A robot plays a piano at the 21st China International Industry Fair in East China's Shanghai on September 17. More than 150 robot manufacturers from the Yangtze River Delta Region are showcasing their products at the robotics section of the event. Photo: IC

The government of Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province has pledged to assign 100 officials to 100 local enterprises, including Alibaba and Geely, who will act as government affairs representatives as part of a plan to upgrade the local manufacturing industry. 

Representatives will help the enterprises to better communicate with the government on policy interpretation and practical implementation of projects, the Hangzhou-based news site zjol.com.cn reported. 

China's e-commerce giant Alibaba and Geely Auto Group, which owns Volvo Cars and Lotus brands, are on the list. Representatives will be with the companies for a year. 

The government will select outstanding officials to form a bond between companies and the government of Hangzhou, backing firms' requirements and solving problems in a timely manner, the Hangzhou government said on its website on Saturday. 

A government affairs employee at a Chinese internet company who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday that she welcomes the move, suggesting it means she will have to visit the government less frequently.  

"My job is to discuss the company's plans with the government and with the government sending representatives to companies to help solve problems, it can  strengthen communication and make the government better understand companies and industries better," she said. 

The assignment is part of Hangzhou's new manufacturing project launched on Friday. 

According to the project, Hangzhou will better serve the companies and strive to develop high-tech manufacturing in areas such as new energy, new materials and biological medicine.

The employee said the move shows the Hangzhou government is becoming more service oriented. 

Experts have called for transparency and fairness in implementing the government's plan. 

The Hangzhou government should also assist local small and medium-sized enterprises that might need help more than larger ones, Zhi Zhenfeng, a legal expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Zhi also stressed that the officials assigned to companies should follow principles during their interactions with the companies to avoid interfering with companies' normal daily operations.
Newspaper headline: Hangzhou officials to be seconded to 100 private firms