Mu Hong, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), led a team from the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee to East China's Jiangsu and Shandong provinces from Nov 12 to 15 to conduct an inspection of the implementation of major reform and opening-up measures outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).

The team visited Suzhou and Nanjing in Jiangsu province and Qingdao and Jinan in Shandong province, where they assessed progress made in major tasks related to reform and opening-up outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan. Sites visited included Suzhou Industrial Park, the demonstration zone for China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization  regional trade and economic cooperation, Qingdao Port, the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone Jinan Area and a number of foreign trade and foreign-funded enterprises.

The team commended the efforts of both provinces in delivering significant results, highlighting their vital role as economic engines in driving the implementation of key opening-up measures.

The team called for further efforts to create a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized, and to enhance the functions of platforms like pilot free trade zones and comprehensive bonded zones to consolidate the leading role of the eastern coastal region in national opening-up.

They also held meetings in both provinces with local officials and business representatives to exchange views, summarizing effective practices and accomplishments and gathering feedback to further optimize the implementation of the key measures of reform and opening-up in the 14th Five-Year Plan.