Commercial authorities boost cross-border trade and investment

Shenyang’s commercial authorities have focused on improving the city’s business environment, boosting cross-border trade and innovated to attract investment since late 2012 when the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held.

Bu Lishan, deputy director of the Shenyang commercial bureau, made the remarks at a recent news conference about the comprehensive enhanced opening-up of Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province in Northeast China.

Based on a logistics information management system, the process of declaring goods exported by the China-Europe freight train service now takes 10 seconds, down from 1.6 hours before.

Shenyang’s imports and exports have steadily increased in recent years, Bu said. The amount surpassed 100 billion yuan ($15.28 billion) for the first time in 2019 and reached 107.28 billion yuan. Electromechanical and high-tech products have become the main exported goods of the city.

Its cross-border e-commerce also developed fast and the volume of trade in 2020 increased 11 times compared with that of 2019.

The city organized more than 110 online events to attract investment last year. It saw the signing of 1,372 new projects, each worth more than 100 million yuan, a year-on-year rise of 35 percent.

It actively offered companies policy consultation and following services to promote the implementation of projects. Foreign investment in actual use in Shenyang reached $714 million and 121 countries and regions invested in the city in 2020.

Several industrial and commercial projects have started operation in Shenyang since 2012, such as BMW Brilliance Automotive and tiremaker Michelin.

The city’s government has signed strategic cooperation agreements with 26 large domestic companies since 2018, including Vanke, Wanda and Tencent. The city has made efforts to enhance its opening-up, including the opening of 272 international air routes that connect it to 126 cities.

The China-Europe freight train service has been offered 682 times since it started five-plus years ago, accounting for more than half of the total in northeastern China.

Shenyang’s convention and exhibition industry has also been boosted since the beginning of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). It held the first Liaoning International Fair for Investment and Trade in November.

It hosted the 2020 Global Industrial Internet Conference in October and the event has announced it will continue to take place in the city for the forseeable future. Bu said the Shenyang commercial bureau will continue to promote trade and investment facilitation during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (202125).

Improving the city’s business environment has also been a priority of the Shenyang business environment development bureau. Wen Yong, deputy director of the bureau, presented related achievements and plans at the same news conference.

Shenyang has set up a leading team comprising of eight parts, involving government affairs, market, facilities and innovation, Wen said. It has also released important policies to promote the business environment.

The city has deepened reform in examining and approving engineering construction.

Authorities have divided the whole process into 14 procedures and the time limit for examination and approval has been reduced from 85 to 50 workdays.

Shenyang has canceled, transferred power to lower levels and adjusted 1,773 government affairs since 2017.

It also set up government service centers in districts and sub-districts to assist local people. Wen said the Shenyang business environment development bureau will formulate an action plan to create a convenient and cost-effective business environment later this year.