Chengdu administrative reforms attract more foreign companies

Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, is trying to make it easier for foreign-funded enterprises to do business by simplifying administrative procedures and increasing transparency.

Authorities have simplified 7,437 administrative channels under city-level government agencies after abolishing 549 regulatory items and readjusting 403 others.

A checklist on the administrative powers of government agencies at the city level is also being developed and will be published soon.

The moves are in line with the country's push for comprehensive reform since the third plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in November.

Reforms are being carried out following the overall strategy of "modernizing China's government system and governing capacity", which was put forward by President Xi Jinping.

"The Chengdu government has been reducing administrative procedures over the past decade, which best reflects the concept of limited and responsible government," Han Xu, director of Research Institute of Law, Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, told Chengdu Business Daily.

"The decentralization also allows the government to improve the quality of its public services."

Henry Gui, CSR & community relations manager, corporate affairs, of Intel Products Ltd, said, "A significant reason that we chose to open up in Chengdu was the good public services of the city".

"The government holds seminars for foreign-funded companies quarterly, attended by city leaders and officials from all departments concerned, where we are given the opportunity to ask questions on issues of concern," he said.

Multinational chipmaker Intel has located its allocation center in Chengdu. The city had attracted 245 Fortune 500 companies as of last year.

"It took less than six months since we decided to invest in Chengdu until we signed an agreement with the local government. This is one of our most efficient company-government cooperations," said Andreas Bukenberger, general manager of Siemens Electronics Works Chengdu.

The Siemens Industry Automation Products Manufacturing and Development base started operating last year in Chengdu and is currently the largest Siemens digital factory in China.

"Both the Chengdu city government and the management committee of the Chengdu high-tech zone were supportive, which helped smoothen our project development," Bukenberger said.

Yin Zeyu, general manager of Yanchang and Shell (Sichuan) Petroleum Company Ltd, said he hopes for even more extensive cooperation with the local government.

"As a company with social responsibilities, we want to help the government promote more such enterprises. We also hope for further cooperation with the government in areas like training talent and infrastructure construction," Yin said.