"The government has connected us with a dedicated service officer who provides on-site service for enterprises. The assigned personnel can handle matters even late at night, which has greatly improved efficiency." This remark by Qu Yuesu, general manager of Hunan Apower Chang-Zhu-Tan International Logistics Co., Ltd., highlights one aspect of the changes in the business environment in Xiangtan, Hunan.

On October 13 and 14, a media delegation under the theme "Xiangtan Service, Truly Professional" visited Xiangtan to explore measures the city is taking to continuously improve its business environment.

In 2025, Xiangtan took the lead in implementing the "Dedicated Service Officer" system for enterprises, providing dedicated services to enterprises above the designated size and those approaching the threshold and receiving a public commendation from the provincial government. This year, with the "Enterprise Service Year" and "Cadre Capacity Building Year" as key drivers, Xiangtan has upgraded the dedicated service officer system for enterprises and innovatively built a coordinated service model featuring "service officer + expert + dedicated window." The number of service officers has been expanded to over 1,000, serving more than 3,000 enterprises, further enhancing the business brand "Xiangtan Service, Truly Professional."

The Apower Logistics Project, with a total investment exceeding 11 billion CNY, is a landmark project for the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan integration. Shi Biao, a dedicated service officer from the Xiangtan National Economic and Technological Development Zone, noted that construction was once stalled during its peak phase due to the relocation of high-voltage power lines. He took the initiative to coordinate with the power grid, approval authorities, and land acquisition teams—visiting government departments during the day to seek support and going door-to-door at night to persuade villagers—thereby reducing the original six-month approval process to three months and clearing the way for the full opening of the dedicated railway line by the end of September this year. Once fully operational, the project will become a regional logistics hub worth 100 billion CNY and generate approximately one billion CNY in annual tax revenue.

The Apower Logistics Park, which is about to begin operation. (Photo/Feng Jun)

Xiangtan has also issued a series of policies to further improve the "Dedicated Service Officer" system for enterprises, clarifying a three-tier accountability framework of "city-level coordination, departmental guidance, and local responsibility." The policies stipulate that service officers are responsible for six tasks: understanding enterprise conditions, publicizing and interpreting policies, coordinating problem-solving, assisting with approval processes, coordinating to secure resources, and maintaining a favorable business environment. It also sets the service philosophy for the service officers team: not to visit unless called; always available when needed; promises kept; and service delivered with care.

For overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, Xiangtan's services for overseas Chinese and foreign-related commercial affairs are worth noting. The entry-exit administration authority of the Xiangtan Public Security Bureau has introduced the "three-zero" rapid filing method, reducing the processing time for Hong Kong and Macao business filings from 15 working days to one working day. It has also set up a joint window for work permits and residence affairs for foreigners in Xiangtan, addressing the issues of "making multiple trips and going through reviews at multiple departments" for foreign talent. A local new energy company preparing for a Hong Kong IPO had previously faced obstacles due to issues such as the number of filed personnel exceeding the limit, employees from other provinces lacking residence permits, and new employees not having completed six months of social insurance contributions. The entry-exit administration authority developed tailored solutions for each issue, paving the way for the company's listing in Hong Kong.

The optimization of the business environment is ultimately reflected in the data. From January to August this year, Xiangtan recorded imports and exports of 23.4 billion CNY, an increase of 51.5%, ranking second in Hunan in terms of growth rate. From January to September this year, Xiangtan introduced 63 new industrial projects each with an investment of over 100 million CNY and attracted 482 million CNY of foreign direct investment, a year-on-year increase of 224.97%. The "Smart Manufacturing Valley Climber Program" of the Xiangtan National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone has attracted entrepreneurial talent from overseas universities such as the University of Sheffield in the UK and Lakehead University in Canada, creating a clustering effect where "local talent can be retained, out-of-town talent can be attracted, and overseas talent is willing to come."

A spokesperson for the Xiangtan Coordination Service Center for Optimizing the Business Environment introduced that since the beginning of this year, dedicated service officers across the city have collected 768 enterprise appeals, handled and closed 731 of them, and achieved an enterprise satisfaction rate of over 98%.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn. 

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: Chinanews