High-quality development propels opening-up and partnership

Henan province has been improving its logistic services and business climate to attract global investors and foster high-quality opening-up.

For the inland province, what underpins its foreign trade development is an extensive logistics network involving four "silk roads".

The Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport has launched 50 all-cargo air routes, linking the provincial capital Zhengzhou with 136 cities in 25 countries.

Official data showed that the airport's freight throughput reached 607,800 metric tons in 2023, ranking sixth among Chinese airports.

The China-Europe Railway Express (Zhengzhou) has established a service network covering more than 140 cities in 40 countries. From January to August, over 1,400 train trips were handled via the railway, transporting cargo worth a total of $3.28 billion.

The "maritime silk road" has also made remarkable progress, with rail-sea intermodal trains running regularly from Zhengzhou to Tianjin Port in Tianjin and from Luoyang city in Henan to Ningbo Port in Zhejiang province.

On the digital end, Henan has built five cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones in the provincial capital Zhengzhou, and Luoyang, Nanyang, Jiaozuo and Xuchang cities. In 2023, its cross-border e-commerce trade volume stood at 237.12 billion yuan ($33.6 billion), representing a year-on-year increase of 7.3 percent.

The "four silk roads" enable foreign-funded companies in Henan to trade with the world more effectively, providing a strong impetus for its development into a new hub for inland opening-up.

Among the first foreign-funded businesses in Henan is Swire Coca-Cola Beverages Zhengzhou, which started operations in 1996.

Following that, in 2010, Swire Coca-Cola built a factory in Luohe, Henan province and in 2021, it invested 900 million yuan to expand its Zhengzhou plant. That was the company's largest single investment in China then.

"We have achieved stable growth in Henan during the past decades, and we have seen the province's economic vitality and favorable business environment, which strengthened our determination to increase investment," said Xu Yonggang, general manager of Swire Coca-Cola Beverages Zhengzhou.

The province has created a collaborative system involving commerce departments at provincial, municipal and district levels.

Through regular visits and meetings, local authorities can learn about the problems of foreign-funded companies and offer timely solutions to ensure their normal operations.

It has also moved forward with reforms in administrative approval systems, streamlining the handling procedures to bring companies more convenience.

To date, more than 95 percent of enterprise-related administrative items in Henan can be dealt with online. With all the required materials in place, a company's registration and establishment can be completed within one working day.

To maintain an open, fair market, courts in Kaifeng and Luoyang have set up special tribunals focusing on cases concerning the China (Henan) Pilot Free Trade Zone. At the end of 2021, the Henan FTZ Zhengzhou court was founded, which is the first FTZ court in Central China.

Another attraction of the province is the robust industrial foundation, encompassing two industrial clusters worth more than 1 trillion yuan — the equipment manufacturing and modern food, and 19 clusters valued at hundreds of billions of yuan such as intelligent power and energy conservation and environmental protection.

Additionally, Henan is now home to 13 national key laboratories as well as 14 laboratories and 25 industrial research institutes at provincial level, providing abundant resources for enterprises' research and development.