Fujian province, the central area of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, plans to further promote its transportation links, economic cooperation and cultural exchanges with other regions along the trade route.

Fujian has three big ports in the cities of Xiamen, Fuzhou and Quanzhou, each with an annual cargo throughput of more than 100 million metric tons.

The Maritime Silk Road is also under the spotlight at the ongoing seventh Straits Forum, as Quanzhou is hosting a cultural event with young people from both sides of the Straits to learn about the city's history in relation to the maritime route.

From June 14 to 16, the event will include a symposium about the maritime Silk Road and a cultural show. Young people from across the Straits will have a chance to visit the city's tourist attractions connected with the maritime route, including the Quanzhou Maritime Museum and Jiuri Mountain.

The Port of Xiamen is the fourth international shipping center in China, after Shanghai, Tianjin and Dalian, and the Pingtan Port Area, part of Fuzhou Port, aims to become an international free port.

Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian, is not only improving its port infrastructure, but also working on new railway links including the Hefei-Fuzhou high-speed railway.

The high-speed line that connects Hefei, the capital city of East China's Anhui province, to Fuzhou is part of the Beijing-Fuzhou rail line.

The line is expected to improve ties between Fujian province and other important economic areas in China, including those in the Yangtze River Economic Belt region.

Economic partnerships between Fujian and other regions along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, have strengthened since President Xi Jinping launched the initiative in 2013, according to local media.

Strengthened ties

Businesses from Fujian invested in 13 new, large projects in other regions along the maritime Silk Road in the first quarter of this year and imports and exports between the province and the regions in the same period reached $10.14 billion, a year-on-year increase of 3.63 percent, according to Xinhua news agency reports.

The province will further subsidize its companies to participate in 19 exhibitions hosted in other countries and regions along the route to boost exports.

It also used, and will continue to use, events held in China, including the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Exposition and the China-Eurasia Expo, to attract overseas investment.

The Fujian government has also strengthened marine economy cooperation with other countries and regions within the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative.

The China-ASEAN Marine Product Exchange headquartered in Fuzhou, was set up in October 2014 to serve marine product manufacturers, processing companies and traders in Fujian and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The exchange will have some branches in the ASEAN members' countries to strengthen marine fishery cooperation between China and the ASEAN.

Fujian has also focused on cultural exchanges with other countries and regions along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The Quanzhou city government began to support artistic creation, tourism and creative industries related to the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road when the city was selected as one of the first cultural cities of East Asia in 2013.

The city of Xiamen has built a branch of Xiamen University in Malaysia and the school will recruit the first students in the near future.

Students are expected to come from Malaysia, China and other Asian countries.

Xiamen also plans to build eight cultural tourism routes related to the maritime Silk Road by 2020 to promote cultural exchanges with countries in the region, local officials said.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn

Youth representatives from the mainland and Taiwan at a symposium on June 14 about the maritime Silk Road. Provided to China Daily

(China Daily 06/15/2015 page12)