By Li Hongmei

The applications for Free Trade Zone put forward by some local governments are likely to get the informal approval from the central government, some insider remarked.

The regions involved may not always follow in the footsteps of Shanghai, which acts as a kind of touch stone for China's comprehensive open-up. Instead, they will act on their own advantages and pilot the open-up with different content, he said.

Among the applicants, Guangdong is the hopeful to be approved as it is bidding for a second FTZ pilot program.

The Shenzhen Qianhai zone was already approved by the State Council, the country's cabinet, in 2010. It has been granted 22 preferential policies regarding financial services and foreign investment.

Guangdong Province is mulling a free trade zone that would include its special economic zones, Hong Kong and Macau.

Zhu Xiaodan, Guangdong's governor, said on September 16 that the provincial government is working with Hong Kong and Macau to pursue the establishment of a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau zone.

The decision to increase the number of free trade zones will help open up the economy and invigorate growth, experts say.

A landmark policy document the Communist Party of China released on Friday shows the importance of the Shanghai pilot FTZ. The document was approved by the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, a four day meeting that ended on Tuesday.

"On the basis of pushing forward development of the existing pilot FTZ, qualified regions will be selected to build free trade zones or ports," the document said. This decision means more free trade zones will be built quickly.

The Shanghai FTZ covers 29 square kilometers in four areas of Shanghai, China's financial hub. It got the nod from the central government in August and was officially unveiled on September 29. It opens the Chinese market wider for foreign investors, including in the service and financial sectors.