Pingtan Building a Communication Platform to Taiwan

After the successful maiden voyage of direct freight shipping from Kaohsiung, Taiwan to Pingtan, Fujian on 20 January, the “Taipei Express”, loaded with agricultural and fishery products, arrived at Pingtan at 8 o’clock on 24 February after 9 hours of travel. This marked the beginning of the operation of Kaohsiung – Pingtan direct freight shipping.

From this, the shipping network has been established between Pingtan and Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung. Zhang Shufu, the Deputy Director of Department of Logistics, Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone Economic Development Board, said “Pingtan is building a main exchanges channel to Taiwan”.

Since the establishment of Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone in 2009, a series of preferential policies were unveiled in succession across central committee and local governments, in support of the opening up and development of Pingtan. “Cross-Strait Common Homeland” has sped up its development progress and the building of international tourism island is at a steady pace thereupon.

In the past few years, Pingtan has launched “Haixia Hao” and “Natchan Rera” for Pingtan – Taichung and Pingtan – Taipei direct shipping routes for passengers and cargoes successively, and has taken the lead in putting into effect the traffic policies easing restrictions for Taiwan vehicles entering Fujian and granting five-year Mainland Travel Permits for Taiwan Residents.

The newest Kaohsiung – Pingtan direct cargo shipping route went into operation is operated by enterprises on both sides of the strait, with the sailing distance of 178 nautical miles, the travel time of 9 hours and one trip every half a month at the beginning of the operation. Zhang Shufu pointed it out that the operation of Kaohsiung – Pingtan cargo shipping route established the full shipping network between Pingtan and Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, which will fill in the gap for “Haixia Hao” and “Natchan Rera”’s shipping capacity, further improving and enhancing the cross-strait direct shipping route.

The maiden voyage of Kaohsiung – Pingtan direct cargo shipping ferry was loaded with 107 standard containers for fruit, frozen goods, juice and fast freight, with a value of RMB 24,948,000 (Chinese currency, same below), 78 containers of agricultural and fishery products and 775.5 tons of goods, with a value of RMB 7,921,000.

Besides the establishment of the shipping network to Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, Pingtan has been making progress to “shorten” the distance to inland cities. A few days ago, Fujian Provincial Department of Transportation proposed to expedite the establishment of transportation system, actively advance the infrastructure building of railway, highway and waterway and continue to enhance Pingtan’s transportation capacity to other areas, in order to convert Pingtan into a convenient cross-strait transportation hub.

As disclosed by the authority, the Pingtan section of the Beijing – Taiwan Expressway will be in operation in the second half of this year. Fuzhou-Pingtan Railway will go into operation in 2020.