Taking the last bus, waking up at the crack of dawn, and walking the longest distances have become the hallmark of a “special forces-style” travel guide.

The key features are: short duration, high efficiency, and a fast pace.

Just how hardcore are these "special forces" of investment promotion?

Immediate results, no time to waste; burning the midnight oil, rolling up our sleeves to get to work; snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, pushing forward relentlessly despite setbacks.

It’s not just about precision and speed—it’s also about tangible results.

The investment promotion “special forces” take on projects that match their vision; the scope of their vision determines the scale of the projects they undertake.

01 Ready to Go at a Moment’s Notice: Securing Projects

As the name implies, “Special Forces” refers to a handpicked team tasked with executing specialized missions, striking with precision to achieve strategic objectives.

In the past, investment promotion relied on a “sit-and-wait” approach. Now, however, it deploys special forces.

In Ningbo, there is a Command Center for Major Foreign Investment Projects. It is said that a lean, agile, well-trained, and highly effective team is the hallmark of their foreign investment attraction efforts.

"You have to run to catch the wind"—the same applies to investment promotion.

Foshan has its own investment promotion special forces unit, formed by 16 members of the Investment Promotion Center. They are divided into three teams, each consisting of 4–5 people, with a team leader who possesses extensive experience in investment promotion.

At the same time, to ensure the highest level of professional expertise, the special forces include talents in foreign languages, science and engineering, and industrial economics, enabling them to perform multiple functions such as information gathering, professional negotiation, and project evaluation. A brand-new performance evaluation system has also been established.

9:00 a.m.: Leadership meeting at the Investment Promotion Center; 10:00 a.m.: Project matching and negotiations...

2:00 PM: Discussion with a UK new energy vehicle delegation; 3:00 PM: Travel to Ronggui, Shunde; 4:00 PM: Visit the general manager of a Swiss investment firm to discuss capital increases and production expansion...

This is not merely a packed schedule, but a snapshot of the busy work of these investment promotion “special forces.”

This year’s investment promotion efforts differ from previous years.

Reaching out: small investment promotion teams and top officials travel north and south, engaging in negotiations and knocking on doors to attract investment.

Bringing them in: Wave after wave of domestic and international entrepreneurs and investors are arriving in droves to conduct site visits, hold discussions, and collaborate on development.

Not long ago, I learned that a certain district’s investment promotion delegation made Shenzhen its first stop and Guangzhou its second. While both locations fell under the same umbrella, different teams were responsible for each, creating an “internal competition” between the two delegations as they vied to outdo one another—with all top officials from sub-districts, towns, and departments fully participating.

It is not hard to see that this “two-pronged” approach is carefully designed:

First, the investment promotion teams have clearer objectives and get straight to the point.

Second, it highlights each delegation’s unique strengths to maximize effectiveness.

If you don’t go out, the world is right before your eyes; if you go out, the world is right before your eyes.

02 Team-Based Outreach, Precision Investment Promotion

Investment promotion “special forces” do not operate alone but fight side by side.

The “full-scale, rapid expansion” approach of the industrial economy era has become a thing of the past in investment promotion.

Today, investment promotion faces a series of new problems and challenges, such as difficulty in understanding projects, uncertainty in evaluating them, and failure to reach agreements.

Among these, it is inevitable that some projects will be of dubious quality or mixed standards, directly leading to the inability to attract, retain, or grow businesses.

As the market economy system matures, market-oriented investment promotion has naturally emerged as the "protagonist" in innovative investment models, breaking away from single-path approaches and enabling diverse entities to participate in the process.

Why has market-oriented investment promotion become a major trend in the new era?

First, it is driven by demand.

Although various regions have successfully attracted major projects through traditional investment promotion methods, the reality of weak industrial foundations remains unchanged, and there is a lack of industrial demonstration and leadership. There is an urgent need to achieve major breakthroughs and realize significant development through market-oriented investment promotion.

Second, it reflects a prevailing trend.

Compared to the past, industrial development is evolving rapidly and innovative models are emerging constantly. Targeted investment promotion efforts are essential to prevent initiatives from becoming pie-in-the-sky schemes, with a greater emphasis on precision.

