Why are more and more companies “voting with their feet” in Hebei?

Why are more and more companies “voting with their feet” in Hebei?

— A Chronicle of Hebei’s Bold Efforts to Optimize the Business Environment

Recently, a staff member at the Shijiazhuang Municipal Government Service Center (second from the left) explained relevant policies to a corporate representative. Photo by our reporter Zhang Hao.

When the waters are deep, the fish thrive; when the city is strong, commerce flourishes.

The ongoing improvement of the business environment has delivered tangible benefits to both enterprises and the public, injecting vibrant energy into Hebei—a province brimming with dynamism. In 2024, the total number of market entities in Hebei reached 8.8997 million, up 4.29% year on year.

“Make great efforts to optimize the business environment,” General Secretary Xi Jinping earnestly urged during his inspection tour of Hebei in May 2023.

Throughout Hebei Province, all levels have pressed forward with determination along the path charted by General Secretary Xi Jinping, maintaining unwavering confidence and putting action first. By focusing on key areas and critical links, they have continued to tackle tough challenges and achieve breakthroughs. At the “First Meeting of the New Year,” a series of measures were rolled out in succession, with sustained efforts to optimize the business environment, thereby fully unleashing the momentum and vitality for high-quality development.

The results are already becoming evident. The “double-blind” evaluation reform in tendering and bidding has fostered fair competition in the market; 13 initiatives under the “efficiently get one thing done” framework have been rolled out; and the 12345 hotline has addressed 18.829 million requests from businesses and the public. Hebei Province has emerged as one of the five provinces that have made the most significant strides in optimizing the business environment, with an increasing number of enterprises choosing to invest and operate in Hebei.

A favorable environment fosters a vibrant market.

At the start of the new year, work on the Hebei Hydrological Smart Platform project—including software development—is progressing smoothly. The winning bidder for this project is Shanmai Technology Co., Ltd., based in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.

Looking back on last year’s bidding experience, the company’s responsible officer, Wang Longping, commented: “As long as a company’s capabilities are outstanding, it can stand out.”

It was an unprecedented “double-blind” bidding session. The main venue was in Shijiazhuang, where the tendering party—the Hebei Provincial Hydrological Survey and Research Center—is located, while the secondary venue was in the Xiong’an New Area. Experts from both Shijiazhuang and Xiong’an were randomly selected in a blind process and conducted their evaluations online via a remote, geographically dispersed bid‑evaluation coordination system.

What are the benefits of the “double-blind” review reform?

“Tendering and bidding have become more transparent, and businesses feel a stronger sense of gain,” said Wang Liqiang, head of the Public Resources Trading Supervision Section at the Shijiazhuang Municipal Administrative Approval Bureau. He added that the “double-blind” review reform has addressed issues such as the prevalence of familiar faces among experts in the project evaluation process, thereby fostering fair competition in the market.

Shijiazhuang City has pioneered and advanced the “double-blind” evaluation reform in tendering and bidding, earning its inclusion as a 2024 national case of innovative practices for optimizing the business environment.

Tendering and bidding serve as an important window for assessing a region’s business environment.

Today in Hebei, tendering without leaving one’s office, bid opening without in-person meetings, evaluation conducted screen-to-screen, and administrative services requiring zero in-person visits have all become the norm in the field of public procurement.

Businesses are best placed to judge the quality of the business environment.

Since Hebei Province implemented the “double-blind” review reform in May 2023, the number of business entities participating in tendering and bidding activities has reached 168,000, an increase of 7.5% compared with the period prior to the reform.

Hebei has planned and implemented a series of “small‑scale” reform measures, continuously boosting market vitality.

Eliminate barriers to market access. Hebei Province has launched a province-wide platform for assessing the effectiveness of market access, established a joint review system for ensuring fair competition in major policies and measures, and put in place a mechanism for handling and responding to complaints. In 2024, it conducted a comprehensive review and revision of 2,215 policy documents that contained provisions on unequal treatment of enterprises.

