Pingtan: The Construction of Common Homeland to Broaden "Roads" and Get "Hearts" Closer

Since the beginning of 2019, centering around the goal of "building the gateway for Taiwanese enterprises and Taiwan compatriots to settle in the First Homeland" and focusing on Taiwan's "grass-roots and young generation," Pingtan, under the strong leadership of the Administrative Committee of the Party Working Committee of Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, has been deepening integration and expanding exchanges, strengthening economic and trade cooperation, and promoting the connection of everything possible in industry standards, industrial development, resources and energy, infrastructure and other areas. Correspondingly, 36 measures for the integration and development of the both sides of the Taiwan Strait have been worked out, and new breakthroughs have been made in the project of common homeland for cross-strait compatriots.

In the middle of the year, the accomplishments of the project of common homeland for cross-strait compatriots were showed. Over the past six months, the pilot zone has seen remarkable results in Taiwan affairs. For example, among others, the flow of people and goods is now more convenient; the freight shipping route from Pingtan to Kaohsiung has been officially opened; Pingtan is the first in Chinese mainland to realize full coverage of the freight shipping routes to ports in the north, middle and south of Taiwan; and the vision that "Pingtan becomes the pioneer as for the connection of everything possible in industry standards, industrial development, resources and energy, infrastructure and other areas across the Taiwan Strait" has come true.

There has been closer economic and trade cooperation. Pingtan is taking positive measures to fuel the construction of a number of Taiwan-related projects, and the trading platform for Taiwan's agricultural and fishery products market was launched, a new highlight of cross-strait economic and trade cooperation. In addition, projects such as the Liya Shipyard Film and Television Base and the Express Logistics Center are also increasing speed...

The integration and development of the both sides of the Taiwan Strait has gone deeper. Pingtan conducts pilot practices by extending the accreditation of Taiwan's qualifications and industry standards in the fields of tourism, building, environmental protection, healthcare, education, agriculture and fishery and cold chain logistics, actively expanding the pilot coverage of integration at the grass-roots level, deepening the combination of social public management, and taking systematic steps to boost the construction of the Taiwan compatriot community...

At the beginning of this year, a new freight shipping route was opened between Pingtan and Kaohsiung. Before the opening of the route, it took two or three days for Kaohsiung's agricultural and fishery products to be shipped to the mainland, but now it takes only about 9 hours to do so via this route. For Kaohsiung, this means that unimpeded cross-strait market channel marks a good start for "the possibility for people to come in and for goods to be delivered," while for Pingtan, this means that the freight shipping route from Pingtan is the first in Chinese mainland to cover the ports in the north, middle and south of Taiwan.

Nowadays, the "Pingtan-Kaohsiung" freight shipping route has seen normal operations, with one liner every two weeks. The liner mainly transports frozen seafood and fruits from Taiwan, which not only solves the sale problem of Taiwan's fruit farmers, but also meets the needs of the mainland market. In addition, this also benefits from the launch and operations of the trading platform for Taiwan's agricultural and fishery products market, which addresses the key point of the "connection of production with sales."

Today, the "Haixiahao", "Natchan Rera" and "Taipei Express" are all put into service on three routes at the same time, realizing the full coverage of the routes from Pingtan to Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung. Since the beginning of this year, passenger liners on the Pingtan-Taiwan route have transported 107,000 passengers, including 63,000 Taiwan compatriots, up 41.2% and 34.9% year-on-year respectively. The Pingtan-Taiwan "one-day life circle" has become more materialized.

Thanks to heavy marine traffic between the two sides and convenient customs clearance, Pingtan has also broken new ground in cross-border trade. In the first half of the year, the value of cross-border e-commerce import goods under bond entry into the region was 332 million yuan, up by 64% over a year-on-year (YoY) basis; the number of export orders was 4,521,200, a YoY increase of 392%; the value of exported goods was 415 million yuan. The number of import and export express mails reached 1.67 million, a YoY increase of 90.6% - the value of goods was about 450 million yuan, a YoY increase of 154%, and the weight was about 6,878 tons, a YoY increase of 217%.

