The 26th China Strait Trade Fair opened today at the Straits International Convention and Exhibition Center. Photo by reporter Chen Nuan
In early summer, everything is on display. On the 16th, the 26th Cross-Strait Economic and Trade Fair will open at the Fuzhou Strait International Convention and Exhibition Center. With the theme of "Deepening Cross-Strait Integration and Building the First Homeland," the conference attracted more than 1,000 Taiwan compatriots to attend the conference, a record high.
The river flows for thousands of miles, and there must be its source. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China's Fuzhou International Investment Promotion Month, the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the mainland's first Taiwan-owned enterprise approved by the former Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Fuzhou Taiwan Association. In the autumn of 1994, Comrade Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee, personally founded the China Fuzhou International Investment Promotion Month, which attracted global attention on an unprecedented open platform and opened a window for Fuzhou to connect with world trade.
In 1999, China's Fuzhou International Investment Promotion Month was expanded and upgraded to the "Cross-Strait Economic and Trade Fair", becoming one of the earliest cross-strait economic and trade activities held on the mainland of the motherland.
This year's Maritime Trade Fair adheres to the implementation of the party's overall strategy for solving the Taiwan issue in the new era, adheres to the essence of the "3820" strategic engineering ideology, continues to highlight the role of the platform for attracting investment, boosts the high-quality construction of the cross-strait integrated development demonstration zone, and promotes the integration of Taiwan compatriots and Taiwan enterprises into the mainland's industrial chain and supply chain. Here, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have drawn a new vision for exchanges and cooperation, and written a new chapter of integrated development, and the atmosphere of "one family on both sides of the strait, and one family on both sides of the strait, and Fujian and Taiwan are close to each other" has become stronger.
Thirty years of treading the waves, the love of the strait is endless. From the investment month to the sea fair, Fuzhou has insisted on building an all-round, wide-ranging and multi-level platform for opening up and cooperation, with the introduction of pilot policies for Taiwan, the increasing number of economic and trade cooperation projects, and the increasingly prominent results of activities, making the fair an important platform for cross-strait integration and development and an important window for Fuzhou's high-level opening up.
Try it first
The Strait card is getting louder and louder
In the 90s of the 20th century, the tide of opening up stirred the land of China. As one of the first 14 coastal open cities in China, Fuzhou has keenly identified business opportunities: in order to seek development in mutual benefit and win-win results, it is necessary to improve the level of foreign investment utilization and build an international investment platform.
In 1994, the predecessor of the Cross-Strait Economic and Trade Fair, China Fuzhou International Investment Month, came into being. In 1999, in order to promote the vigorous development of Fuzhou's export-oriented economy and effectively connect the two sides of the strait, the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government expanded the China Fuzhou International Investment Promotion Month into a sea fair, playing the strait card for the first time.
Over the past 30 years, although the name, theme and time of the Strait Fair have changed several times, only the theme of the Straits has endured and radiated strong vitality. Taking advantage of the trend of reform and opening up, Fuzhou has issued a series of innovative policies and measures that benefit the people's livelihood and well-being on both sides of the strait in the previous sessions of the Maritime Trade Fair, creating many "firsts", "firsts" and "firsts" in the history of cross-strait exchanges.
In 2001, the Maritime Trade Fair, Jin, Ma and Peng organized delegations to participate in the meeting, and set up a special area of "Jinma Peng", which became the earliest economic and trade activities in the mainland to display Taiwan's counties and cities.
In 2004, the "Four Sessions" of the Fujian Entrepreneurs Conference, the Sincere Relatives Conference, the Maritime Fair and the Commerce Fair were jointly organized, and the Penghu area organized a delegation to participate for the first time, realizing the grand appearance of the three places at the same time.
In 2005, the Maritime Trade Fair took the lead in realizing the zero-tariff direct shipping of Taiwan's agricultural products to the mainland, creating the "Fuzhou model" of cross-strait agricultural trade;
In 2006, the Maritime Trade Fair took the lead in expanding the types and scope of Taiwan's agricultural products access and zero tariff, the first in resuming cross-strait cooperation in fishery and labor services, the first in allowing Taiwan residents to apply for individual industrial and commercial households in the mainland, and the first time that a national policy bank issued open loans to Taiwan-funded enterprises and Taiwanese investment zones in Fujian Province.
