The level of development in a city hinges on its “leading officials.”

Some say that local “top leaders” are meant to accomplish great things. However, many leaders have taken on special roles: transforming into “investment promotion officers,” leading the charge as “industry chain leaders,” “standing guard” for enterprises, and working tirelessly as “live streamers.”

On the surface, this might seem like a deviation from their core duties, but that is not the case.

Like whales returning to the sea or birds flying back to the forest, enterprises naturally have their own yardstick to gauge their “weight” in regional development.

It is true that “leading officials” should focus on major initiatives. However, major initiatives are built upon the details; when it comes to implementation, they must act as “foremen.”

What does it mean to be a “foreman”?

It means rolling up one’s sleeves to get things done and diving deep into implementation. One must not only oversee local development but also execute with precision, effectively transforming “blueprints” into “construction plans,” and ultimately delivering tangible results.

Conversely, it is unacceptable to remain superficial or stop at a superficial level; it is unacceptable to shout loud slogans without matching action; and it is even more unacceptable to engage in window dressing or create “empty facades.” One must bring out the “right tools” and put in the “real effort.”

From this perspective, the special title of “leading local officials” embodies the philosophy that the more “difficult” the task, the more “diligent” one must be—making our efforts visible, tangible, and felt by enterprises.

Self-Appointed Investment Promotion Officer

Shenzhen Awaits You

Shenzhen has always been in the spotlight, attracting significant attention from businesses.

In recent years, the most significant development was that Wang Weizhong, while serving as Secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee, acted as an “investment promotion specialist” for three consecutive years.

“Commissioner Wang” promised global partners: as long as a project aligns with the city’s industrial priorities, there will definitely be land available for it.

As early as 2019, at Shenzhen’s first Global Investment Promotion Conference, the city released 30 square kilometers of high-quality industrial land in one go, fully meeting enterprises’ land needs.

Just looking at how the city has addressed corporate land needs alone is enough to demonstrate the Shenzhen government’s sincerity in supporting business development.

Does Shenzhen really have no shortage of land?

To some extent, Shenzhen does face a “land shortage” or “limited land availability”—but this applies only to labor-intensive industries. For high-end, high-quality industries looking to establish a presence in Shenzhen, land availability is not an issue.

That is why Shenzhen’s leaders rarely engage in empty rhetoric or clichés; they always speak plainly and consistently emphasize the market.

Take outstanding companies like Huawei and Tencent—which of them was created by government intervention? Which was planned into existence? On the contrary, the innovative development of these leading enterprises has provided valuable insights for the Shenzhen municipal government.

The essence of Shenzhen’s investment promotion lies in the government’s respect for the market and its commitment to serving enterprises—cultivating a healthy ecosystem rather than personally selecting or feeding the fish. Thus, the most important principle is “not what the government does, but what it does not do.”

Ultimately, policy merely opens the door to the market and continues to adapt to it. It’s like flipping a switch to turn on a light—the switch merely activates the circuit; it’s the electricity that actually makes the light shine.

Taking the Lead as Chain Leader

"Anhui" Is Like a Battlefield

Anhui: The Governor Is Going All Out to Attract Investment! Wang Qingxian Has Met With Over 2,000 Entrepreneurs in Just One Year!

When it comes to Anhui, two words immediately spring to mind: “dark horse.”

In 2021, Anhui’s manufacturing GDP exceeded 1 trillion yuan, ranking tenth nationwide. Its high-quality manufacturing development index ranked seventh nationally and first in Central China.

Anhui has changed. Wang Qingxian, however, has not.

During the interview, he rattled off various statistics effortlessly; when it came to industrial layout, he had a clear grasp of the situation.

Governor Wang is truly busy—and truly dedicated!

There are only 365 days in a year—on average, how many entrepreneurs must he meet each day?

It’s not just him who’s busy meeting entrepreneurs; the entire leadership team of the Anhui Provincial Government has been actively engaging with businesses—both by visiting them and inviting them to Anhui—in wave after wave, meeting over 550 groups totaling 5,075 people.

To gain a thorough understanding of the supply chains of key industries, 10 industry task forces were established, each led by a provincial leader who serves as the “chain leader.”

“Chain Leader”—a title that sounds fresh, interesting, and down-to-earth—held concurrently by provincial leaders, is truly a move worth applauding.

During previous exchanges with Anhui entrepreneurs, the phrase “chain leaders driving progress at the highest level” was frequently mentioned. What does this mean?

It means that under the overall leadership of a government department, industry associations, leading enterprises, experts and scholars, and social funds are brought together to hold meetings of these industry task forces. They jointly study issues in industrial development over the past year and analyze the current situation.