Pingtan has always attached great importance to exchanges with Taiwan and organized various forums and competitions, among which the Common Homeland Forum as a brand event held in Pingtan receives the highest level of popularity and participation from people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

In June this year, the Eighth Common Homeland Forum was held in Pingtan as scheduled. With the theme of "Integration and Development, Mutual Benefit and Shared Growth", this year's forum brought together more than 900 people from all walks of life to offer input. Alongside the forum there was the Fourth Cross-Strait Village Heads Exchange Conference, the Cross-Strait (Pingtan) Agricultural and Fishery Products Fair and the Second Straits Forum on Arbitration and other events, which led to the signing of cooperation agreements among 13 pairs of villages, the exchange of family pedigree among 5 pairs of clan relatives, and the signing of 10 purchase orders for agricultural and fishery products with the value of goods that reached 735 million yuan, which generated more than 120 media reports in Taiwan. All this made the forum an event that featured the most extensive grass-roots participation of people on both side of the Taiwan Strait, the deepest involvement from the cross-strait industries, and the most remarkable activity results.

Promoting the compatibility of cross-strait industry standards is Pingtan's unique innovative approach towards Taiwan by exploring the recognition and connection of Taiwan's standards in economic, cultural, social and other areas, and creating the basic conditions for Taiwan compatriots to integrate into Pingtan's society and participate in the opening up and development of Pingtan, so as to truly benefit the Taiwan compatriots.

It is reported that up to now, the comparison work of 134 occupational qualifications when it comes to the acceptance and accreditation of occupational qualifications in Taiwan has been completed. All items of application have been considered in the Service Center for Taiwan Compatriots and Taiwanese Enterprises, and a cumulative total of 409 related certificates have been issued. The acceptance and accreditation of enterprise qualifications and industry standards in the sectors of tourism, building, planning, healthcare, education, transportation, environmental protection, agriculture, fishery and cold chain logistics is advancing in order.

It is worth mentioning that Pingtan will be creating a community for Taiwan compatriots that fully reflects the Taiwanese elements in the whole process of design, construction, property management and others. So far, the project construction standard has been properly prepared. The startup of the tough Taiwan compatriot community is considered to be one of the examples of a new step towards the compatibility of cross-strait standards Pingtan is exploring.

In June this year, the pilot zone launched "36 Measures" to drive the integration and development of both sides of the Taiwan Strait and build a gateway for Taiwan compatriots and Taiwanese enterprises to come to the First Homeland.

The "36 Measures" is one of the important measures for the pilot zone to thoroughly implement the strategy of Taiwan compatriots and Taiwanese enterprises enjoying equal treatment in details. It involves ten areas, namely, strengthening economic and trade cooperation, promoting infrastructure connectivity, accelerating interconnectivity of energy resources, deepening the compatibility of industry standards, thoroughly implementing the strategy of Taiwan compatriots and Taiwanese enterprises enjoying equal treatment in details, driving the equalization of public services to Taiwan compatriots, enhancing cross-strait grass-roots exchanges and cooperation, expanding non-governmental grass-roots exchanges and communication, advancing cross-strait cooperation in film and television and education, and further increasing publicity in Taiwan - all this is impressive. In addition, Pingtan also launched the innovation initiative of "financial credit certificate" in the country, and issued the "Financial Credit Certificate for Taiwanese Businessmen and Compatriots" to the first 16 Taiwanese businessmen and compatriots. "In the past, it was not easy for Taiwan compatriots to get loans in the mainland. Now, with this certificate, we will more easily get loans, guarantees and financing," said Yang Zhean, a Taiwan compatriot who received the first Financial Credit Certificate for Taiwanese Businessmen and Compatriots. Focusing on Taiwan's "young generation," Pingtan also normalizes the "Taiwan Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Leading Program in Pingtan." This year there have been 1,171 Taiwanese youths who come for social internship and practical training; and 755 "Qilin Cards" that have been issued to Taiwan compatriots for the convenience of their lives and money management...