Strengthening Competence Among Jiangsu Officials to Drive Innovation and Business Growth in an Open Environment

Jiangsu Cadres Sharpen Their Practical Skills for Entrepreneurship Under Open Conditions

As the Party and the nation’s affairs develop, the demands on leadership skills continue to rise. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that officials at all levels must enhance their abilities to think critically, make decisions, and execute tasks in an open environment.

This year, in response to the evolving complexities of the international landscape, officials across Jiangsu have stepped up to the challenge, taking proactive roles. Through multi-level collaboration, task forces, and specialized services, they are assisting foreign trade enterprises in effectively utilizing both domestic and international markets and resources, thereby expanding their development space and maintaining a steady course for high-quality growth amidst turbulence. The provincial leadership has further deepened the implementation of the “20 Measures” to motivate accountability and action among cadres, fostering a stronger drive and vitality for entrepreneurship under open conditions, and enabling Jiangsu, as a major economic province, to shoulder its responsibilities.

Task Force Collaboration: Mobilizing Elite Teams for Breakthroughs

“Thanks to the support from the task force, we have officially opened up the domestic market and received production orders, while simultaneously exploring more new markets,” stated a representative from Kunshan Yixin Motor Technology Co., Ltd. on May 19, after successfully obtaining the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) just two weeks after application, a process that traditionally takes 1 to 2 months.

In light of the challenging international environment, the domestic market serves as a strong backbone for foreign trade enterprises. However, transitioning from exports to domestic sales involves more than just relocating products and markets; companies often face unfamiliarity with market access, sales, and settlement rules, making it difficult to secure orders. This is where professional “guides” become essential.

Since April, Suzhou, a key hub for foreign trade, has established a task force that operates around the clock to stabilize foreign trade. This task force features a work mechanism coordinated by city leaders and involves multiple departments. To leverage the strengths of cadres in policy interpretation, resource integration, and government-business communication, the team comprises 43 professionals from 24 units including development and reform and industry and information technology, working on-site. Concurrently, each county and district has set up corresponding task forces, providing tailored services to 1,660 key enterprises with a completion rate of 95.2% for their requests.

Recently, Nanjing Wolit New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. participated in the 26th Jiangsu Export Commodity Exhibition (Osaka) organized by the provincial Department of Commerce, showcasing solar panels, photovoltaic balcony system kits, and energy storage equipment, highlighting Jiangsu’s innovative strength in foreign trade. This year, the Department has taken significant responsibility for stabilizing foreign trade and attracting investment, mobilizing elite resources to help enterprises expand their development space. They promptly introduced policies to stabilize foreign trade and established a coordinated working mechanism, resulting in a collaborative system that engages party members in the “Jiangsu Quality Products Go Global” initiative, focusing on emerging markets with 288 overseas exhibition projects.

Combining Leadership with Business Engagement for Effective Results

Currently, emerging markets have become a major driving force for Jiangsu’s foreign trade growth. From January to April, exports to ASEAN, Africa, and Latin America grew by 24.7%, 14.9%, and 11%, respectively, with emerging markets contributing a 5.8 percentage point boost to total imports and exports. The provincial commerce system will continue to implement the “Several Measures for Stabilizing Foreign Investment in Jiangsu Province 2025” to support enterprises in overcoming challenges.

Specialized Services: Targeted Solutions to Address Challenges

In the past week, products from Wuxi Shangbai Global E-commerce Co., Ltd., including home textiles and pet supplies, have been sold to North America, Europe, and Japan through platforms like Amazon. “Due to external market impacts, our production and sales in North America have been affected, but fortunately, the overseas business innovation exchange center in Europe helped us establish an office in Amsterdam to further broaden our business channels and resources,” said Wu Xinfeng, chairman of Shangbai Global E-commerce.

A similar scenario unfolded for Wuxi Rilian Technology Co., Ltd., which produces industrial X-ray detection equipment. The Wuxi High-tech Zone (Xinwu District) is actively supporting Rilian Technology in establishing a new production base in Johor, Malaysia, and a European operations center in Hungary to improve product quality, reduce costs, enhance production efficiency, and optimize the supply chain.