In 2007, the Maritime Trade Fair took the lead in launching direct freight shipping between the coastal areas of Fujian and Penghu;
In 2010, the mainland introduced Taiwanese rice from Fuzhou port for the first time;
In 2012, the Fuzhou Origin Management Office of the General Administration of Customs was inaugurated, which is the first institution in mainland China to be responsible for the management of preferential and non-preferential trade origin business with Taiwan.
In 2018, the Maritime Trade Fair set up a release area for Taiwan's youth entrepreneurship achievements for the first time, focusing on the enthusiasm and highlights of Taiwan's youth innovation, entrepreneurship and creation;
In 2019, the new "two-horse route" will be opened - Fuzhou Mawei Langqi to Matsu Nangan Fuao route;
At the 2023 Maritime Trade Fair, Fuzhou and Matsu will exchange consensus texts for the first time on the Fuma Water Connection Project;
……
Step by step, step by step, adhere to the first trial and win-win development, and promote smoother cross-strait trade, more integrated capital, and more people-to-people bonds.
Over the past 30 years, the Maritime Trade Fair has become a fixed gathering day for many domestic and foreign businessmen every year. Taiwanese businessman Zheng Dexi came to Rong in 1990 to invest and build a factory, and was the first generation of Taiwanese businessmen to come to the mainland for development. In 2000, he began to serve as the deputy secretary-general of the Fuzhou Taiwan Association, that is, from that year he began to get involved with the Maritime Trade Fair. "Fuzhou is the closest provincial capital to Taiwan." Zheng Dexi said that he has a natural affinity for Fujian and Fuzhou, and through the sea fair, businessmen at home and abroad can always make friends and find business opportunities.
Zhang Yingbin, general manager of Taiwan Yujintang Technology Co., Ltd., participated in the sea fair with the delegation more than ten years ago, and has taken root in Fuzhou since then. "I still remember the first time I came, the sea fair was held near the hot spring park, the place was not big, but the scene was very lively." Zhang Yingbin said that the significance of the fair for him is not only an event, but also a gathering of old friends, "Now the event is getting better and better, you can not only meet old friends here, but also meet new customers, and it is expected to reach more cooperation." ”
This year, the fair once again issued a sincere invitation for open cooperation, attracting new and old friends to come. As of May 7, more than 430 important guests from Taiwan have confirmed their participation, including more than 300 guests from the island and Matsu, and Taiwan compatriots from all walks of life are enthusiastic about participating, and it is expected that the total number of Taiwan compatriots participating in the conference will exceed 1,000, setting a new record for the fair.
Open development
The magnetic attraction is getting stronger and stronger
Business opportunities surge, capital gathers, and guests gather. Thirty years ago, the first China Fuzhou International Investment Month was successfully held, attracting more than 6,000 merchants from 22 countries and regions. Over the past 30 years, the successive municipal party committees and municipal governments have inherited and carried forward the important concepts and major practices of General Secretary Xi Jinping to promote investment promotion, adhered to the principle of "attracting overseas Chinese with overseas Chinese, Taiwan with overseas Chinese, and foreign with overseas Chinese", and promoted the development of the Maritime Trade Fair into a prestigious comprehensive investment and trade activity on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, which has played an important role in exploring a new path for cross-strait integration and development and promoting smooth cross-strait economic and trade cooperation. During this period, the Fuzhou Taiwan Association actively promoted the integrated development of Rongtai and expanded economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between Rongtai and Taiwan, and the number of member Taiwan enterprises has grown from 162 at the time of its establishment to nearly 400.
