During the years of the 11th Five-Year Plan, Pingdingshan attracted new investments to promote social and economic development. Zhang Qinglin, leader of the city’s investment promotion bureau, listed the following achievements:

Platforms for promotion

During the past five years, Pingdingshan promoted investments within its province but also promoted the city in outside regions, including the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and Bohai economic zones, as well as Taiwan. The city held a series of investment promotions in Zhejiang and Fujian, one of which focused on the electrical equipment industry. Pingdingshan has held the Huahe Forum for three years, attracting more than 100 billion yuan in investments.

Efficient outreach

Pingdingshan has adopted methods to more efficiently promote outside investments in the city, including dispatching more than 100 small groups with different targets. The city also has utilized offices in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai to attract local investments, and established relations with foreign investment agencies.

The government has also helped enterprises hold a series of economic and technology cooperation programs in Western Europe, Africa and Russia. Counties within the city have held local festivals for this purpose.

Targeting investment opportunities

The focus has changed from simply attracting investments to selecting investments in specific, major industries. Pingdingshan has chosen six pillar industries, including the energy and chemistry industry, installation manufacturing, and new construction materials sector. Experts are invited to assess investment projects and help with the selection. The city now has nearly 300 new high-tech projects. The city also has focused on building strong relations with Fortune 500 enterprises, leading enterprises in key industry sectors and governmental enterprises to attract high-quality projects.

Improving the investment environment

The city is making efforts to improving its investment environment and service. The progress has been recognized by investors. Pingdingshan was named the top choice for investors in Suzhou, and also named the city with the most potential for investment.

In the past five years, the city has attracted $575 million in foreign investment, an average increase of 34 percent each year. Total outside investments have reached 120 billion yuan, and the number of projects is more than 1,200. Pingdingshan has built cooperative relationships with a number of Fortune 500 companies and well-known China enterprises, including the CITIC Group and the State Grid.