Then, during government work meetings, these voices and suggestions from the front lines of the market are more effectively integrated with policy implementation, with the “chain leader” taking charge of coordination—ensuring “top-level coordination.”

In addition to the “chain leader,” there is another special role within this chain known as the “chain anchor.”

The “chain leader” is responsible for systematic coordination and serves in a support role, while the “chain head” is typically a leading enterprise or industry leader.

What role does the “chain leader” play? They are responsible for bringing together upstream and downstream players in “dual recruitment and dual attraction” efforts, attracting more upstream and downstream entities to Anhui, including roadmaps for “attracting investment” and “attracting talent.”

This arrangement is based on the fact that these companies wield significant influence within their industries and possess a deep understanding of the sector’s landscape. They are best positioned to identify the locations of core talent, specialized technologies, and upstream and downstream enterprises, thereby enabling local authorities to conduct targeted investment promotion.

Emergency Medical Services

"He" to Ease Worries

When I hear “Whistle-Blowing Office,” the first thing that comes to mind is: standing guard, on call at a moment’s notice, with every call met with a response.

Out of curiosity, I looked up some information and uncovered the origins of the “Whistle-Blowing Office.”

Its full name is the Heze Municipal Office of the Leading Group for Optimizing the Business Environment through “Enterprises Sound the Whistle, Departments Respond, and City-County Coordination.”

It is abbreviated as the “Heze Whistle-Blowing Office.” Reportedly, this institution is the first of its kind in the province.

Today, it has achieved coordination across the municipal, county, and township levels, with dedicated personnel assigned at each level. A special “Whistle-Blowing and Response Task Force WeChat Group” has also been established to report on the progress of cases every day before 6:00 p.m.

Its purpose is to encourage enterprises to “sound the whistle whenever they face difficulties” and to reinforce the mindset that “the Whistle-Blowing Office gets things done.”

For example, a company had a shipment already loaded and urgently needed to be dispatched, but because it was market day, there were many street vendors blocking the entrance, preventing the truck from leaving. The company asked the government to help clear the way.

In another instance, a company’s water pipe burst, and they “sounded the alarm” to the government for assistance. Upon receiving the alert, the town’s “Blow the Whistle” office immediately contacted repair crews, who fixed the issue in just over an hour, restoring normal water service to the company.

These issues may seem minor, but they are a real headache for businesses when they occur.

Heze’s establishment of this “Whistle-Blowing Office” is a pragmatic approach. By addressing specific difficulties one by one, the business environment is gradually improved.

In other words, the less work this department has, the better the business environment becomes.

Live-streaming sales hosts

"Cao" Has Many Talents

In the world of live-streaming, there is a group of people who are both “newcomers” and “veterans”—they are local government officials.

With local leaders serving as brand ambassadors, local specialties have hit the fast track of online sales. Especially during the pandemic, a trend of local officials hosting live-streaming sales events swept across many parts of the country.

In Cao County, Shandong, former County Magistrate Liang Huimin “rolled up his sleeves” and donned Hanfu in the livestream to promote the local Hanfu industry… This was not only a down-to-earth move but also a way to “connect with the online world” in the era of mobile internet.

During the livestream, County Magistrate Liang showcased products across three major categories: food, home goods, and apparel. Food items included asparagus, Cao County beef, rice from the “Ten-Thousand-Mu Lotus Pond,” and selenium-enriched noodles; home goods featured wooden boxes, storage cabinets, and piggy banks; and apparel ranged from children’s Hanfu to adult clothing, fully showcasing Cao County’s unique characteristics.

Through live streaming, the initiative has helped enterprises resume production and return to full capacity. The vast majority of Hanfu manufacturers and retailers in Cao County have seen their sales double, bringing tangible benefits to these businesses. At the same time, it has helped enterprises tap into the domestic market and offset their losses—this is precisely what the government should be doing.

Any approach that promotes economic development and serves the public interest can be adopted as a governance measure. When local officials with official status host live-streaming sales, they naturally carry the authority of government agencies, effectively serving as an official endorsement of product quality and service standards.

In other words, they are the “official influencers” among online celebrities, and their live-streamed sales are akin to “public service announcements.” Not only do they endorse brands and open up sales channels for merchants and farmers, but they also help consumers overcome their reservations, allowing them to shop with greater confidence and peace of mind.

Conclusion

Times are evolving, reforms are deepening, the world is changing, and standards are evolving as well.

Business investment isn’t achieved by mere slogans, development isn’t driven by empty calls, and a favorable business environment isn’t built on words alone—all must be realized through concrete action. Only by treating enterprises and cities as a community of shared economic development, and by turning “positive energy” into “massive traffic,” can local regions grow from strength to greater strength.