As the saying goes, “Behind every successful man is a remarkable woman.”

If you ask me, “Behind every thriving city, there is a group of dedicated investment promotion professionals.”

The three engines driving economic growth are investment, consumption, and exports. “Investment” ranks first among them.

When outside companies want to invest, the first people they’re likely to encounter are local investment promotion officers. These officers are like the city’s calling card; whether the first “horse” can move forward depends entirely on how well the officers steer it.

The faster the carriage runs, the better the city develops; for the investment promotion professionals behind the city’s glory, the heavier the burden and the longer the road ahead.

Suzhou: The Strongest on Earth

Even the most passionate warriors are eventually conquered by time, but not in Suzhou.

As early as 1979, Suzhou’s officials were already the most proactive in developing the regional economy; now, more than 40 years later, Suzhou has become the “strongest prefecture-level city on earth,” yet they have not slowed their pace. Looking at the world, they remain the most proactive investment promoters.

Many say that Suzhou’s investment promotion officials eschew empty formalities, seeking out projects one by one and handling matters step by step.

In the 1980s, when Suzhou was not among the 14 designated economic and technological development zones, the city carved out a patch of farmland and transformed it into a development zone. Thus, China’s first self-funded development zone was born.

In 2006, while others were still learning from Suzhou’s “door-to-door” investment promotion approach, Suzhou had already established the nation’s first technology investment promotion center.

In 2017, while other regions were holding investment promotion conferences in full swing, Suzhou established its first industrial development guidance fund.

It can be said that every aspect of Suzhou today is closely tied to the “pursuit of change” by its investment promoters.

If we say that the development models of Shanghai and Shenzhen are difficult to replicate—because national policies and advantageous resources are always tilted toward them—

In contrast, Suzhou’s policies have largely been secured through human effort. At the same time, it is essential to act in accordance with prevailing trends—not simply moving forward without direction.

Take technology-based investment promotion as an example: initially, the investment promotion staff at the Suzhou Industrial Park did not have a very clear concept of this field. They would attract any project with a technological component or high-level talent as much as possible—this was a period of initial exploration.

Subsequently, based on the direction of industrial development, the investment promotion team narrowed its focus and continuously adjusted and refined its specific sectors in line with national policies, industrial trends, and economic hotspots.

This has been Suzhou’s consistent approach: “low-hanging fruit” is easy to pick, but one cannot rely on it indefinitely. Transitioning from passive followership to active leadership, Suzhou has consistently managed to navigate the industrial development cycle with steady, measured steps.

During a period when “companies couldn’t go out and investors couldn’t come in,” Suzhou began chartering flights for investment promoters and business partners to travel to Japan to pursue projects and secure orders. Japanese investors remarked that this was the first time in three years that a Chinese supplier had come to visit them.

Currently, Suzhou is not short of projects; what it lacks are high-tech projects that occupy key positions in the industrial chain. The “business charter flights” initiative not only supports local enterprises but also attracts the attention of more foreign companies, paving the way for the future establishment of foreign investment projects.

Anhui: Timing Is Just Right

Don’t rush the projects—I won’t turn away those that are meant to come; don’t rush the projects—I’ll still pursue those that have drifted away.

An official on secondment from Shanghai to Anhui remarked, “Anhui’s image has changed; Anhui’s officials are becoming increasingly confident.”

The head of a well-known enterprise remarked, “We missed out on Pudong, we missed out on Shenzhen—but we absolutely cannot miss out on Anhui now.”

These two statements illustrate the changes Anhui has undergone in recent years, but where exactly do these changes manifest?

Everyone talks about Hefei’s success stories in attracting companies like BOE and NIO through capital investment, but few expected that Hefei is now gathering even more venture capital and private equity with its growing appeal.

A seasoned investor remarked that nearly all of his few business trips this year have been to Hefei. Well-known firms such as Sequoia Capital China, Shenzhen Venture Capital, Tsing Capital, and Cornerstone Capital have all established a presence in Hefei.

