China's Jiangxi helps foreign firms weather epidemic-induced woes

NANCHANG, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Despite the impact of COVID-19, Fresenius Kabi (Nanchang) Medical Devices Co., Ltd., a German-funded company in east China's Jiangxi Province, maintained steady expansion, with its exports up 7 percent in 2021.

Hu Jialu, deputy general manager of the company, attributed this growth to China's effective epidemic control measures and its support policies for foreign companies.

Due to the epidemic's disruption of logistics, the company was once unable to receive raw materials or deliver products to customers, Hu said, adding that local authorities opened a "green channel" so that the company could maintain normal operations.

This is not the only foreign enterprise in China that has received government support in weathering epidemic headwinds.

Japanese-funded Nanchang Sanyou Eco Technology Co., Ltd., which makes bamboo products, also benefited from the local government's policy support.

After a resurgence of COVID-19 started in Nanchang in March, the local government dispatched special personnel to the company to help maintain smooth production and ensure effective prevention and containment, said Wu Jinling, deputy general manager of the firm.

A series of policies have been rolled out involving logistics and supplies to aid pandemic-affected businesses, including foreign-funded enterprises, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said last month, adding that the ministry has engaged relevant departments and local governments in helping foreign companies solve the problems.

Chen Yu, deputy director of the economic and trade development bureau of Nanchang Economic and Technological Development Zone, said they have formed a special team to provide point-to-point services for local enterprises, helping them balance virus prevention and development.

"A sound business environment boosts our confidence in investment, which is one of the reasons why our company has stayed in Nanchang for 20 years," Hu Jialu said.

Hu noted that Fresenius Kabi (Nanchang) has been working to expand its cooperation with local raw material suppliers in China and raise the market share in the Asia-Pacific region.

Thanks partly to the sound business environment, Jiangxi's foreign trade surged 29 percent year on year in the first quarter. Of the total, the value of foreign-invested enterprises accounted for 23.8 percent.