Over the past 30 years, the cluster effect of Taiwan-funded enterprises has become more and more prominent. Fuzhou has attracted more and more Taiwanese businessmen to invest and set up businesses, and a large number of Taiwanese enterprises such as TPV Electronics, Huaying Optoelectronics, Southeast Automobile, Qinglu Group, and Dafeng Group have settled in Fuzhou. The industry has gradually shifted from the initial labor-intensive to high-tech fields such as electronics, automobiles, and precision instruments, and has gradually formed a display industry chain led by TPV Group, an automobile and its parts industry chain led by Southeast Automobile, and a food industry chain led by Uni-President and Master Kong. Fujian Fushun Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a Taiwan-funded enterprise that started construction during the 2005 Maritime Trade Fair, has grown into an advanced semiconductor integrated component manufacturer in the province after more than 10 years of development, and has been listed as a reserve enterprise listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board; Fujian Youyoukang Optical Co., Ltd., which has been settled in Fuzhou for more than 4 years, has grown rapidly and is expected to become the largest contact lens R&D and production base in Asia...... As of the end of March 2024, Fuzhou has approved a total of 5,019 Taiwan-funded projects, with a contract of US$13.327 billion.
Over the past 30 years, the cross-strait industrial integration and development platform has been continuously expanded. National-level key industrial bases for Taiwanese investment, such as the Fuzhou Taiwanese Investment Zone, the Fuqing Taiwan Farmers' Pioneer Park, and the Yongtai Fujian-Taiwan Agricultural Integration Development Industrial Park, have been established successively, providing an important carrying platform for Taiwanese investment. At present, 11 Taiwan enterprises have settled in the Luoyuan Songshan Area of the Fuzhou Taiwanese Investment Zone, with a total investment of 2.429 billion yuan, 59 Taiwan enterprises have settled in the Fuqing Taiwan Farmers' Pioneer Park, and 21 Fujian-Taiwan agricultural fruit and vegetable industry development projects have been implemented in the Yongtai Fujian-Taiwan Agricultural Integration Development Industrial Park, with a total investment of 44.976 million yuan.
At the same time, Fuzhou has given full play to its geographical advantages in Taiwan, and has continuously deepened cooperation between Rongtai and Rongtai in solidly promoting the construction of the Free Trade Zone, Fuzhou New Area, and National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone. Since the Fuzhou Free Trade Zone was put into operation in 2015, 493 new Taiwan-funded enterprises have been added, and it has taken the lead in setting up a Taiwan-funded sector in the Strait Equity Exchange Center in the country, with a total of 167 Taiwan-funded enterprises listed and displayed; China has launched 25 innovative trade facilitation measures with Taiwan, 14 of which are the first of its kind in the mainland. Fuzhou New Area will build a cross-strait integrated community in Donghu Community, Wenwusha Street, Changle, to attract Taiwan compatriots to move in, and create an important carrying place for talents in Rongrong to integrate into the development of the New District.
With the "power" of attracting investment, we will help the "progress" of the project and promote the "stability" of development. Over the past 30 years, relying on the Maritime Trade Fair, the field of cross-strait industrial cooperation has been continuously expanded, from the retail of agricultural and sideline products to cooperation in high-tech fields such as intelligent technology products, big data, and the Internet of Things, and then to the docking of large industrial chain projects with the development of new quality productivity as the main direction, and cross-strait economic and trade cooperation has yielded fruitful results. According to incomplete statistics, the fair has attracted tens of thousands of Taiwan enterprises and more than 30,000 Taiwan businessmen to participate in the fair. Taiwan-funded projects with leading and hematopoietic strong chain functions have injected a steady stream of strong impetus into Fuzhou's efforts to accelerate the construction of a modern international city.
Embrace the world
The circle of friends is getting bigger and bigger
Over the past 30 years, the Maritime Trade Fair has become Fuzhou's business card to the world, and also a window for the world to know Fuzhou. Expanding opening up to the outside world and deepening exchanges and cooperation have become the distinctive features of the previous fairs.
In 2002, with the theme of "Strait, Science and Technology, Economic and Trade Exchanges", the Forum for Multinational Corporations set up a bridge for communication between multinational companies and government departments.
In 2005, the EU-China International Cooperation Association from Europe, business association leaders and business representatives from Italy, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Greece and other 8 countries, as well as representatives of business associations and enterprises from all over China attended the economic and trade event.
