Beijing requires concerted steps to enhance its business potential

More business-friendly regulations and concerted efforts to reduce pollution are necessary for Beijing to realize its true potential as a commercial hub and allay the perception that business is no longer a core function for the capital, an industry report said on Thursday.

The first standalone Beijing Position Paper 2015/2016, released by the European Chamber of Commerce in China, said that the city continues to be identified mainly with big and overly bureaucratic government, an image it needs to change urgently.

Mats Harborn, vice-president of the EU Chamber, said that there are several obstacles that are hindering the government vision to transform Beijing as a global city, full of international corporate headquarters and high-value-added industries. The paper, which polled respondents from 470 European companies operating in Beijing, said that being in the seat of the central government, businesses in the city were often subjected to duplicate procedures.