Metropolis impresses company boss with entrepreneur-friendly climate

Returning to Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan province is a relaxing experience for Yang Yanjie, general manager of Sichuan UniTTEC Intelligent & Control, a high-tech company in the city, after each of his 100-plus flights annually.

Yang said Chengdu is different from other cities as he can both maintain a fast work pace and enjoy a better quality of life.

His story with Chengdu started in 2010 when he worked at UniTTEC headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. The company then participated in the construction of the Chengdu Metro Line 1, the first subway line in western China, and Yang went to Chengdu for the first time as a project manager.

He visited Chengdu again in 2017 with the task of establishing the first pilot regional headquarters of UniTTEC and founded Sichuan UniTTEC there, providing solutions to rail transit electromechanical systems.

"Chengdu's rail transit industry has a solid foundation, and China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group and China Railway No 8 Engineering Group are located here," Yang said, adding that it is convenient for his company to carry out scientific research with local businesses.

Noted universities including Southwest Jiaotong University and Sichuan University can provide sufficient professionals, Yang said.

He said Chengdu has developed rail transit as a highlight and has created broad opportunities for companies. It has opened 13 rail transit lines covering 558 kilometers. The revenue of Yang's company in Chengdu rose from 40 million yuan ($6.18 million) in 2017 to 400 million yuan in 2020.

Yang said he marveled at Chengdu's speed of development in terms of not only infrastructure but also the innovation and entrepreneurship environment.

The government's sense of service is strong, he said, citing that Chengdu regularly releases supply and demand information, which makes it convenient for companies to find and seize investment opportunities. The city also regularly offers innovative companies the opportunity to launch new products and services.

Comfortable surroundings

Yang said he feels delighted that Chengdu can maintain a favorable living environment while rapidly developing its economy.

During weekdays, he can drink tea with friends in parks and spend weekends in the suburbs. Sometimes, he and his friends drive to the tourist destination Dujiangyan, more than 50 km away from downtown Chengdu, and drink beer by the Minjiang River at night.

It is increasingly comfortable to live in the city, he said. Chengdu has built many greenways and parks in recent years and there are some near Yang's company, where he usually goes jogging at weekends.

Yang has regarded Chengdu as his second home and bought property there. To his surprise, before the building was complete, a park was built nearby.

Many of his colleagues and friends from other cities are willing to work in Chengdu, Yang said, adding in their industry, the income in Chengdu is not too far from that in first-tier cities, yet the environment there is good and the living cost is much lower.

Yang has paid constant attention to the city's development for years and he noted that the city hosted a mobilization meeting for implementing 10 happy life projects on the first workday after the Spring Festival holiday.

The projects will increase transport efficiency and offer high-quality public services. They will also create development opportunities for businesses and set up opportunities for young professionals to realize their dreams.

Yang said he also noticed Chengdu has become more strategically important to national transportation.

The State Council released a document on nationally comprehensive transportation network plans on Feb 24. They feature the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, as well as three other areas－the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Yang said he is optimistic about development opportunities for rail transit in Chengdu and nearby Chongqing, and that his company will provide more advanced products to further enrich customers' experiences.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn