Published by ChinaMNC · Deqing

Zhaoqing Signals Support for Health, Trade, Green Development, and Computing: What Foreign Founders Need to Know

Zhaoqing's municipal leadership outlined priorities in healthcare, foreign trade, green development, and computing power at an October 22 meeting. Here's how foreign founders can align with these policies when setting up or running a company in Zhaoqing.

Zhaoqing Outlines Policy Priorities for Foreign Founders

On October 22, the Zhaoqing Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee held a meeting chaired by Party Secretary Zhang Aijun to study and implement key directives from national leadership, including President Xi Jinping's speeches at the National Health Conference and during an inspection in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, as well as his congratulatory letter to the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) and Premier Li Qiang's remarks at Canton Fair events. The meeting focused on how Zhaoqing will implement these directives, with implications for foreign founders registering or operating a company in the city.

For foreign entrepreneurs, these policy directions signal sectors that may receive government support, regulatory attention, and investment incentives. Understanding them can help founders align their business plans with local priorities and navigate the registration and operation process more effectively.

Healthcare and Health Services

Zhaoqing plans to deepen its implementation of the health-first development strategy, aiming to build a higher-level "Healthy Zhaoqing." Key measures include:

• Focusing on the "six major capacities" of Healthy China and implementing a grassroots medical and health strengthening project.
• Advancing high-level hospital construction, balancing hardware upgrades with management optimization, and developing specialty medical departments.
• Deepening the tiered diagnosis and treatment system and grassroots services.
• Accelerating the inheritance, innovation, and revitalization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
• Improving the disease prevention and control system and comprehensively raising medical service standards.
• Deepening reform of the medical and health system, coordinating medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals, and promoting public hospital reform oriented toward public welfare.
• Strengthening county-level medical communities.
• Seizing opportunities in integrated medical and elderly care, the silver economy, and smart healthcare to enrich personalized health services.
• Ensuring Party leadership throughout the health sector, enhancing inter-departmental coordination, and improving policy and talent support.

Foreign founders in healthcare, medical devices, TCM, elderly care, or smart health technologies may find opportunities in these areas. However, they should be aware that healthcare is a highly regulated sector in China, and compliance with local licensing and quality standards is essential.

Foreign Trade and the Canton Fair

The meeting emphasized the importance of the Canton Fair as "China's No.1 Exhibition" and a vital window for expanding high-level opening-up. Zhaoqing aims to:

• Actively integrate into the global trade system and stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment.
• Leverage the "Canton Fair+" spillover effects by providing exhibition services, ensuring follow-up on outcomes, and exploring potential cooperation.
• Use exhibitions to promote trade, consumption, and investment attraction.
• Learn from the Canton Fair's experience to cultivate local branded exhibitions and convert exhibition traffic into economic growth.
• Accelerate the building of a new trade city by implementing the "five foreign linkages" (foreign trade, foreign investment, foreign economic cooperation, foreign talents, and foreign platforms).
• Continue to expand channels, build platforms, nurture business entities, develop new business forms, and optimize the environment.
• Help more "Zhaoqing-branded" products go global.

Foreign founders involved in trade, logistics, or exhibition services should note Zhaoqing's focus on outward-oriented policies. Participating in or utilizing platforms like the Canton Fair could be beneficial for market entry and networking.

Green Development and Ecological Protection

Zhaoqing will integrate the study of President Xi's Ulanqab inspection speech with directives for Guangdong. The city plans to:

• Coordinate high-quality development with high-level environmental protection.
• Carry forward the "Yueshan afforestation" tradition and promote ecological conservation and restoration.
• Strengthen wetland protection and development.
• Actively promote green economic and social transformation.
• Build a solid ecological barrier on the western side of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

These priorities may create opportunities for foreign companies in environmental technology, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture. However, founders should also anticipate stricter environmental compliance requirements.

Computing Power and Digital Economy

Zhaoqing aims to seize opportunities from the national integrated computing network initiative. The meeting outlined plans to:

• Deepen the integration of the digital economy with the real economy.
• Understand and utilize higher-level policies, leverage Zhaoqing's comparative advantages.
• Conduct targeted investment promotion and differentiated layout based on industry chain maps.
• Strengthen upstream and downstream computing power industries.
• Implement "AI+" actions and expand computing applications in government services, enterprise technological upgrading, and urban management.
• Elevate the construction of Digital Zhaoqing.

Foreign founders in technology, AI, data centers, or related hardware and software sectors may find Zhaoqing receptive to investment. The city's focus on computing power suggests potential incentives for companies that contribute to this ecosystem.

New Quality Productive Forces and Balanced Development

The meeting also emphasized developing new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions, promoting coordinated urban-rural development, and pursuing a path of distinctive and differentiated development. For foreign founders, this means opportunities in sectors that align with local resource endowments and government priorities, such as advanced manufacturing, modern agriculture, and tourism.

Governance and Anti-Corruption

While not directly business-related, the meeting stressed continued efforts to address corruption and misconduct in areas such as rural collective asset management and elderly care services. This signals a broader push for improved governance and a cleaner business environment, which could benefit foreign investors through increased transparency and accountability.

Takeaways for Foreign Founders

• Healthcare and elderly care: Opportunities exist but require navigating complex regulations.
• Trade and exhibitions: Leverage platforms like the Canton Fair and Zhaoqing's trade promotion policies.
• Green economy: Align with environmental priorities for potential support.
• Computing and digital economy: Zhaoqing is actively seeking investment in these high-tech sectors.
• Compliance: Pay attention to environmental, healthcare, and governance regulations.

Foreign founders considering Zhaoqing should monitor local policy announcements and engage with relevant authorities early. The city's focus on these areas may translate into specific incentives or streamlined processes for businesses that contribute to its development goals.

For assistance with company registration and operations in China, foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.