Oginni Tolulope Emmanuel, a merchant from Nigeria, acquired a new business license from the Zhejiang FTZ service center on May 25. The young man said he was highly impressed by the city's high service quality.

Emmanuel, who holds a master's degree from Zhejiang University, registered an education consulting company on May 22. However, he was informed by local authorities that the company must be related to his major, otherwise he won't be able to extend his visa. With the help of officials from the Zhoushan municipal bureau of market supervision, Emmanuel applied online to change the nature of his company and received a new business license that very day.

"The window service and online platform are so convenient, and it takes just 10 minutes to apply for a business license if you prepare all the required documents in advance," said Emmanuel. 

Emmanuel is far from the only foreigner to receive such treatment in Zhoushan, as the city boasts a congenial business climate. 

Despite the epidemic, 18 foreign-funded enterprises set up operations in the city in the first quarter, an increase of 50 percent over the same period last year, according to a head official from the Zhoushan municipal bureau of market supervision. 

Investors in the city are also becoming more diverse, as it has been attracting investors from countries such as Britain, France and Australia, in addition to Asian countries.