Development of cross-Straits cooperation at all time high

Abundant employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for Taiwan residents in Xiamen

Since the establishment of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone 40 years ago, the coastal city in Fujian province has given full play to its role as a strategic fulcrum with Taiwan, been committed to pioneering trials and explored new paths for cross-Straits integration and development, said local officials.

A senior official said at a celebration meeting held on Dec 21 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone that the city will improve people's livelihood, deepen reform and opening-up policy, further promote high-quality development and play a key role in boosting the cross-Straits integration.

The city has an early start in economic and trade cooperation with Taiwan and has achieved good results with a series of projects such as three national-level Taiwan-based investment zones, the Xiamen free trade zone that highlights Taiwan's characteristics and the cross-Straits digital economy platforms for economic and trade cooperation with Taiwan.

Officially inaugurated on Sept 25, 2020, Jinyuan President Securities is the first cross-Straits joint venture securities company in the Chinese mainland. The shareholders are the Xiamen-based Jinyuan Group and Taiwan's President Securities Corp.

Cai Yi, president of Jinyuan, said the establishment of Jinyuan President Securities is a specific measure taken by Fujian to accelerate the construction of a pioneer zone for cross-Straits integration.

"It fills the gap in cross-Straits securities cooperation and is a major event of milestone significance in the history of financial cooperation," he said. In the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) of Fujian released in March 2021, "promoting the development of Jinyuan President Securities" is included in an important chapter of cross-Straits modern service industry cooperation. Xiamen aims to facilitate cross-Straits relations, has the advantage in implementing national policies, said Xue He, chairman of Jinyuan President Securities.

Jinyuan President Securities is promoting the high-quality development of Taiwan-funded enterprises and guiding more Taiwan-based companies to the capital market.

Cai said that Jinyuan President Securities adheres to the use of financial technology to empower business development and is the first to launch online account opening services for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao customers.

Taiwan is Xiamen's second-largest trading partner, largest source of imports, and sixth-largest external market. Xiamen's imports of fruits, food, wine, books and rice from Taiwan have ranked first on the Chinese mainland. More than 20 top 100 Taiwan-based enterprises including Taiwan LCD panel maker AU Optronics and TPK Holdings have a strong trade relationship with Xiamen. The industrial output value of Taiwan-based enterprises accounts for about 25 percent of Xiamen's total industrial output value.

Chen Daihua, president of Xiamen-based Runner Group, said the Xiamen government encourages good communications and helps enterprises a lot in dealing with emergencies. "For example, during last year's epidemic, the biggest focus of the government was how to help companies resume work and production as soon as possible. This is what we hoped. We resumed work by the end of February last year."

Cultural exchanges

Xiamen uses Minnan culture as a link to innovate communication methods, build event brands and enhance the effectiveness of communication.

The city focuses on promoting more than 50 large-scale cross-Straits exchange activities such as the Straits Forum, the Industrial Fair, the Cultural Fair and the Map Fair. Among them, the Straits Forum has been successfully held for 13 sessions, attracting a total of about 110,000 Taiwan compatriots to participate, making it the largest cross-Straits exchange event with the largest number of participants.

A Taiwan doctor, working in Fuzhou, Fujian, participated in cross-Straits exchange activities to promote the integrated development of the two sides. He said that the Straits Forum is a very important platform and a very good opportunity for cross-Straits integration. "It is a great help for the development of Taiwan's youth. I hope that Taiwan's youth will go to the Chinese mainland to take a look, communicate with each other, and share development opportunities, feeling the sense of gain, accomplishment and happiness of developing on the motherland," he said.

Xiamen has also organized cross-Straits non-governmental exchange activities such as the Zheng Chenggong Cultural Festival, Ford Cultural Festival, Dragon Boat Cultural Festival, Song Jiangzhen Folk Culture Festival and Minwang Cultural Festival.

The city has taken the lead in promulgating the Regulations on Investment Protection for Taiwan Compatriots to help Taiwan compatriots to live and work in Xiamen and support Taiwan compatriots to integrate into society.

There are classes for Taiwan students in high-quality junior middle schools and high schools in the city, and each year the children of Taiwan compatriots in Xiamen are enrolled in a concentrated manner.

Xiamen has established Taiwan-related service organizations and formed a matrix combining online and offline services. The seven medical insurance agencies in the city and district have all opened the "green channel" for Taiwan residents.

All administrative service centers set up special windows for Taiwan compatriots and Taiwan-based enterprises. As a hot spot for youth employment and entrepreneurship on both sides of the Straits, Xiamen has issued a series of policies to encourage and support the Taiwan youth to come to Xiamen for entrepreneurship and employment. The Taiwan Youth Innovation Platform includes administrative regions and development zones, covering e-commerce, mobile internet, optoelectronic technology and cultural creativity.