Hechi, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has continued to push reform and opening-up in 2017, according to the government work report.

With a focus on supply-side structural reform, Hechi has managed to eliminate 1.65 million tons of excess coal production and has removed outdated equipment in eight non-ferrous metal enterprises.

Significant headway has been made in reducing costs in the region, with tax cuts and exemptions totaling 1.5 billion yuan ($238.9 million). Policies have also been enacted to reduce highway tolls and land use tax in Jinchengjiang district and Yizhou.

The city has also lightened the burden on companies by eliminating 500 million yuan in expenses.

Progress has been made in reforms to streamline administration, delegate powers and improve regulation.

The city has canceled 54 administrative examination and approval items and simplified 268 of them, leading to a 60-percent increase in efficiency.

Hechi has also seen success in reform of state-owned assets and state-owned enterprises. It has successfully liquidated and reorganized Jinhe Company, solved lingering problems from the restructuring of Hehua Group, and separated government administration from enterprise management in four enterprises.

Hechi has made efforts to reform business systems with measures designed to streamline and reduce costs for business registration. The city has issued 1,373 business licenses with a registered capital of over six billion yuan.

Hechi has accelerated measures to open up the city to the international market, and successfully held the 2017 International Forum on China-ASEAN Traditional Medicine and Health Tourism.

Efforts have been made to strengthen exchanges with surrounding areas and major cities in the Pearl River Delta, such as Shenzhen, Liuzhou, Baise, and Guizhou's Qiannan prefecture, and to promote joint development in industry, infrastructure, and cultural tourism.

A total of 98 key cooperation agreements have been secured with a total investment of 90.7 billion yuan.