United Daily News:

Xiamen and Kinmen are at the forefront of cross-Straits exchanges. What is the plan outlined in the guidance to integrate development between the two areas? Also, Fuzhou, Pingtan, and Quanzhou have their respective features in exchanges with Taiwan. How does the guidance encourage these areas to participate in the integrated development with Taiwan? Thank you.

Cong Liang:

Thank you for your questions; I will answer them. The guidance proposed making Fujian a demonstration zone for cross-Straits integrated development. We will guide areas with good conditions and outstanding advantages, such as Xiamen, Fuzhou, as well as the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, to take the lead in the pilot programs and encourage other regions of Fujian to participate in the practice of cross-Straits integrated development in light of their own conditions. Specifically, there are four major measures.

First, we will deepen the integrated development between Xiamen and Kinmen. We will support Xiamen in carrying out a comprehensive pilot reform, empower the city to have greater autonomy over the reforms in key areas and key links, comprehensively deepen reform and opening-up, promote high-quality development, and deepen exchanges and cooperation between Xiamen and Kinmen. The two areas enjoy geographical proximity, and Kinmen residents living in Xiamen can enjoy the same treatment as local residents. We will take the lead to support equal access to inclusive and convenient basic public services, creating the "pair-city living circle." Efforts will also be made to explore a model for Xiamen-Kinmen joint infrastructure development, facilitating the supplies of electricity and gas and the construction of bridges from Xiamen to Kinmen, and support Kinmen in using Xiamen's new airport.

Second, we will support the integrated development between Fuzhou and Matsu. Fuzhou and Matsu have had very close exchanges and held many Fuzhou-Matsu consultations, reaching a series of consensus. We will create a "Fuzhou-Matsu living circle" and entitle Matsu residents living in Fuzhou to the same treatments as local residents. We will set up a Fuzhou-Matsu industrial cooperation park to facilitate the innovative cooperation of the cities in cultural tourism and marine fisheries, and to attract Taiwan compatriots and enterprises to participate in the digital economy development in Fuzhou. We will continue to promote the supplies of water, electricity, and gas and the construction of bridges from Fuzhou to Matsu.

Third, we will give support to the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone in accelerating opening up to Taiwan. In recent years, the area focused on the strategic position featuring "one island, two windows, and three areas" to facilitate exchanges and in-depth integration, and has comprehensively strengthened social, economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan. Support will be given to the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone in accelerating all-round opening up to Taiwan, building more convenient transportation facilities across the Straits, gradually establishing a policy system to boost trade and investment liberalization and facilitation in Taiwan, broadening cross-border trade in services, advancing the construction of the pioneering zone for cross-Straits common market, deepening people-to-people exchanges, as well as cooperation on community-level governance. Besides, we will study to liberalize market access for Taiwan's information services, as well as issue relevant measures concerning speeding up the opening up of education.

Fourth, we will promote practices of integrated development across Fujian. Each county in Fujian has a very close relation with Taiwan. We will encourage Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, both Minnan-dialect-speaking regions and the main ancestral home of Taiwan compatriots, to develop themselves into a global center for Minnan culture, and to carry out integrated development practices with Penghu. We will also leverage the advantages of Fujian as the hometown of the Hakka people and the sea goddess Mazu to support Longyan in innovating Hakka cultural exchanges across the Straits, support Sanming in setting up a pilot zone for integrated rural development across the Straits, support Putian in building a cross-Straits industrial cooperation zone for biotechnology and medical health, support Nanping in deepening ecological, cultural, tourism, and industrial cooperation with Taiwan, and support Ningde in expanding cooperation with Taiwan in the fields of new energy and marine aquaculture industry.

Fujian and Taiwan enjoy geographical proximity, a similar climate, and close affinity. I hope that more Taiwan compatriots can come and visit Fujian, experience the charm of Fujian, pass down the friendship between Fujian and Taiwan, and map out common future development with a view to forging even closer bonds with each other. Thank you.