For Belgian Antoine Bruneel, China means speed. Arriving in Beijing in 2006, he"s worked across media, motorsports and now the new energy industry, witnessing rapid transformation. Simplified visa procedures, more sectors opened to foreign investment and online business registration have made things easier for foreign founders.

　　"Twenty years on, I feel more and more of a bridge between markets, and I have seen priorities shift: two decades ago, European companies were coming to China; today, Chinese firms are looking toward Europe," he said.

　　In new-energy vehicles and related tech, Chinese firms have accumulated extensive expertise, while European businesses still have room to grow in China. The priority is now to find areas for complementary, long-term collaboration, he added.

　　Opening wider

　　At 6 am each day, Wahed Ahmadzai, an Afghan entrepreneur, heads out by taxi, munching a sandwich while managing multiple projects simultaneously across two phones.

　　After 12 years in Beijing, his core mission is straightforward: to guide international entrepreneurs on how to build companies in China from scratch.

　　Language barriers often prevent foreign founders from fully grasping local policies, even when support mechanisms exist. Fluent in seven languages, Ahmadzai translates official documents and offers policy interpretations.

　　Since 2021, his team has held hundreds of exchange activities, connected more than 5,000 international professionals, and helped over 50 foreign enterprises and projects establish themselves in Beijing. For Ahmadzai, Beijing is a global innovation platform where international talent can translate ideas into practical cross-border cooperation.

　　"China keeps opening wider to the world, and every corner holds potential," he noted.