US senior executives complimented Guangzhou's administrative efficiency at a Washington roadshow held to mark the Fortune Global Forum 2017, to be held in Guangzhou in December, on March 14.

General Electric (GE) Vice-president Karan Bhatia expressed his admiration of Guangzhou's administrative efficiency at the event, noting that a former GE project was completed in only 18 months in Guangzhou. It would generally take the US five to eight years to finish a similar project, he said.

He underscored the good cooperative relationship between the US and the Guangzhou government.

Guangzhou has been making every effort to forge a legal and international business environment and improve the convenience of investment trade by reducing red tape and raising the level of trade facilitation. In 2016, the city introduced a new administration approval registration catalog, eliminating 176 administrative approval and registration issues.    

In addition, Guangzhou has integrated "one-stop" services and begun city-wide services for industrial and commercial registration, creating a favorable environment for both domestic and overseas companies to operate in the city.

A roadshow themed on "Open perspective Innovative Approach", for the 2017 Fortune Global Forum is held in Washington on March 14. [Photo/people.cn]

GE's project is not the only successful case. Du Lan, senior vice president of IFLYTEK Co Ltd (iFLYTEK), confirmed Bhatia's view.

"It took us only one day to finish the registration procedures in Guangzhou, and governmental bodies involved even offered consulting services and policy guidance at our door," said Du. 

"Efficiency is a company's life. Guangzhou's easy and high-efficient administrative service is a window on its excellent business environment," noted Du.

IFLYTEK, head-quartered in Hefei, is a national key software enterprise dedicated to research of intelligent speech and language technologies.Nina Easton, co-chair of the Fortune Global Forum and chairwoman of the Fortune Most Powerful Women International Summit, said Guangzhou has been a southern gateway to China and a transportation hub for hundreds of years. It is the ideal place to hold the forum, she pointed out.

A former official of the US Ministry of Commerce, Hank Levine, confirmed Easton's opinion, emphasizing that Southern China, and Guangzhou in particular, plays a significant role in the relationship between the United States and China.

According to research from the American Chamber of Commerce in South China, 70 percent of US investors are satisfied with their return on investment, and 80 percent regard the business climate in the region as "good" or "very good," said Levine. Sixty percent of US companies have chosen to make their headquarters in Guangzhou, noted Levine.

Guangzhou has opened liaison offices in Boston and Silicon Valley, two famous innovation centers on the Eastern and Western coasts of the United States to better facilitate business cooperation and bring new opportunities for US companies, as well as to introduce international talents to the city.

Cai Chaolin (R), deputy mayor of Guangzhou, unveils the nameplate of the Guangzhou Liaison Office in Silicon Valley at a roadshow for the 2017 Fortune Global Forum held in Washington, the United States, on March 14, 2017. [Photo by Yin Bogu/Xinhua]