Promoting the direct and swift delivery of business‑friendly policies. Currently, the Hebei Policy Platform for Businesses and People has 1.35 million users, with over 26.05 million visits, and has published a total of 2,182 policy documents and 1,941 policy briefs. In 2024, vehicle toll exemptions and reductions totaled RMB 9.888 billion.

By fostering a superior business environment, we will ensure economic stability and drive development forward.

In 2024, Hebei Province delivered a strong performance in fixed-asset investment, posting a year-on-year increase of 6.8% and witnessing comprehensive growth across all three sectors.

Enhancing efficiency, making life easier for the public and businesses, and accelerating progress.

What constitutes good public service? As times change, so do the criteria for evaluation.

A few years ago, simply “getting things done” was considered good; today, only “making things easy to get done” can earn high marks.

“No need to make a single trip—everything was handled seamlessly.” Not long ago, with the assistance of staff at the Feixiang District Administrative Service Center in Handan City, Ms. Gao of Hebei Mingchu Logistics Co., Ltd. used the online “Efficient One-Stop Service” portal to submit just one application form and obtain both a Road Freight Transport Business License and a Road Transport Permit, with the entire approval process completed in under two hours.

“Efficiently getting one thing done” transforms the process of obtaining permits and handling administrative matters from cumbersome procedures to streamlined, integrated services.

The first batch of 13 “efficiently get one thing done” initiatives, as designated by the national authorities, has been fully implemented across Hebei Province, resulting in a cumulative reduction of 97 departments involved in handling procedures, 104 procedural steps, 229 required documents, and 222 days in processing time—representing reduction rates of 89%, 89%, 77%, and 67%, respectively.

By further consolidating service offerings, the Enterprise Service Center’s role as a central hub has become even more prominent.

In Weixian County, people often recount a tale of “capital shifting from south to north.”

More than a year ago, Yu Chenfa, a businessman from Ningbo, Zhejiang, established Hebei Gebaoshi Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. in Weixian County. The new company faced challenges such as funding shortfalls and difficulties in recruiting workers. In response, the Weixian Enterprise Service Center set up an bank–enterprise matchmaking platform, helping the company secure a 5-million-yuan working-capital loan and coordinating with relevant departments to host a specialized talent recruitment fair. Today, the company has grown into one of the largest white‑goods manufacturers in northern China.

Step through “one door” and get everything done. Across Hebei Province, 202 enterprise service centers at the provincial, city, and county levels offer a wide range of services—including approvals, financing, and talent recruitment—providing a one-stop solution to meet businesses’ needs.

Optimizing the business environment is reflected not only in streamlined administrative procedures that require fewer or even no visits, but also in a service philosophy that is attentive and empathetic.

Last November, Mr. Wu, a person with hearing impairment, dialed the Baoding City 12345 hotline’s video call to inquire about applying for subsistence allowances. On the other end of the video link, Li Yitong, an operator at the sign-language service desk, used sign language to answer his questions and provide clarification.

Enabling the deaf and hard of hearing to be “heard.” In early November 2024, all 12345 hotlines across cities in Hebei Province began offering sign language services. As the first province nationwide to fully implement sign language support on its hotline, Hebei has pioneered best practices for advancing accessibility in call‑center services across the country.

By transforming government administration and enhancing service convenience, Hebei continues to improve the efficiency of its public services.

The provincial integrated government service platform has been connected to 91 ministerial-level systems and 58 provincial-level systems, enabling “end-to-end online processing” for 1,067 government services. The “JiShiBan” app now offers 5,816 government services, achieving full coverage in key areas of public welfare. Meanwhile, the total number of electronic certificates and licenses collected has reached 751 types, totaling 345 million documents.

Each small improvement in government services has, in turn, expanded from isolated instances to broader reforms, driving sweeping change and delivering a strong sense of gain to businesses and the public.

Strong support, relief with warmth

A world-class business environment hinges on streamlining services that benefit businesses and citizens, with its foundation in removing bottlenecks and addressing persistent challenges to deliver concrete solutions.

