Quanzhou, a coastal city in Fujian province, is pursuing high-quality growth by combining its strong private economy with its deep cultural heritage, creating a pair of new growth drivers, according to its mayor, Cai Zhansheng.
"The private sector is Quanzhou's most distinctive feature, greatest advantage and most valuable asset," said Cai, who is also a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress. The city is fostering an industry-friendly business environment to accelerate the growth of nine key manufacturing clusters, including textiles and petrochemicals, he added.
The globalization of Quanzhou's enterprises, Cai noted, is evolving."It's no longer just about exporting goods. We are building a 'City of Fashion', transitioning from 'made in Quanzhou' to 'brands from Quanzhou'."
He cited examples like Anta, a leading sportswear brand, and Jomoo, a manufacturer of kitchen and bathroom products, which have become global players through international acquisitions.
"Their success is closely linked to the continuous optimization of the industrial ecosystem," he said.
As a major economic powerhouse in Fujian, Quanzhou's GDP exceeded 1.38 trillion yuan ($200 billion) in 2025. Private enterprises, the backbone of the city's economy, saw industrial value-added and private investment grow by 7.8 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively, with business entities surpassing 1.71 million, according to the latest data.
As a result of its innovation push, the city is now home to one national advanced manufacturing cluster in modern sports products and seven national-level specialized industrial clusters for small and medium-sized enterprises, Cai said.
Looking ahead, the city aims to deepen integration between sci-tech innovation and industrial upgrading, focusing on new growth areas like artificial intelligence and the low-altitude economy, he added. It will also enhance platforms to help local products go global and integrate cross-border e-commerce platforms with industrial chains.
"Quanzhou's rich culture is another key showcase to the world,"Cai said, highlighting the inscription of the "Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China" onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. The listing included 22 sites and monuments across the city from the 10th to 14th centuries.
In 2025, the city's cultural and tourism market maintained strong momentum, welcoming a total of 112 million domestic and international tourist visits.
Behind this boom is a systematic "culture and tourism plus" strategy. Quanzhou has improved its tourism infrastructure, launched an AI-powered smart tour platform and revitalized historical neighborhoods. Last year alone, 59 new hotels opened, adding over 9,000 beds, and more than 1,000 cultural and tourism events were held in the city's cultural neighborhoods.
A hometown to over 10 million overseas Chinese spread across 170 countries and regions, the city places immense value on this extensive global network. "Culture is the bond, and the economy is the foundation. We will strive to leverage the unique resource of our overseas Chinese community to achieve a multiplier effect in fostering a new development paradigm," he said.
"We are strengthening cultural roots while fostering business cooperation," Cai said. The city has set up digital platforms to help the new generation of overseas Chinese trace their roots and enhance their cultural identity. In addition, it organizes investment and trade fairs and runs cross-border e-commerce platforms to transform the hometown connections of overseas Chinese into concrete trade and investment opportunities.