Venture capital firms have always served as the most sensitive “barometer” for projects; where there are many projects, investment naturally follows. Their concentration in Hefei indirectly highlights the city’s abundance of projects and its potential.

Looking back, every top-tier city has inevitably attracted venture capital firms—Shanghai, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Beijing… It is clear that Hefei is on its way to becoming the next top-tier city.

Beyond Hefei, other cities in Anhui are also “giving it their all” to catch up.

In Anhui, it is never difficult for entrepreneurs to meet with leaders. Zheng Zhejie, Secretary of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee, leads the way in receiving entrepreneurs, proposing the motto: “You present your list of needs; we’ll address them on the spot!” This sets a template for fostering government-business relations across Anhui’s cities, with both Wuhu and Hefei embodying distinct “Anhui characteristics.”

Anhui has achieved this: when it comes to investment promotion, officials should not act like “waiters” who are summoned at the drop of a hat; but when it comes to service, they should act like “waiters” who respond immediately at the first call from a business.

This year, another city in Anhui has drawn significant attention: Chuzhou.

In the first three quarters, its GDP surpassed that of Huzhou, Zhejiang, outpacing cities such as Zhoukou, Suqian, and Lianyungang. Chuzhou once openly declared, “Chuzhou’s positioning is to become the ‘backyard’ of Nanjing and the Yangtze River Delta region.” Today, it has made this a reality.

According to statistics, since 2020, Chuzhou leaders have made nine trips to Nanjing to advance cooperation initiatives; from January to July 2022, Chuzhou attracted 162 projects transferred or cooperated on from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, with as many as 46 of them originating from Nanjing.

A comparison with the Suzhou model reveals that Anhui is taking a completely opposite path. Suzhou relies more on a “bottom-up” approach, while Anhui leans more toward a “top-down” approach. Both models have their merits, and there are aspects of each that can be replicated and emulated.

Shandong: Standing Tall

Diligence, frugality, and loyalty form the foundation of Shandong’s investment promotion efforts.

Many may not realize that Shandong is actually a major province for new energy electric vehicle manufacturing. According to statistics, China currently has 452,000 enterprises related to new energy vehicles, with Shandong ranking first with 51,000.

It is not Qingdao or Jinan that underpins the new energy vehicle industry, but rather Weifang and Dezhou.

Recently, a 3.2 billion yuan investment by Weifang State-owned Assets has drawn attention, targeting a automotive unicorn—Leading Auto. Many people are likely hearing this name for the first time; to be honest, so am I.

However, the Leiding brand was established as early as 2008; by 2021, cumulative sales of its Mango model had exceeded 30,000 units. Upon further research, I learned that this is a company that has transitioned from low-speed electric vehicles to new energy vehicles.

Its “encircle the cities from the countryside” development strategy has helped it successfully disrupt the lower-tier market for electric vehicles in China. The company’s successful transformation was also largely due to the support of the Weifang government.

Compared to cities like Qingdao and Jinan, which have attracted the likes of BYD and Huayun Tong, Weifang may lack some resources and luck. But if an industry isn’t built through investment promotion, it must still go through a process of going from zero to one.

Although the process may be longer and more difficult, the “gambling table” of industrial development has never lacked players—and the last one standing wins.

Great Wall Motor has set up operations in Rizhao and Linyi; Zaozhuang, the “Lithium Battery Capital of Northern China”; and Zibo, which has weathered the growing pains of industrial transformation… Shandong’s mid-tier cities are now standing tall and charging forward.

Today, Shandong is in a critical phase of transformation. If we once likened this transformation to an “old ox pulling a slow cart,” Shandong now resembles a car with a full tank of gas—not only is the front end leading the way, but the rear wheels are equally powerful.

In Closing

For a city to become a “top-tier” destination, its investment promoters must first become “top-tier” professionals in their field.

Today, many cities are improving their business environments and extending invitations to global enterprises. Compared to shouting slogans, concrete actions and tangible changes are far more persuasive.