It’s time to give the economy a major boost!

Following the full lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, many provinces and cities have begun making a full-scale push to revive the economy.

Measures such as going overseas to secure orders, government efforts to boost market confidence, and increased support for attracting investment are emerging one after another.

The Jiangsu-Zhejiang region has always taken the initiative and embraced innovation, running at the very front of the “marathon” pack. Many cities in the second tier are closely following suit, “learning from experience” and “copying the playbook” of economically vibrant regions.

If done well, copying can be “exquisitely executed” or even result in “the pupil surpassing the master”; but if merely copied without thought, the outcome may be “a case of the ugly woman trying to imitate the beauty.”

"Copying" is a skill

Earlier, Kunshan dismantled a laptop, following the principle of “filling in the gaps,” and proceeded to attract investment step by step;

Then came Chongqing Mayor Huang Qifan, who used an Excel spreadsheet to list the manufacturing costs of computers, openly highlighting Chongqing’s cost advantages to attract industry leaders;

Later, Weihai disassembled a Samsung printer to study its component structure, compare costs, and list strengths and weaknesses, successfully retaining Samsung and subsequently securing a HP printer project.

These three cases share many similarities:

All conducted thorough research into the production processes required for the target companies’ products; all demonstrated strong “chain-based thinking”; and all successfully attracted industry leaders, triggering a “grapevine effect.”

However, the three are not entirely identical:

Different locations entail varying degrees of difficulty in attracting foreign investment; they occurred in different time periods and historical contexts; and the completeness of their local industrial structures differed.

Yet all three regions adapted their approaches to local conditions, drawing on best practices while developing new insights and refinements for industrial chain investment promotion—which is why they succeeded.

There have been both successes and failures.

Urban landmarks are symbols of a city.

The "Mother of the Yellow River" on the banks of the Yellow River in Lanzhou and the "Leshan Giant Buddha," carved into the mountainside on the east bank of the Min River, are all manifestations of the region’s historical and cultural heritage.

Many cities have successfully developed their local cultural and tourism industries thanks to these urban icons. Of course, there are also cities that sought to rely on “landmarks” for development, but by blindly copying others’ approaches, they ended up burdening their cities with unbearable pain.

A massive statue of Guan Yu, built at a cost of 172.9 million yuan, was moved just five years later at a cost of 155 million yuan. Between its construction and relocation, over 300 million yuan went down the drain, leaving the local community with nothing but a sigh of regret.

Copying the Surface Is No Substitute for Learning the Essence

How can one “copy” in a way that captures the essence?

Take this example: In early 2022, Zhejiang’s “startup debt relief” initiative went viral online, marking a new level in the province’s talent recruitment efforts.

Many say that behind Zhejiang’s lavish spending to attract talent lies not only its financial resources but also its unwavering determination.

In fact, there is another crucial reason: Zhejiang has sufficient confidence in its overall entrepreneurial and business environments.

It is precisely because they are confident that college students can succeed in entrepreneurship that such a high-profile policy exists—and a key prerequisite for entrepreneurial success is a sufficiently good business environment.

You can’t build a house without a foundation.

If other regions skip this foundational step and simply “copy Zhejiang’s playbook” to poach talent—without considering their own economic strength, business environment, and market incubation capabilities—they will likely end up in a lose-lose situation for both the local area and the entrepreneurs.

Recently, the practice of chartering flights to secure orders in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region has prompted other localities to follow suit.

At this juncture, proactively going overseas to attract investment and secure orders can provide a certain stimulus to the regional economy.

More importantly, it reflects the philosophy of Jiangsu and Zhejiang officials: “dare to be the first” and “talking a thousand times is not as good as taking action.”

If each learning effort only captures the “surface” rather than the “essence,” there is a risk of perpetually trailing behind others without ever achieving a breakthrough.

Be Selective in What You Emulate
In fact, there are many cases of cities learning from and drawing on each other’s development experiences.