Results-oriented third-party investment promotion platforms conduct scientific, professional, and efficient evaluations of project sponsors’ investment capabilities, industrial focus, technological proficiency, and growth prospects. They provide a scientific basis for decision-making, risk warnings, and practical recommendations to facilitate the successful establishment of investment projects.

Therefore, while a shift toward a market-oriented mindset in investment promotion is undoubtedly important, selecting high-quality and efficient partners is equally crucial.

As a regional development and operations service provider, Guchuan United adheres to the philosophy of “thinking for businesses, serving businesses, and acting on behalf of businesses” from industrial planning to project implementation. We have provided comprehensive, end-to-end services to over 100 government and investment promotion agencies, facilitating more than 7,200 successful projects.

In recent years, as resources shifted from concentration in first-tier cities to decentralization, Wuhan took the initiative, finding the right people at the right time to do the right things. It pioneered the “Alumni Investment Promotion” model, with city leaders personally stepping forward to call on Wuhan alumni worldwide to “bring capital and talent back to Wuhan,” sparking widespread attention.

Today, the “Return Capital and Talent to Wuhan” initiative has established a strong brand presence. A large number of prominent alumni entrepreneurs have been appointed as investment ambassadors and talent recruitment advisors, actively championing investment in their “second hometown.”

At the same time, for investment projects, the city accelerates project implementation and operations through point-to-point and one-on-one approaches, providing real-time follow-up during the process and establishing a “green channel” for the enterprises involved.

Undoubtedly, industry leaders have become “investment ambassadors.” Simply put, this means attracting investment through business and attracting enterprises through enterprises.

Beyond this, there is a saying circulating in investment circles: “Find one business association, and you’ve found a whole group of entrepreneurs.”

Many regions leverage industry associations and chambers of commerce to launch a series of investment promotion activities. They have a thorough understanding of various industrial associations and chambers of commerce, and they maintain close coordination, engaging in constant communication and negotiations to provide precise channels for investment attraction.

03 Flexible Adjustments, Breaking with Convention

The tea hasn’t even fully steeped, and the meeting is already over?

The Shanghai government holds short meetings, with each agenda item “processed” in 17 minutes. Thanks to thorough preparation beforehand and discussions that cut straight to the heart of the matter, the efficiency is evident.

One table: It lists only the problem at hand, who is responsible for driving it forward, and how to coordinate solutions.

One chart: Showing the progress of major projects, reviewing the goals set at the beginning of the year, as well as challenges and issues.

One pointer: Officials participating in field research kept laser pointers on their desks to facilitate communication.

You’ll rarely see these “special forces” of investment promotion in the office. Aside from mandatory meetings, they spend most of their time at the grassroots level and on-site, visiting sub-districts, towns, and enterprises for at least three days a week to conduct field research and resolve practical issues.

For enterprises with significant growth potential, the investment promotion “special forces” collaborate with the Talent Office and the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau to engage in in-depth discussions with the companies, adjusting strategies in advance to support their projects.

In particular, they conducted a comprehensive analysis of the enterprises’ circumstances, project production, and supporting requirements, mapping out an industrial chain investment promotion blueprint that integrates industry and talent.

When making investment decisions, companies prioritize how well a project aligns with local industrial development plans. By addressing this upfront, the “Special Forces” fully demonstrate their expertise in industrial planning and professional competence.

Previously, during a visit to a prefecture-level city in Zhejiang, local leaders praised the Hefei model but indicated they were unlikely to emulate it. The primary reason was limited local land resources; local enterprises were already lining up to secure land, let alone attracting external investment.

For this city, investment attraction is a matter of selecting one out of ten options; they see no need to adopt Hefei’s “all-or-nothing” approach to developing industries and industrial chains through investment.

In contrast, some regions lack distinct locational advantages, face the “siphoning effect” from neighboring cities, and have inadequate supporting infrastructure. However, if they remain mired in this mindset and continue to follow other cities’ lead step for step, they will inevitably fall behind.

In the new era, investment promotion hinges on a single word: effectiveness.

Behind this lies a guiding philosophy and atmosphere that supports reformers, encourages innovators, tolerates mistakes, and protects those who take initiative. This has forged a high-caliber “special forces” team of investment promoters who dare to take responsibility and excel at getting things done, providing powerful momentum to drive development in the new era.