Congress deputies weigh in on report proposals

In response to this year's Beijing government work report, which proposes improving construction on the Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Opening Up the Services Sector and the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone, deputies to the second session of the 16th Beijing Municipal People's Congress put forward suggestions aimed at assisting the capital in building a new high-level opening-up hub.

"Beijing places great importance on the construction of the two zones, and the government work report dedicates a significant portion to that issue," said Liu Ying, a deputy to the congress and a professor at the Capital University of Economics and Business. "Many officials are at the forefront, dedicating a lot of effort and enthusiasm to the construction of the two zones."

Liu said she often travels to other places for academic exchanges, and leaders from several districts in Beijing have asked if during her travels she could help promote local favorable policies to attract businesses and talents.

In noting that the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress has convened several symposiums with business leaders to listen to their opinions, Liu added: "In promoting the construction of the two zones, Beijing is united from top to bottom, forming a joint force. All this has filled me with confidence in the prospects of Beijing's two zones."

Yang Qiang, a congress deputy who also serves as chairman of CLTJT, a Beijing-headquartered company, said the report's reference to building up the Beijing Service brand as an approach to improving the business environment is something that he, as a private entrepreneur, eagerly anticipates.

"The private economy is a crucial force in the economic and social development of Beijing, playing an irreplaceable role in promoting development, increasing employment, deepening reform and expanding openness," Yang said. Taking into account the status of private businesses, he suggested establishing a leading group for enterprise-related services in Beijing, focusing on the difficulties faced by market entities and the public. He said this would address prominent issues in optimizing the business environment and continuously enhance the satisfaction and sense of gain of market entities and the public.

Yang also suggested founding a center to deal with complaints from private businesses in Beijing, "working to promptly handle complaints upon receiving them". Such a move would strengthen daily supervision of the hotline for addressing inquiries from private businesses and assist in conducting citywide evaluations of the business environment, he added.

Piao Xuedong, head of the Beijing Commerce Bureau, told a news conference during the congress that the State Council gave the green light to Beijing's plan for enhancing construction of the Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Opening Up the Services Sector at the end of 2023 — dubbed the zone's 2.0 plan. He said his team will ramp up efforts to carry it out this year.

Ma Huijuan, a congress deputy and vice-president of the Beijing Lawyers Association, said building the city into an international commercial arbitration hub is a key part of the two zones' construction to advance high-level opening-up and attract high-quality international professionals. She noted Beijing's arbitration industry has achieved global recognition, citing a 2023 move to establish an international arbitration center in the city.

As one of the first pilot cities of international commercial arbitration centers that the central government promotes, Beijing needs to establish foreign-related arbitration procedures in line with international practices, facilitating the selection of familiar procedures by foreign parties to resolve disputes, Ma said.

At the same time, creating an "internationally clustered and friendly service platform" to attract renowned dispute resolution institutions to settle in Beijing should be a priority, "thereby forming an industry clustering effect", she added.