On January 24, at the Wuyi Economic Development Zone, a steel‑structured workshop spanning over 10,000 square meters roared with the sound of machinery as customized grain‑storage equipment rolled off the production line. This is the new facility of Hengshui Weiyе Grain Storage Machinery Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd., where state-of-the-art production equipment has significantly enhanced the company’s capacity for custom solutions.

“At the beginning of last year, this was still an empty lot. From the land‑use auction and tender process to the start of construction, it took only one month. By July last year, the new workshop had already gone into production,” said Zhang Jindou, the company’s general manager. He added that the project’s rapid construction and early commissioning were made possible by Hengshui’s expanded and upgraded “Standard Land + Commitment System” reform, which has enabled a shift from “construction can begin upon land acquisition” to “construction begins immediately upon land acquisition.”

Strengthening land-use guarantees and treating enterprises’ concerns as top priorities. At present, Hengshui’s “Standard Land + Commitment System” 2.0 has been fully implemented across the city. Since 2024, the city has completed 43 projects under the “Start Construction Immediately Upon Acquisition of Land” model, reducing the time required to bring projects online by an average of 70 days.

Ensuring the availability of key production factors is a critical component in driving economic development. Hebei Province focuses on addressing the pressing needs and concerns of enterprises, ensuring that resources are allocated to projects and aligned with industrial priorities, thereby providing a conducive environment for businesses to fully leverage their strengths and concentrate on growth.

Financing channels are smoother.

Last February, Cangzhou Jintai Weighing Instruments Co., Ltd. secured a 10-million-yuan interest‑only renewal loan from the bank within just two days, thanks to the matchmaking efforts of the First‑Loan and Renewal Loan Service Center in the Cangzhou Economic Development Zone. Hebei Province has established 93 pilot first‑loan and renewal‑loan service centers across the province, having processed over 46,000 credit transactions for enterprises, with outstanding financing totaling 119.87 billion yuan.

Technological innovation provides support.

In the first three quarters of 2024, Gu’an Xin Communication Signal Technology Co., Ltd. benefited from an additional R&D expense deduction totaling over RMB 24 million, providing robust financial support for the development of new products. Hebei Province has worked to ensure that eligible entities fully capitalize on the R&D expense super‑deduction policy, establishing science and technology task forces to provide on-site services to enterprises. Meanwhile, state‑owned enterprises under provincial jurisdiction have maintained R&D intensity levels among the highest nationwide.

Hebei Province continues to cultivate a world-class business environment, not only by enhancing the quality of factor‑based support but also by building a law‑based and trustworthy Hebei, ensuring that businesses and entrepreneurs can invest with confidence, operate with peace of mind, and pursue growth with ease.

At the end of last year, Hebei Province released ten exemplary cases of business environment optimization, among which “Xingtai City Strengthens ‘Hard Constraints’ on Enterprise QR-Code Access, Deepening the Principle of Non‑Interference Unless Necessary” was recognized.

Since April 1 last year, the “enterprise QR‑code scanning” initiative has been fully implemented across Xingtai City, effectively establishing a robust barrier against multiple enforcement agencies, redundant inspections, and arbitrary checks. This enforcement model has been commended in an official notice issued by the General Office of the State Council and is now being promoted nationwide.

Upholding the rule of law and honoring commitments. The Regulations of Hebei Province on Optimizing the Business Environment (revised in 2023) came into effect on January 1, 2024; Hebei Province has conducted comprehensive public credit assessments for 2.85 million enterprises; and in the national urban credit monitoring rankings, all prefecture-level and county-level cities in Hebei Province have consistently ranked among the top tier nationwide.

Improving the business environment is an ongoing process with no final destination. Hebei remains steadfast in enhancing its business climate, striving to build a hub of innovation and a thriving base for entrepreneurship in the new era. (Reporters Pan Wenjing and Feng Yang)

(Editor: Yang Wenjuan, Fang Tong)

Source: Hebei Daily