China’s ‘protectionism’ problem at local levels must be quelled, government adviser warns Beijing
- If troublesome trends are not addressed, Beijing’s plans to develop a unified domestic market will be blocked, political scientist Zheng Yongnian says
- ‘Some government departments are unwilling … to be responsible,’ prominent adviser says in flagging ‘shady implementations’ as leadership seeks to invigorate economy

China must come to grips with disorderly competition among its localities – along with an irresponsibly excessive adherence to the old ways of operating – to unleash the nation’s economic growth potential, according to a prominent political scientist who has also called for more economic integration with neighbouring countries.
Zheng Yongnian, an adviser to the central government, also called for “re-establishing” Hong Kong’s role as an international financial centre as he assessed choke points in invigorating the Chinese economy, in an article published on Wednesday.
“While Shanghai as a financial centre serves stability for us, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou should form a bridge to financial services that helps us compete with Wall Street,” said Zheng, who heads the Institute for International Affairs, Qianhai – a think tank based in Shenzhen, just across the mainland border from Hong Kong.
China is looking to invigorate its sputtering economy that has struggled to show a strong recovery in a post-pandemic climate, and growth has been further dragged by Washington’s trade curbs and calls to de-risk from China in the supply chain.
Zheng advised China to cultivate new growth momentum, such as through a greater willingness to “be more open and promise higher-quality conditions” when negotiating with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in upgrading an established trade deal.