In the past two years, Shandong has put in significant effort to improve its business environment and attract investment.

After leading a delegation on an inspection tour of southern China, Hui Xin’an, the former Party Secretary of Weifang, posed a striking question:

“In the south, the principle is ‘anything not prohibited by law is permitted,’ while ours is ‘nothing may be done without legal authorization.’”

It’s not just Weifang; in recent years, there have been many instances where cities have “broken the mold” by learning from, emulating, and surpassing one another. But since the development models of major cities are hard to replicate, let’s start with these cities…

Don’t Adopt an “Ostrich Mentality”

Recently, the phrase “Nanyang earns the money, Xiangyang spends it” prompted Nanyang’s leaders to speak out.

“Over the past few days, people have been constantly sending text messages and WeChat messages (mentioning) a letter from Xiangyang OCT to the people of Nanyang, even going so far as to coin the slogan, ‘Nanyang earns the money, Xiangyang spends it’… We should feel ashamed,” responded Zhu Shixi, Secretary of the Nanyang Municipal Party Committee.

These remarks sparked heated discussion among netizens. Many agreed with his stance, while others offered constructive suggestions.

Regardless, compared to an “ostrich mentality,” it is commendable that the city’s leadership has recognized the issue, confronted it head-on, and set goals based on its own development—such a spirit of self-reflection is rare and valuable.

This is not the first time Zhu Shixi has made such a striking statement.

Just one month after taking office in Nanyang, he posed “seven probing questions” regarding the business environment—questions that struck at the heart of the matter and rang out like a clarion call!

Identifying problems and promptly engaging in self-reflection, then making decisions to optimize industries and drive development, is a positive step worthy of emulation by other regions.

While Nanyang is reflecting on itself, it is also drawing on the experience of Wuhu and continuously learning. At the time, the reflections shared by Nanyang officials after their study tour also attracted significant attention.

Stepping Out of the “Comfort Zone”

In May 2021, Wuhu dispatched 60 officials in two batches to Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang for on-the-job training; in October of the same year, another 100 young officials were sent south to Shenzhen and east to Shanghai for a 100-day practical training program; in February of the following year, young officials were again sent to Shanghai and Shenzhen for further study...

Facing rejection and sitting on the sidelines—though some challenges arose along the way—the Wuhu officials successfully stepped out of their “comfort zones.”

Beyond learning advanced development concepts and service attitudes, Wuhu officials also discovered valuable lessons in the minutiae of daily commuting and life.

Following this, to optimize its business environment in line with its own circumstances, Wuhu launched the “Open Breakfast Meetings” and the “1% Work Method,” using small goals to drive major changes.

Wuhu’s approach draws on external examples, but it is rooted more in thoughtful reflection and optimization. What works best is what suits you.

Dedicated to Enterprises

Wang Liwei, former Party Secretary of Yichang, held an umbrella over a speaking entrepreneur; Yin Yong, Acting Mayor of Beijing, stated, “We must give enterprises space to recuperate and grow, allowing them room for further development.”

Standing with enterprises, considering their needs, and speaking up for them—that is what it truly means to stand with enterprises.

Over the past three years, enterprises have shouldered significant responsibilities. Beijing’s approach also serves as a reference for other regions: for enterprises to recuperate and grow, they need time, resources, and financial support to recover and develop.

The Central Economic Work Conference, which concluded late last year, also placed great emphasis on the development of private enterprises and small, medium, and micro-sized businesses. By continuing to implement supportive policies, we aim to revitalize small and medium-sized enterprises.

In Conclusion As market confidence is bolstered and local “Two Sessions” convene across the country, innovative approaches to promoting economic development are emerging in abundance.

Last December, two years after officially launching the construction of its Free Trade Port, Hainan once again took the lead nationwide by establishing the country’s first Department of Business Environment Development.

So, will your city adopt this innovative initiative?