City readies Belt and Road hub strategy

Capital of Fujian launches plan to build infrastructure for major transportation upgrade

Fuzhou, the capital of East China's Fujian province, has been developing transportation systems, economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges in its aim to become a hub city for the country's Belt and Road Initiative.

Fuzhou was an important point along the ancient maritime Silk Road. In March 2015, it was listed as one of the country's core cities for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The recent distinction has endowed the city with a mission and new opportunities, said Fuzhou Mayor Yang Yimin.

Yang said Fuzhou has mapped out its own measures to boost economic growth, including building infrastructure for a transportation system.

It has also integrated its port resources to connect the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and countries in Southeast Asia.

In 2015, cargo throughput for Fuzhou Port reached 93.07 million metric tons, a 6.1 percent rise from 2014. Fuzhou Port currently has 103 berths and 23 under construction.

The city has also expanded air links with domestic and international cities and has attracted more airline companies to open operations there. In 2015, Fuzhou Airport served more than 90,000 flights, an 11.5 percent rise from 2014. More than 10.8 million passengers were transported through Fuzhou Airport, up 16.4 percent.

In 2015, 30 airlines with 106 international and domestic flights connecting 73 cities, including 15 international ones, operated at the airport. The airport is currently under a second round of expansions.

The city has improved road connections by building highways and expressways linking the Yangtze River and Pearl River regions.

It has also improved connections to the country's central and western regions, seen as the hinterland of Fuzhou Port. Fuzhou plans to build itself into a sea-land shipment hub to help link inland regions with overseas countries.

Heavy investments

In recent years, Fuzhou has promoted its opening-up strategy and strengthened business ties with countries along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Last year, there were 356 projects invested by companies from Southeast Asia, with agreed investment of $1 billion. Fuzhou enterprises have invested heavily in countries along the modern trade route, with agreed investment of $878 million.

The city has also promoted building a free trade zone. Since it officially opened on April 21 last year, the Fuzhou area of the Fujian FTZ has released measures to facilitate trade and business startups. By April 21, the Fuzhou area had 15,148 newly registered enterprises, with registered capital of 166.3 billion yuan ($25.5 billion). Among them, 235 enterprises' registered capital exceeded 100 million yuan each.

The city has also enhanced the development and cooperation in modern marine industries.

Fuzhou's fishery enterprises are encouraged to develop aquaculture cooperation with Southeast Asian countries.

So far, local companies have established five fishery breeding bases in foreign countries including Indonesia and Myanmar, with breeding areas exceeding 4,000 hectares.

Fuzhou is home to the China-ASEAN Seafood Exchange, a facility for promoting fishery cooperation, seafood trade and investment between Fuzhou and Southeast Asia. The city has also built a cross-border settlement platform to further facilitate transactions and delivery of goods.

Fuzhou expects to attract more foreign investment to its high technology, modern services, energy conservation and environmental protection industries.

The city has hosted a series of conferences and exhibitions that have served as important platforms to deepen economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between Fuzhou and countries and regions along the maritime trade route.

The events include the Cross-Straits Fair For Economy and Trade, Asia Cooperation Dialogue Business Conference & Young Entrepreneur Innovation Summit, China (Fuzhou) International Fishery and Seafood Expo and Fuzhou International Tourism Festival.

The city has also organized events in recent years to boost cultural exchanges, including international cultural activities, education shows and a Silk Road International Film Festival.

Contact the writers through wanghongyi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/18/2016 page7)