Xiamen aims high for next 5 years

The coastal city of Xiamen in East China's Fujian province plans to develop into a demonstration area for the country's high-quality development and a modern and international city by the year 2035, according to the city's government work report released on Jan 18.

Xiamen will strengthen efforts to enhance urban functions and core competitiveness during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), according to the plan.

The city aims to become an international education center by 2025, and expects container throughput at Xiamen Port to reach 14 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), with the annual passenger throughput of its cruise ships hitting 600,000. More than 42 international passenger routes will open at the Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, and annual passenger throughput is expected to reach 32 million by 2025.

Xiamen will also work to facilitate the development of international trade. According to its five-year plan, foreign trade should reach a value of 800 billion yuan ($123.55 billion) by 2025, with service trade accounting for 15 percent.

In addition, efforts will be made to promote the development of the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferencing, and exhibitions) industry, and research and development input is expected to account for 3.5 percent of the city's GDP by the year 2025.

The plan also directs the city to accelerate construction on the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution innovation center in the following years, in an effort to strengthen relations between BRICS countries and serve as a demonstration area for the high-quality development of the BRICS partnership.

In addition, living standards will be improved over the next five years in order to strengthen people's sense of happiness and security.