Xiang'an: A powerhouse rises in eastern Xiamen

As the youngest administrative district and new city center of Xiamen, Xiang'an is to set for a new round of economic development this year, said local officials.

Covering the majority of the Fujian-Taiwan Free Trade Zone, seven of its economic indicators - including general revenue and fixed-asset investment - top all districts in Xiamen. More large enterprises and investors from home and abroad are expected to arrive as the district gains increasing fame in the business community.

City's eastern center

Along Dongkeng Bay in east of Xiamen, government revenue in Xiang'an increased 50.7 percent and foreign capital actually utilized surged 107.7 percent last year.

Construction of a guild hall for enterprises in Xiang'an is mostly complete. It is expected to transform the area's development from a basic industrial park to a center of high-end headquarters.

It is supported by major public infrastructure now under construction, including 5.7-km-long Haicang-Xiang'an Avenue.

During the second half of the year, more than 40 projects including the central business district area will finish construction and be ready for soft launch, said Chen Yongyu, the district's Party chief.

Infrastructure

The increasingly improved expressway network has brought a slew of real estate enterprises to Xiang'an New Town, making it a district in Xiamen with considerable development potential.

Design on the route of Xiamen subway Line 3 is complete. It will link Xiamen Island and Xiang'an district once construction is completed in 2020.

The line is also likely to connect to the intercity rail between Xiangmen and Zhangzhou, another economic center in Fujian province, as well as its port area.

Construction on Xiamen's new airport, Xiang'an International Airport, is expected to start before 2015 and it is planned to begin operations in 2020 on Dadeng Island.

The four-runway airport is designed to handle 75 million passengers.

A 14.2-km-long airport expressway is under discussion that will create a number of airport-related economic industries and further boost the local economy in the long run, local officials said.

Fujian-Taiwan zone

E-commence and emerging service programs are now becoming engines for growth in the local economy.

Blueprints of the Fujian-Taiwan Free Trade Zone and Xiang'an New Town released at a news conference in March drew wide attention from media.

The Fujian-Taiwan FTZ will cover more than 155 sq km, 60 percent of it in Xiang'an district.

Cross-Straits emerging industries and modern service cooperative zones in east Fujian will fundamentally strengthen the overall development of the area, said Wang Weishan, head of Xiamen's Municipal Planning and Design Institute.

Already home to many Taiwan-based electronics enterprises, Xiang'an is well positioned to become a major hub of emerging industries like the city of Dongguan in Guangdong province and Kunshan of Jiangsu province, he added.

cuishoufeng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/08/2014 page10)