Anhui will continue to focus on fostering a first-class business environment characterized by marketization, rule of law, and internationalization, with an aim of propelling high-quality development through efficient administration, Wang Qingxian, deputy secretary of the Anhui provincial Party Committee and governor of the province, said at a group meeting of deputies from the delegation of Anhui province at the second session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing on Wednesday.

Wang presented a set of data highlighting Anhui's achievements in 2023. The province ranked among the top 10 nationwide in terms of comprehensive scores and garnered the highest reputation ranking in the "Business Environment Evaluation for Thousands of Private Enterprises" activity.

Anhui saw a substantial increase of 1.41 million newly registered business entities, marking a 19 percent growth. Moreover, 3,071 industrial enterprises above designated size were added, representing the highest annual increase since 2012. The manufacturing industry investment has maintained a consistent growth rate of over 18 percent for 24 consecutive months.

Notably, the growth rate of RMB loans balance from financial institutions in the province has been leading the country for 14 consecutive months, with a notable 29.1 percent growth in manufacturing industry loans in 2023. Wang stressed that these statistics underscore the success of Anhui's manufacturing projects, signaling the optimization of the business environment.

Wang highlighted the significant progress Anhui has made in integrating legislation, law enforcement, judicial processes, and compliance. The province consistently ranks at the forefront nationwide in terms of legal environment.

Looking ahead, Wang emphasized Anhui's commitment to establishing a convenient environment, with enterprise satisfaction as the primary standard. The province aims to foster an orderly market environment, adhering to market principles, respecting market rules, leverage market mechanisms, and rectifying market failures. This approach ensures that government efforts are primarily directed towards enhancing market effectiveness.

Wang added that Anhui aspires to cultivate a new type of government-business relationship characterized by closeness, transparency, and unity. The province will engage with entrepreneurs in a fair and open manner, providing sincere and wholehearted assistance to enterprises in overcoming difficulties, and vigorously fostering atmosphere of respect, support, intimacy, warmth, and protection for businesses.