Opening new markets and enhancing resilience in development relies not only on policy support but also on a skilled cadre team. The Wuxi High-tech Zone has formed a task force for open economic work, advancing the establishment of overseas business innovation exchange centers in Tokyo, Seoul, Frankfurt, and Singapore. “We adopted a comprehensive approach, scientifically selecting personnel and integrating our team. We use a model that combines a team leader, permanent and rotating staff, and local consultants, ensuring a three-pronged training mechanism of professional guidance, regional collaboration, and tiered cultivation,” a representative from the district’s Organization Department explained. Overseas specialists regularly conduct training to broaden cadres’ international work perspectives and sharpen their foreign affairs skills.

Reflecting on a recent crisis, Lu Saiyong, general manager of Meitian Century (Nantong) Trade Co., Ltd., recalled the anxiety of having over 5 million yuan in inventory while orders fluctuated. The company’s profits had decreased by 20% due to sharp changes in the international trade situation. At this critical moment, the service task force in Haimen District provided tailored strategies: utilizing an “International Market Heat Map” to accurately target the Japanese mid-range home textile market, placing supply chain experts on-site for guidance, and bringing in third-party quality inspection agencies to streamline export processes. “The task force not only provided a ‘lifeline’ but also taught us ‘new swimming techniques,'” Lu said, noting that their monthly orders from Japan have now exceeded 2,000, with profit margins rising to 22%, and they have successfully entered the Middle Eastern market.

Centered around the Diedong Bridge in Haimen, the Diedong Bridge home textile market is the largest production and distribution center for home textile products in the country, with products sold in over 130 countries and regions worldwide. Given the current situation, how can enterprises expand into diversified markets? How can they transition to domestic sales? And how can e-commerce platforms and financial systems aid in alleviating challenges? Since April, local government authorities have integrated customs trade data and international market dynamics, employing big data technology to create a visual “International Market Heat Map.” Task force caders conduct in-depth research on market size, competitive landscapes, and policy environments to provide customized market expansion plans for enterprises. They have also implemented “specialized personnel stationed in enterprises” by selecting 32 professionals familiar with foreign trade, law, finance, and other fields to serve as service specialists, establishing a full-chain service system where enterprises make requests, specialists respond, departments process, and the government supervises.

Empowerment Through Specialization: Enhancing Adaptability Skills

Learning ability is a vital “survival skill” in an open environment. In light of the current complex and changing foreign trade economic situation, various regions are enhancing cadres’ capacities to accurately identify changes, scientifically respond, and proactively seek changes. Practical learning and experience are vital for expanding thinking and improving business capabilities.

Recently, Liu Fa, a senior supervisor in cross-border e-commerce at the Lianyungang Free Trade Zone Management Office, along with his team, attended the 137th Canton Fair and secured several foreign trade orders from merchants in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Africa. “We recently participated in a specialized lecture at the Port City Forum, which provided great insights. We need to guide enterprises to expand their sales through a combination of ‘online digital marketing and offline exhibition interactions’ to seek new opportunities along the Belt and Road,” Liu said.

Since the beginning of this year, Lianyungang City has focused on cultivating cadres with an open mindset, international perspective, and global thinking. This initiative promotes understanding and mastery of open economic policies and regulations, integrating training on foreign openness capabilities into the basic training curriculum. They utilize diverse approaches such as “theory + practice + exchange” to enhance cadres’ skills. “We focus on the forefront of openness and institutional innovation, developing a training model of ‘theoretical lectures + case analysis + practical training,’ emphasizing the study of international high-standard trade rules like RCEP, CPTPP, and DEPA. We leverage platforms such as the Free Trade Zone and the SCO (Lianyungang) International Logistics Park for immersive learning, facilitating a leap in cadres’ capabilities from ‘classroom input’ to ‘development output,'” stated a representative from the Lianyungang Municipal Organization Department.

In Yancheng City, a commitment to training with an open mindset has led to the organization of 16 specialized training sessions on marine economy, green low-carbon practices, and financial management, featuring experts from advanced regions and international enterprises. Cadres are also encouraged to learn from experiences in open areas like Shenzhen and Shanghai by visiting leading enterprises, fostering the adoption of open concepts, mastering professional methods, and enhancing scientific skills. To boost outward expansion and alignment with international standards, this year, 60 outstanding young cadres have been assigned to frontline industries, leading enterprises, and innovative research institutions to gain hands-on experience, thereby stimulating their motivation to seize opportunities and take proactive actions.