(Yicai Global) Sept. 21 -- More than 30 global professional services providers, including Europe’s Testing Inspection Certification Council, penned deals with the Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone yesterday to open offices in the Chinese financial hub as part of an investment promotion scheme aimed at luring such businesses to Shanghai.

The Shanghai office is the TIC Council’s third office worldwide, after the US and India, Wei Yungang, chairman of the TIC Council China Steering Committee, said at the signing ceremony. UK law firm Norton Rose Fulbright and US management consultancy company Boston Consulting Group have also signed up.

The Brussels-based TIC Council, which specializes in certification services, has set up five work groups on environmental, social and governance issues, digitization and smart manufacturing, products certification and testing as well as commodities and government affairs that are tailored to the Chinese economy to provide strong support to the economic development of Pudong New District, Wei said.

Various world-leading services bodies are congregating at the Lujiazui Summit of Global Investment Information and Services Providers in Pudong New District, the Lujiazui Administration Bureau said. Among them are four of the world's biggest real estate consultancies, three of the Big Four accounting firms and two leading inspection and testing certification companies.

The Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone will make full use of the supportive financial policies of the Pudong administration to bring in the world's top professional services providers and offer professional and customized support, according to the investment promotion scheme.

Lujiazui will open up the professional services sector further and make it easier to bring in overseas top talent, such as by facilitating border entry and exit, providing accommodation and setting up an approved list of international practice qualifications, said Yuan Yefeng, deputy director-general of the Lujiazui Administration Bureau.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Kim Taylor