In 2014, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Mayors (Summit) Forum was held, where more than 540 government officials from home and abroad and well-known experts and scholars from all walks of life gathered together to analyze the interconnection and win-win cooperation of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road".
In 2021, the Maritime Trade Fair will hold the RCEP New Opportunities - Fujian Province Textile, Footwear and Apparel Industry International Economic and Trade Cooperation Seminar and the first "Fu Tea Travel the World" High-quality Development Conference for the first time, so as to promote the optimization, upgrading, expansion and quality improvement of advantageous export industries such as the textile and garment and tea industries in our province;
In 2023, the China and Indonesia Maritime Trade Fair will seize the opportunity of the "Two Countries and Two Parks" between China and Indonesia to become the flagship project of the "Belt and Road", and cooperate with Indonesia to hold the 2023 RCEP Economic, Trade and Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum and the China-Indonesia "Two Countries and Two Parks" Open Development Dialogue Event. As of the end of last year, there were 54 cooperation projects between Yuanhong Functional Zone of Fuzhou New Area and Indonesia, including 13 introduced projects, 17 going out projects, and 24 trade projects, with a total investment of 98.91 billion yuan, and 593 commercial and trade service market entities in the park;
……
The circle of friends is getting bigger and bigger, and the field of cooperation is getting wider and wider. Over the past 30 years, taking advantage of the east wind of the Maritime Trade Fair, more and more Fuzhou enterprises have accelerated their march to the world and shined on the international stage.
As the first mainland investment enterprise in Taiwan, Newland Technology Group's leading independent core technology and IC design capabilities of QR code are perfectly combined with Taiwan's advanced IC back-end technology and intellectual property layout capabilities, and have achieved fruitful results.
On the edge of the desert in Mauritania, the 90,000-square-meter Fuzhou Hongdong Fishery Mauritania Base is currently the largest offshore fishing base in mainland China. Hongdong has not only created more than 2,000 jobs for the local area, but also driven related supporting enterprises to invest in the local area by extending the industrial chain.
NetDragon has increased its investment in global education, covering 192 countries and regions around the world. It is worth mentioning that from scratch to now, it has been invited to become the online teaching material partner of the Egyptian Ministry of Education, and NetDragon Egypt Chinese AI interactive courseware has entered 12 local public schools, covering more than 800 Egyptian students.
A grand event is a window, a grand event is a city. Over the past 30 years, the Maritime Trade Fair has led Fuzhou to a higher level of opening-up, with large airports, large ports, large passages and other infrastructure interconnected, and accelerating the opening of the open corridor of the blessed state. During the Spring Festival this year, Fuzhou Changle International Airport welcomed a large number of domestic and foreign tourists, with passenger flow reaching 51,957 and 52,973 on February 13 and February 14 respectively, setting a new high for a single day since the airport opened in 1997 for two consecutive days. Nowadays, Fuzhou Airport is in full swing to "double runways, double terminals" as the goal of the construction of the second phase of the project, with Fuzhou Airport as the core, Fupuning F1, F2, F3 lines as the ray, Fuzhou metropolitan area is accelerating on the "track", Fuzhou-Xiamen high-speed rail allows Fuxia and Xiamen to leap into the "one-hour life circle". By the end of last year, Fuzhou Port had built 163 productive berths, including 74 10,000-ton berths, with routes to more than 40 countries and regions around the world.
Thirty years of forging ahead, thirty years of spring and autumn. At present, the grand blueprint of comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization is unfolding magnificently, bringing an unprecedented broad space and a once-in-a-lifetime precious opportunity to Taiwan compatriots and Taiwan enterprises. We believe that the Maritime Trade Fair will not only bring unlimited business opportunities and vitality to Fuzhou, but also the confidence and confidence to face modernization, the world and the future. The Maritime Trade Fair will lead Fuzhou to brave the wind and waves, take the lead in exploring a new road for cross-strait integrated development and building a cross-strait integrated development demonstration zone, and highlight the charm of Fuzhou with a more wonderful image and be active in the international arena. (Reporter Tang Weichang, Wu Huazhen, Yan Lanping)
Source: Pocket Fuzhou client