Fujian's foreign trade booms big time in wake of effective reforms

The volume of foreign trade generated in August by Fujian province in eastern China hit 104.65 billion yuan ($15.88 billion) - the highest monthly total so far this year, according to statistics released by Xiamen Customs.

The latest statistics also showed that from January to August, the volume of trade between Fujian and other countries reached 768.91 billion yuan, an increase of 13.8 percent year-on-year.

Import volumes in the same period hit 293.24 billion yuan, an increase of 31.9 percent year-on-year, 9.4 percentage points higher than the average increase made by the country.

Export volumes reached 475.67 billion yuan, an increase of 5 percent over the past one year. Trade volume made by foreign invested enterprises hit 285.55 billion yuan, an increase of 14.2 percent year-on-year.

"Fujian has been accelerating pushing forward reforms and strengthening the impetus of its development," said You Quan, Party secretary of Fujian province.

"To give full play to Fujian's advantages, we should adhere to the ongoing reforms. Thereafter we can ... foster new growth points in its development."

Major projects at the vanguard of the province's development strategy include Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Area, Fujian Pilot Free Trade Zone and the construction of a core area of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Fujian Pilot Free Trade Zone is one of four pilot free trade zones in China established before 2016 - the other three are settled in Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangdong. Its establishment was approved by the State Council in 2014.