What kind of relationship between the government and businesses constitutes a "comfortable" state? That’s a good question…

In ancient times, society was divided into several classes: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, with merchants consistently occupying the lowest rung. This was due to the governing philosophy of “agriculture as the foundation,” which perpetuated the ideology of “prioritizing agriculture and suppressing commerce” for millennia.As social productivity developed, merchants gradually took center stage, giving rise to family-run “workshop-style” enterprises. Yet the relationship between government and business remained fraught with twists and turns—too close to be comfortable, yet too distant to be effective… With the advent of a new era of investment promotion, enterprises have become the main players in the market, and the government-business relationship has been summarized by the two characters “close” and “clean.” We often hear that “enterprises and entrepreneurs are our own people.” Yet concrete actions are often more important than any slogan, and many regions across the country have begun to establish “Entrepreneurs’ Day.”

This Day Is Not That Day

Shenzhen took the lead by designating November 1 as Shenzhen “Entrepreneurs’ Day.” Coincidentally, May 23 is celebrated as “Nantong Entrepreneurs’ Day” every year. Subsequently, cities such as Xiamen, Shijiazhuang, and Qingdao have also established their own local “Entrepreneurs’ Days.” Although the dates vary by region, these days are generally tied to the founding dates of exemplary enterprises or to “Merchants’ Day.”

The so-called “Entrepreneurs’ Day” is not merely about using grand ceremonies to highlight the status of entrepreneurs; it is also a way to listen to their voices firsthand and accept their opinions and suggestions through the format of a festival. In fact, as early as 1994, the Enterprise Management Association and the Entrepreneurs’ Association decided to hold a national “Entrepreneurs’ Activity Day” annually. So why do localities still establish their own “Entrepreneurs’ Day”?

A Feather from a Thousand Miles Away—A Small Gift, a Great Gesture

By hosting entrepreneur forums, establishing centralized mechanisms for policy applications and interpretations, and delivering “gift packages” to businesses, cities convey their care for entrepreneurs. Although some policies may not yield immediate benefits for enterprises, they sufficiently express the local government’s respect and重视 for entrepreneurs.

Speaking Frankly

From project launch to daily operations, enterprises often face challenges such as needing technological upgrades without support from research institutions, or products remaining unsold due to a lack of suitable distribution channels… Such issues inevitably hinder business development. This necessitates open and candid communication between the government and entrepreneurs—speaking the truth, offering sincere advice, and pinpointing existing problems directly.

Each to Their Own — Finding Their Own Path

From operations to profitability, enterprises must navigate a series of matters involving production equipment, raw material supply, and technical talent—much like daily life at home, where essentials like firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea are all indispensable. When faced with reasonable requests from enterprises, the government must abandon the habitual mindset of using regulations and guidelines as a “shield” to say “no,” and instead foster a culture where saying “yes” becomes the norm.

The ducks know first when the spring river warms

However, these are not the ultimate goals of establishing “Entrepreneurs’ Day”; its true significance lies in optimizing the business environment. “Ducks are the first to sense the warmth of spring waters”—when it comes to changes in the business environment, enterprises and entrepreneurs have the first say and perceive them most keenly. A few days ago, the Tieshan Hotel hosted Wuhu’s “Open Discussion Breakfast Meeting.”Starting this year, these breakfast meetings have become another hallmark of Wuhu’s efforts to improve its business environment. To date, 26 sessions have been held, with over 120 entrepreneurs and representatives from social organizations engaging in face-to-face discussions on development and offering suggestions to the Municipal Party Secretary and Mayor. In addition, in some areas of Nanjing and Gaochun, municipal leaders have joined WeChat work groups alongside entrepreneurs during these breakfast meetings to facilitate more direct communication in the future. There are also instances where municipal Party secretaries and mayors have endorsed corporate products, or even taken on the role of live-streaming hosts to promote goods. The Party secretary and mayor of Qitaihe helped a local company sell soy sauce, organized a national annual conference for the condiment industry, and invited over 300 industry professionals to attend and sample the products, thereby providing support, publicity, and promotion for the enterprise.

Such initiatives are far from isolated. The Party Secretary of Heze, for instance, has stepped into live-streaming studios to endorse and sell local specialties—including peonies, yams, and wood products—using e-commerce channels to help businesses overcome sales stagnation. Of course, the quality of a city’s business environment extends far beyond these examples. It is also reflected in airport taxi services and hot water availability at high-speed rail stations—places where investors from all over the country frequently gather, and where a city’s “public image” can be discerned in the smallest details.

I once encountered this firsthand while on a business trip: at the airport, a taxi driver refused to take me because my destination was too close, and at security, I was shuffled from one lane to another. When I finally found a place to rest and asked a restaurant to fill my thermos with hot water, I was told they didn’t provide that service and had to go to the public hot water station. From this perspective, a lack of service awareness is the root cause of disparities in the business environment. Yet such differences are not to be feared; the urgent priority is to recognize these gaps, acknowledge them, and work tirelessly to bridge them. Local authorities should sound the starting gun with the motto, “Whoever tarnishes the business environment’s reputation will lose their livelihood,” ringing the alarm bell for service awareness. They must act as dedicated “servants” to enterprises, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on their business operations with peace of mind.

Rome wasn’t built in a day

Knowing is not difficult; doing is. The “what” and “why” of optimizing the business environment are crystal clear, yet when it comes to helping enterprises solve problems, the phenomenon of “passing the buck” often arises.

In some cases, local governments make promises regarding land, environmental protection, and business registration when attracting investment, only for these projects to be later found to have occupied farmland or begun construction without approval after the leadership changes. The original promises then become nothing more than empty words—not only are they never fulfilled, but there isn’t even an acknowledgment of them. Take dining at a restaurant as an example: upon entering, the waitstaff is warm and attentive, eager to take orders and pour drinks; they respond to every need throughout the meal; and when you leave, they bid you “Welcome back.”The same principle applies to optimizing the business environment. Local authorities must put themselves in the shoes of investors and those seeking services, adopting the mindset of “treating others as oneself and oneself as others.” They should conduct regular visits to enterprises, create more opportunities for communication, and listen to their perspectives. Regarding requests raised by entrepreneurs, they must provide timely responses and assign specific departments and personnel to address and resolve them. From the moment a business sets up shop to its daily operations, we must adopt a mindset of self-reflection—"if something goes wrong, look inward"—and, more importantly, demonstrate the sense of responsibility embodied in the principle: "Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire." When faced with the "chronic issues" in the business environment that urgently need resolution, local authorities often talk about being good "waiters" for businesses. But have they ever asked themselves honestly whether there are still shortcomings and gaps?

Conclusion

The government acts as a senior manager, playing a decisive role in the allocation of market resources; it need only focus on the big picture. Enterprises, on the other hand, function as mid-level managers, possessing development strategies and operational capabilities; when issues arise, they report directly to the senior manager, and thus need only focus on the details. As a government, we must neither interfere in enterprise development by “standing shoulder to shoulder” with them, nor adopt an indifferent attitude by “turning our backs” and acting slowly as if the matter were none of our concern. Moving from “no” to “yes” embodies the attitude of a service-oriented government and represents a practical measure for transforming government functions.