History of 40-year Diversified Development of Pingtan Island in Fujian Province

Pingtan, consisting of 126 islands and 702 reefs, covers an area of 392 square kilometers and has a sea area of 6064 square kilometers. It enjoys the reputation of “Thousand Reefs and Hundred Islands”. In November 2011, with the approval of the State Council, the National Development and Reform Commission officially issued the “Overall Development Plan of Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone”. In April 2015, the Pingtan area of China (Fujian) Free Trade Pilot Zone was officially unveiled, opening a window of free trade with countries around the world.

Pingtan was once an unexplored virgin land. Since the establishment of the experimental area, with the unique identity of “System and Mechanism Highland” and “Inclination of Preferential Policy”, infrastructure construction of Pingtan has been comprehensively upgraded, injecting new vitality into the development of whole Island. On the New Year of 2011, the Pingtan Strait Bridge was officially opened to traffic.

Pingtan guards the "sea corridor", being the throat of the Taiwan Strait and the Minjiang Estuary, which is the only place for the north-southern thoroughfare of the Pacific West Coast. Due to the advantages of location, shipping has become a traditional advantage industry in Pingtan. Nowadays, standing at a new starting point, further expanding and strengthening local shipping enterprises is the "key event" in Pingtan's industrial development.

In this regard, Pingtan encourages large-scale shipping companies to set up maritime headquarters in Pingtan and build a shipping logistics development platform with the “five best” standards of “lowest cost, most convenient customs clearance, most punctual delivery, best service and most preferential policies”, to cultivate and expand the shipping logistics industry .According to the plan, the number of international shipping vessels registered in the region will reach 180, and the shipping and logistics service revenue will reach 6 billion yuan by 2020.

In addition to the voyages of shipping vessels, Pingtan's beautiful natural resources and charming coast have also attracted tourists from all over the world. In August 2016, the “Pingtan International Tourism Island Construction Plan” was approved, and the open development pattern of Pingtan “Experimental Zone + Free Trade Zone + International Tourism Island” has led to the development of Pingtan’s tourism development into a new era.

At present, the pattern of “one ring, two vertical and three horizontal” in Pingtan Island has basically taken shape, and the large transportation network of “land, sea and air” tourism has initially connected.

With the golden signboard of “Pingtan Blue”, Pingtan will give full play to its advantages and vigorously develop marine tourism, and will gradually build high-quality tourism projects such as sea fishing bases, offshore cruise ships and yachts. In 2017, a total of 3.8722 million tourists were received, with a total tourism income of 2.904 billion yuan, up 27.2% and 46.6% year-on-year respectively. The growth rate was the highest in the province, and it was also included in the “50 scenic spots that most worthy candidate list for foreigners in China in 2018.”

“How to 'retain' visitors and ensure their continuous return is another important issue Pingtan is facing.” The relevant person in charge of the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone Management Committee introduced that with the use of maritime resources, Pingtan has successively held a series of large-scale sports events such as International Kite Surfing Competitions, International Open Cycling, International Sailing Competition and Open Swimming. The elements of sports tourism have brought new vitality to the construction of international tourist islands.

Pingtan also held a special promotion conference on financial innovation and preferential policies for international tourism islands in the United Arab Emirates, Malta, Greece and other countries, and signed a city-friendly agreement with the city of Bizerbuja, Malta. Striding to the sea to make friends, Pingtan International Tourism Island gradually went global.

In the past 40 years of reform and opening up, after experiencing the history of occlusion and openness, Pingtan is now relying on the wind to build a new fulcrum for the opening of Fujian and even the whole country in the process of building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.