Fujian aims to foster high standard business climate: NPC deputy

Fujian province is committed to optimizing its business climate and providing businesses with considerate and customized services, said Liu Yuan, mayor of Zhangzhou.

Liu, also deputy to the second session of the 13th National People's Congress, made the remarks on the sidelines of the ongoing annual legislative meeting in Beijing.

Fujian was among the first provinces to embark on the journey of reform and opening up in China and one of the regions where foreign businesses first gained a foothold, Liu said.

The province has a vibrant private economy and optimizing the business climate has long been prioritized by the local authorities to seek accelerated economic growth of high standards, he added.

With great efforts the province is in many respects leading the country in terms of business climate construction, Liu noted.

Fujian is actively building a more efficient and service-oriented government. According to the Fujian government report last year, Fujian aims to slash administrative approval time for construction projects by half in 2019 and Xiamen, a pilot city in the province, has already reached the target.

The province encourages governments at different level to establish closer links with companies, offering them better services while strictly prohibiting graft during the process, according to Liu.

Meanwhile, it has spearheaded policy reform and innovation. Fujian has introduced 339 measures to facilitate trade and investment in the Fujian FTZ, of which 32 have been promoted nationwide and 136 are being promoted around Fujian province, official data show.

In a bid to foster a law-based business environment, Fujian has launched a raft of campaigns to protect companies' IPR as well as other legitimate rights and interests, Liu said.

The province's great ecologic environment has become an advantage to lure companies to settle down, he added.

Speaking of the draft Foreign Investment Law, Liu said that its enactment will promote and protect foreign investment in China by creating a stable, transparent and predictable market environment for fair competition.