作為國家戰略，中國（上海）自由貿易試驗區是中國新一輪改革開放的“特區”，被賦予“經濟升級”和“推動改革”兩方面的功能：一是通過開放實現區內經濟的極大發展，成為新的經濟“增長點”，進而促進中國整體經濟的轉型升級；二是進行有益的經濟改革試驗，成為深化改革的“試驗田”，進而推動中國全面改革的深化。就“經濟升級”功能而言，上海自由貿易區具有一系列獨特優勢，預期可以取得良好的效果。但就“推進改革”功能而言，對目前上海自由貿易區的改革實踐尚不能過於樂觀，而且即使區內改革成功，其改革經驗也不一定具有普遍意義，因此，其實際成效可能受到諸如管理當局的主觀努力、改革措施在不同地區的適用性等多方面的影響和制約。同時，上海自由貿易區經濟功能的實現程度也會受到其改革功效的影響。

As a national strategy, China（Shanghai）Pilot Free Trade Zone is a “special economic zone” in a new-round of reform of China, and has been given two functions with “economic upgrading” and “boosting reform”, i.e., the first purpose is to realize great economic development in the Zone by opening-up to make the Zone become a new economic “growth point” and further to boost the restructure and upgrading of Chinese economy, the second purpose is to conduct beneficial economic reform experiment, to make the Zone become a “pilot field” to deepen the reform and further to push forward the deepening of overall reform of China. With regard to “economic upgrading” function, China（Shanghai）Pilot Free Trade Zone has a series of unique advantages and will make great progress, however, as for “pushing forward reform” function, the reform practice of current China（Shanghai）Pilot Free Trade Zone is not too optimistic, furthermore, its reform experience cannot be certain to have universal significance even though the reform is successful in the Zone, thus, the practical effect of China（Shanghai）Pilot Free Trade Zone may be affected and limited by such aspects as the subjective efforts of the administration, the practicability of reform measures in different zones and so on, and meanwhile, the implementation extent of the economic function of China（Shanghai）Pilot Free Trade Zone may also be affected by its reform achievements.