Shanghai Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment (SAEFI) is a body corporate approved of by the Shanghai Municipal Government. It is a non-profit organization composed mainly of the foreign-funded enterprises citywide, including those invested by overseas Chinese or businessmen from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and by some other relevant agencies as well.
　　Founded in March, 1988, the association (SAEFI) elected its new leading members at the 4th session of the general assembly in March 2000, and a few changes were made later at the 4th meeting of the council in Oct. 2002. Mr. Wu Chenglin is elected chairman of the association. The five honorary chairmen of the association are: Mr. Wang Daohan, former Mayor of Shanghai; Mr. Chen Liangyu, the mayor; Mr. Jiang Yiren, executive vice mayor; Mr. Zhu Xiaoming, deputy secretary general of the municipal government, and chairman of both the Shanghai Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Commission (SFERTC) and the Shanghai Foreign Investment Commission (SFIC); and Mr. Liu Jinping, deputy chairman of both SFIC and SFERTC.
　　To improve its work more effectively, the association has invited a few ex-leading personnel of the municipal government as its senior advisers. Also appointed as consultants are some leaders from relevant departments, such as the Shanghai Foreign Exchange Administration, Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau, Shanghai Financial Administration, Shanghai Tax Bureau, Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administration, Shanghai Statistical bureau, Shanghai Entry- Departure Inspection & Quarantine, and Shanghai Customs House, etc.
　　The purpose of the association is to serve its member enterprises heart and soul in light of the state policies, laws and regulations on opening-up and reformation to boost the foreign investment in Shanghai. It tries its best to safeguard the legal rights and interests of its members so as to increase the mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation between the enterprises and local government, and among the member enterprises as well.
　　Following are the main services the association could offer to its members:
Holding various forms of briefings, reports，salons and seminars to make important information known promptly by its members concerning the state policies, laws and regulations.
Compiling a quarterly pamphlet Recent Laws and Regulations, a monthly journal Foreign Investment in Shanghai, a semi-monthly paper News Letter in both Chinese and English, and a weekly E-mailed News on Foreign Investment, which are shared by all members of the association free of charge.
Encouraging the member enterprises to participate in international and domestic fairs, such as Guangzhou Export Commodities Fair (twice a year), Shanghai International Expo on Industry (annual), East China Fair (annual) and some other exhibitions. Authorized by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Economy and Cooperation and the Shanghai Foreign Investment Commission, the association helps its member enterprises expand their markets both at home and abroad by making business inspections in and out of China..
Providing the information and services on human resources, including training managerial personnel for the foreign-funded enterprises.
Accepting investments from its members and other investors inside or outside China, while providing consultations on their investment and trade and acting on their behalf in setting up new projects or representative offices as well.
Carrying out various activities to strengthen the friendship and cooperation among its members, as well as between the member enterprises and local government for better understanding and mutual support.
Keeping abreast of the development and problems of its members, and reporting to the government departments about their complaints and demands in the field of production to secure their legal rights and interests.
　　Starting from last September, the association (SAEFI) has broadened its business scope to perform some additional tasks authorized by the Foreign Investment Commission.
Issuing the approval certificates for the new foreign-funded enterprises;
Examining the qualification of foreign consultant agencies in Shanghai and carrying out business training and annual inspections for them.
Appraising the technologically advanced foreign-funded enterprises, and making checkouts for those export-oriented enterprises.
Mediating issues of dispute for different parties of the foreign-funded enterprises.
Performing united annual inspections for the foreign-funded enterprises.
Handling registral certificates for importing specific commodities.
Affixing seals to documents on behalf of the administrative departments responsible for those foreign-owned businesses.
Issuing certificates for both the "technologically advanced enterprises" and "export-oriented enterprises" among the foreign-funded enterprises.
Examining and verifying the self-use equipment (including the duty-free or dutiable, old mechanical and electric equipment) imported by the foreign-funded enterprises.
　　The secretariat of the association (SAEFI) consists of an office department, a liaison department, an information department, an enterprise department, a human resource department, a sales exhibition department, a finance department and a consultative department. Besides, there are two limited-liability companies affiliated to the association: the Shanghai Foreign Investment Consulting Co., Ltd. and the Shanghai Foreign Business Service Co., Ltd. Also in the Association is the office of the Complaint Center for Shanghai Foreign-funded Enterprises
　　According to the "Articles of Association of SAEFI", the member enterprises of the association are required to pay their membership dues every year based on different grades of their total investment.