Government-Enterprise Collaboration Stabilizes Foreign Trade: Lishui's Extraordinary Services "Engine" Ignites Breakthrough Strategy
To Further Study and Implement the Spirit of the 20th CPC Central Committee's Third Plenary Session and General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Instructions During His Inspection Tour of Zhejiang.In accordance with the arrangements of the Central Economic Work Conference, the plans of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, and the unified deployment of the Municipal Party Committee, leading officials of Lishui City have recently conducted intensive visits to foreign trade and foreign-funded enterprises. These visits aim to gain a deeper understanding of the enterprises' operations, solicit their opinions and suggestions, address their development needs, and resolve practical difficulties they face. The initiative also helps enterprises accurately grasp the latest changes in the external environment, strengthen their confidence and resolve in responding to external challenges, and jointly promote the high-quality development of foreign trade and economic cooperation—contributing to the overall development of Zhejiang Province through Lishui's "stability" and "progress".
On April 25 and 28, Wu Shunze, Secretary of the Lishui Municipal Party Committee, presided over a symposium for foreign trade enterprises in the city and conducted on-site surveys in Longquan, visiting Zhejiang Songxin Auto Air-Conditioning Parts Co., Ltd. and Longquan Artisan Celadon Co., Ltd. (Jiang's Swords). He emphasized that all localities and departments should uphold the philosophy of "true recognition lies in entrepreneurs' praise", adopt extraordinary efforts to address unexpected situations, stand in solidarity with enterprises through thick and thin, and implement a combined strategy of "stabilizing operations, expanding markets, adjusting structures, and pursuing excellence". He also urged solid efforts to ensure that policies benefiting enterprises are directly delivered and effectively implemented, providing stronger support for enterprises to overcome difficulties and thrive. Faced with the complex and volatile external environment, enterprises were encouraged to maintain their focus on development, stay confident, and proactively explore both domestic and international markets.
On May 4, Zhu Linsen, Deputy Secretary of the Lishui Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Lishui, conducted surveys at Qingtian Qiubao Valve Parts Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Zhanfeng Footwear Co., Ltd., and Zhejiang Ruixing Valve Co., Ltd. He carefully learned about the enterprises' recent business performance and difficulties in export trade, analyzed the foreign trade situation with enterprise leaders, and discussed response strategies. He encouraged enterprises to remain confident, adapt proactively to changes, and continuously enhance the competitiveness of their products. During the visits, he also helped enterprises resolve specific issues on-site, such as their need for additional exhibition booths and reduced operating costs.
Other municipal leaders, including Li Feng, Lou Zhijian, Yu Huiyou, Lou Langjian, Liu Zhiwei, and Zhou Heping, successively conducted on-site surveys at enterprises such as Songyang Huawei Door Industry, Zhejiang Kaien New Materials Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Zhongguang Electric Group Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Youtai Electric Co., Ltd., Wanbang Footwear Co., Ltd., Oubao Security Technology Co., Ltd., Yunhe Zhaxi Import and Export Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Jiahong Sports Equipment Co., Ltd., and Zhejiang Tianxi Kitchen Appliances Co., Ltd. They held in-depth exchanges with enterprise leaders, listened carefully to briefings on the enterprises' foreign trade and production operations, and resolved specific difficulties through on-site office meetings and other practical measures.
"In 2024, Lishui's total import and export volume exceeded 40 billion yuan for the first time, reaching 42.38 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.4%," an official from the Lishui Municipal Bureau of Commerce stated. The intensive visits by municipal leaders to foreign trade and foreign-funded enterprises—delivering policies, collecting issues, and encouraging enterprises to stay calm and confident with clear goals and effective strategies—have equipped Lishui's high-quality foreign trade development with a powerful, extraordinary, and forward-moving "engine". Since the beginning of this year, Lishui has also been upgrading its foreign trade policies and improving its foreign trade service mechanisms to ensure policy effectiveness and practical support for enterprises, guiding and encouraging them to "sail overseas".
To address the new problems and difficulties faced by foreign trade and foreign-funded enterprises, Lishui has established a headquarters for supporting the high-quality development of foreign trade and economic cooperation. Leading officials of the Municipal Party Committee, Municipal Government, and county-level (city/district) Party committees and governments have been paired with key export enterprises to establish a closed-loop mechanism for solving enterprise issues and implement "one enterprise, one policy" measures for key enterprises. From January to April this year, Lishui's foreign trade exports reached 12.69 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 25.0%, ranking first in Zhejiang Province in terms of growth rate. Among this, exports to ASEAN reached 1.66 billion yuan (up 32.3%) and exports to the Middle East reached 1.34 billion yuan (up 56.2%).
Through joint efforts between the government and enterprises, Lishui has formed synergy in areas such as overseas Chinese feedback, cross-border e-commerce, cost reduction through collaboration, demand-based assistance, human resources, rule application, new track exploration, and cultural-tourism-trade linkage. It has developed an "eight-point strategy" for breaking through difficulties and seizing opportunities amid challenges, providing Lishui's practical experience for Zhejiang Province in responding to changes in the external environment.
Notably, Lishui has fully leveraged the advantages of its overseas Chinese community to expand domestic and foreign supply-demand connection channels. It has transformed overseas Chinese warehouses into "Zhejiang overseas warehouses" to integrate global resources and explore international markets, achieving positive progress. By compiling the "Lishui High-Quality Product Supply List" and "Overseas Chinese Merchants' Demand List", Lishui held the "Chinese Quality Goods, Qingtian Global Launch" event on April 3, facilitating 36 intended cross-border cooperation projects. Relying on the Qingtian Overseas Chinese Warehouse Trade Promotion Association, Lishui has utilized 119 overseas Chinese warehouses independently built by overseas Chinese in 23 countries and regions (including Spain and Brazil), effectively shortening cross-border logistics cycles.
"True recognition lies in entrepreneurs' praise." A relevant person in charge of Spain's China-Europe Trade Group noted that the combined advantages of bonded warehouses and overseas Chinese warehouses have significantly shortened the cargo transit time.
"The government cares about the details, which gives enterprises confidence in development," the person in charge of Yunhe Chengchuang Precision Machinery told reporters. The government has proposed a practical solution to the enterprise's high energy cost issue—waiving basic electricity fees—expected to save the enterprise 460,000 yuan in half a year.
A relevant person in charge of Santian Automobile stated that thanks to the coordination of government departments, financial institutions have optimized their work processes and significantly shortened processing times, enabling the enterprise to successfully complete the approval for a "30 million yuan equipment renewal and reloan", effectively alleviating its capital pressure.
Currently, leading officials at the municipal and county levels have led teams to provide on-site services to 33 enterprises and distributed "enterprise assistance packages" to over 120 enterprises.
As one of the "three major drivers" of economic growth, foreign trade plays a crucial role in stabilizing the economy, promoting development, and boosting employment. In accordance with the work arrangements of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, Lishui has consistently prioritized the implementation of tasks and taken on responsibilities. It has always stood and worked together with enterprises, making every effort to combine work, policies, and services. At present, the precise "one enterprise, one policy" assistance has achieved tangible results, and the government's sincerity in wholeheartedly helping enterprises resolve practical difficulties is evident. Only through the joint efforts of the government and enterprises can confidence and resolve in responding to external challenges be further strengthened, truly contributing to Zhejiang's overall development through the "stability" and "progress" of Lishui's foreign trade and economic work.
