Pingtan blazing trail in cross-Straits cooperation

Last year the local government of Pingtan - the mainland county nearest Taiwan - made an historic decision to build a comprehensive experimental zone for cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation.

Itself one of the 10 largest islands in China, Pingtan in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province, is moving to become a bridge in the Western Straits Economic Zone, which is listed by the State Council as a key development area in Fujian.

To meet the goal, the provincial government has offered a series of preferential policies in trade, investment and transportation.

Plans include a railway linking inland Fuzhou with the county and policies to encourage innovation in banking and financing.

Top experts and entrepreneurs from across the Straits have been invited to join seminars on the development strategy, industry layout and cross-Straits development models.

Taiwan-based development institutes have participated in the drafting of the development blueprint for Pingtan.

The province is organizing mainland and Taiwanese experts to explore new methods of joint development and management of the area.

As part of the overall effort, the Fujian has given priority to construction of the Pingtan Bridge, Huandao Road and Erqiao Bridge. It has also encouraged more Taiwanese and overseas investors to bring in additional capital.

"The development of Pingtan has cited a prime example of the deepening cross-Straits partnership," said Zeng Qinzhao, chairman of Xiamen Chamber of Taiwanese Businesses. "I hope more and more Taiwanese can join the significant move."

Liu Guoshen, dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, lauded new developments in Pingtan, noting that "the zone is of great significance to enhance cooperation between Taiwan and the mainland, so the government should become more open-mannered and encourage even bolder visionary strategies from people with deep insight".

Li Minrong, director of policy research for the Fujian provincial government, said that in the past 20 years, cross-Straits cooperation has seen remarkable development, mostly as a result of a favorable taxation scheme.

"However, those development methods were based on preferential policies," Li said.

"The Pingtan zone is set to blaze a new trail for a real closer tie-up between the two parts."

(China Daily 05/27/2010 page16)