The Shanghai National Accounting Institute (SNAI) was founded in September, 2000, as part of the efforts of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council to heighten the knowledge and abilities of Certified Public Accountants and senior financial managers. SNAI is a government-sponsored institution, affiliated with the Ministry of Finance.

SNAI is located at 200 Panlong Road, in the Qingpu District of Shanghai. The campus covers 34.67 hectares, and the buildings include 59,000 square meters. There is a total investment of RMB 520 million yuan in the first phase. The campus is bordered to water on three sides, and the total afforesting rate is up to 64.6%. The campus boasts world-class teaching facilities, designed according to international standards for continuing professional education. In addition to teaching buildings, there is an information center, a recreation center, a conference center, faculty apartments, student apartments, and dining facilities. A wide-band network, available throughout the campus, provides information, communication and distance learning. The Institute has additional educational facilities at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, located on Zhongshan Bei Yi Road, in the Hongkou District of Shanghai.

Target at establishing a "senior-level, international, and e-technology" continuing education base, the Institute primarily serves senior financial managers of large state-owned enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises, Chinese CPAs, foreign CPAs offering services in China and senior government officials. Additionally, the Institute also provides finance and accounting education to the public through the Internet. The Institute actively seeks to cooperate with international educational organizations, invites recognized experts from China and abroad, and develops high-quality teaching materials, lectures, and courses for business and government professionals in China.

SNAI has been designated as the location of the Secretariat of the APEC Finance and Development Program (AFDP), which is an APEC initiative sponsored by China and the World Bank. SNAI is the base for AFDP training in China.