In Weifang, East China's Shandong province, the "kite capital of the world", the private economy is the vital force behind the city's high-quality development. It fuels innovation, enhances people's livelihoods and drives industrial upgrading.

As of 2024, private businesses accounted for an impressive 99 percent of Weifang's 1.517 million market entities. Well-known enterprises such as GoerTek, Shandong Tianrui Heavy Industry Co, and Shandong Fukang Group have earned recognition for their "made-in-Weifang" brands. Meanwhile, a multitude of small- and micro-enterprises are thriving and expanding in the city's vibrant market landscape.

Behind the flourishing private sector is Weifang's unwavering dedication to cultivating a top-notch business environment.

Gao Feng, chairman of the Standing Committee of Weifang Municipal People's Congress, said that the city in recent years has launched thorough and innovative reforms to create "fertile soil" for the development of private enterprises.

On Dec 17, 2024, Gao Feng (first from the left), chairman of the Standing Committee of the Weifang Municipal People's Congress, conducts a research visit to the Weifang Comprehensive Bonded Zone to learn about the efforts to improve the business environment. [Photo provided by Weifang Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee]

In February 2023, a dedicated working group was established to draft local regulations by drawing on the legislative experience of national pilot cities. The regulations on optimizing the business environment of Weifang city were approved by the municipal legislature on Nov 30 of the same year and came into effect on Dec 15, 2023.

"The enactment of these regulations codifies innovative policies and enterprise-support measures into local regulations with legal binding force, signaling a new phase in Weifang's determination to enhance the business environment," said Tian Yuanjun, secretary-general of the Standing Committee of Weifang Municipal People's Congress.

The municipal legislature has also strengthened its supervisory role to address practical issues. In 2024, the Standing Committee of Weifang Municipal People's Congress organized five research teams that visited 16 counties, cities and districts (development zones), collecting over 10,000 suggestions on optimizing business environment through various channels.

During the thematic inquiry session, members of the standing committee of the municipal people's congress and local deputies raised targeted questions to related departments, which were required to provide on-the-spot response and implement timely solutions under supervision.

On Aug 23, 2024, the 21st session of the Standing Committee of the 18th Weifang Municipal People's Congress holds a special meeting on optimizing the business environment. [Photo provided by Weifang Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee]

Deputies to the people's congresses at all levels serve as a crucial bridge connecting the government and the public, allowing their voices to be heard. Many of them are outstanding entrepreneurs in the private sector, bringing their expertise and insights to drive Weifang's high-quality development as a vital force and a "think tank".

In a thematic deputy activity to supervise the work of business environment optimization organized by the Weifang Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee, more than 9,260 deputies at all levels conducted over 92,000 on-site visits to gather grassroots opinions. They completed 8,528 survey questionnaires, submitted 157 suggestions regarding optimizing the business environment and carried out over 3,400 supervision activities to enhance the business environment through practical actions.

On Dec 25, 2024, the Standing Committee of the Weifang Municipal People's Congress holds a special meeting to evaluate the rectification of issues related to optimizing the business environment. [Photo provided by Weifang Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee]

To help deputies fulfill their duties, the municipal legislature has also established the Digital People's Congress platform and promoted the Deputy Code mini-program. One year after the launch of the digital tools, deputies at all levels have utilized online and offline platforms to assist in addressing over 5,300 public issues and put forward more than 4,300 suggestions.

Among them is Li Yongsheng, chief scientist of Shandong Tianrui Heavy Industry Co, and a deputy to the National People's Congress from Weifang. Li put forward a suggestion on including the magnetic levitation energy-saving equipment in the list of national industrial restructuring, which was ultimately adopted.

Li Yongsheng (second from the left), chief scientist of Shandong Tianrui Heavy Industry Co and a deputy to the National People's Congress, talks with colleagues in the workshop. [Photo provided by Weifang Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee]

Li's journey began with a small factory of just over a dozen employees. Today, he leads one of China's top-level enterprises in magnetic levitation power-saving technology in China. "My entrepreneurial success is not only due to my personal efforts," he said, "but also to the outstanding business environment in Weifang."

After more than a decade of development, Shandong Tianrui Heavy Industry Co has grown into a leading enterprise in China's maglev industry. [Photo provided by Weifang Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee]