

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The company has attracted Hong Kong and Macao tech talent who are engaged in research and development, and has set up a branch in Hong Kong to tap overseas markets.

The ability to attract Hong Kong and Macao talent is largely attributed to Qianhai’s favorable talent policies, which have broken institutional barriers to facilitate cross-boundary talent flows.

It took the lead nationwide in implementing a policy that exempts Hong Kong and Macao residents from applying for employment permits to work on the Chinese mainland, and allows them to enjoy the same housing provident fund payment and withdrawal benefits as residents.

Hong Kong and Macao professionals from 26 fields — including taxation, architecture and tourism — can practice in Qianhai upon registration.

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It has also set up the first Hong Kong talent work station in Guangdong province to support the handling of 293 cross-boundary government services, including enterprise registration and taxation.

A well-established legal framework also provides strong safeguards for enterprises conducting cross-boundary business in Qianhai. The zone is now home to over 10 jointly operated law firms from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

The Shenzhen Qianhai Cooperation Zone People’s Court has heard 269 cases applying extraterritorial laws, the highest number nationwide. Hong Kong mediators have participated in 519 mediation cases, among which 216 were successfully resolved, marking a success rate of 41.6 percent.

“When legal disputes involving Hong Kong and Macao occur on the mainland, there is no need to engage lawyers in Hong Kong or Macao. Our law firm has dozens of Hong Kong and Macao legal practitioners, allowing clients to resolve cross-boundary legal matters within a single office,” said Chen Yi, director and senior partner of ZLC Law Office, the nation’s first jointly operated law firm serving clients in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

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Laifen Technology, which specializes in producing hair dryers, said Qianhai’s dedicated platform for serving enterprises that embark on an international journey has helped the company to rapidly expand its global footprint.

The tech firm achieved a new high in overseas revenue in the first quarter of this year, with growth rates in the North American and Western European markets both hitting 100 percent, Deng Cailian, cofounder of the company said, adding that its products have entered major global marketplaces such as Costco and Walmart.

According to official statistics, the external trade volume of the Qianhai and Shekou Area increased from 71.2 billion yuan ($10.43 billion) in 2015 to 561.2 billion yuan last year, representing an average annual growth rate of 23 percent.

Contact the writer at sally@chinadailyhk.com