A general view of the financial district of Lujiazui is seen from the Oriental Pearl Tower Radio and Television Tower in Shanghai on March 12, 2020. (HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP)

SHANGHAI — When walking in Lujiazui, a world-renowned financial center in Shanghai's Pudong District, there is little sign of the outbreak of COVID-19 as the area gears up to resume work.

The tourist sites in the area are now open to the public, while the restaurants and cafes are busy receiving customers and delivery orders, with some 280 skyscrapers packed with workers. The main differences are the masks on people's faces, strict entrance requirements when going into a building and odor of disinfectant in the air.

The resumption of work in the area was made possible thanks to the efforts of Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone Management Committee

The resumption of work in the area was made possible thanks to the efforts of Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone Management Committee.

Porsche China, for example, said the company would not have been able to offset the impact of the epidemic so rapidly without the help of the committee. 

The company saw a growth of 8 percent year on year in car sales in 2019, accounting for 31 percent of Porsche AG's global sales.

"China remains the largest single market of Porsche AG for the fifth consecutive year and our team left for the Spring Festival break with a high mood," Jens Puttfarcken, president and CEO of Porsche China, said Thursday.

Then there came the COVID-19 outbreak. The epidemic posed severe challenges to the company headquartered in Lujiazui, as it would shadow car sales, break up inter-province and inter-country logistics chains, and challenge the resumption of work both for the company and dealers.

According to Puttfarcken, the committee helped the company locate large storage venues for some 3,000 premium cars as its car sales in China dropped temporarily, and save more than 6 million yuan (about US$856,700) in rent at its two retail stores in Pudong. 

"We're confident in China's car market when it comes to premium cars and expect the sales to pick up in May," he said.

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The company had established a digital team in 2019 and would invest 200 million yuan over the following three years in order to create a brand new digital community experience tailored to the Chinese market.

Porsche China was not the only company benefiting from Lujiazui's thoughtful service. Five enterprises linked with US tech giant Apple Inc in Shanghai also resumed operations with the support of the committee.

Lujiazui financial district has assisted nearly half of the local firms that are eligible for virus-related financial support to secure 1.2 billion yuan in funds since early February, with another some 900 million yuan still in process, said the committee.

Moreover, the district has encouraged commercial property owners to offer rent relief to small businesses. Shanghai Lujiazui Group, which has properties such as 96 Plaza, is expected to exempt more than 420 million yuan of rent for micro, small, and medium-sized companies.

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"A friend in need is a friend indeed," said Zhou Haidong with the Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone Management Committee, adding that the committee will help enterprises in the district solve problems related to capital, talent, supply chains and other aspects, so as to create a better environment for them to resume production as the epidemic begins to recede.