It has been 22 years since Xue Qingde, a businessman from Taiwan, came to Pingtan, the closest place on the mainland to the island of Taiwan. Looking back, Xue said he could sum up those years into two timelines.  

For the first 11 years, Pingtan was still an isolated and backward island. The island ushered in an era of rapid development in the second 11 years after the island trajected toward the vision of building a common homeland across the Taiwan Straits. And I am part of the endeavor," Xue Qingde told a reporter from Chinanews.com.  

Xue's encounter with Pingtan Island was extraordinary. 22 years ago, his boat broke down in the open waters of Pingtan- a case of unfortunate event leading him to a pleasant discovery.

Xue recalled that he experienced Taiwan’s “1992 earthquake” and his career and family were devastated. Occasionally he set foot on Pingtan and found that the island was like his grandmother’s domicile in Changhua County, Taiwan. 

"Back then, Pingtan was an isolated island. The only mode of transport in and out of the island was by a small ferry." But that's why Xue wanted to settle down in Pingtan. "I fall in love with this place, so isolated from the world where people are much simpler, and I could soothe my pain and soul."

Later on, Xue married and opened a clothing store in Pingtan. They got well-off. 

At the end of 2011, the epochal “Overall Development Plan for Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone” was rolled out, mapping the island's construction of a common homeland for people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

“Pingtan brings me happiness. As a Taiwan compatriot, it’s imperative to participate in the construction of the common homeland.” Xue handed the clothing business over to his wife and started to work for the endeavor. 

As a representative of Taiwan merchants who entered Pingtan long before, Xue introduced Pingtan to friends from Taiwan whenever possible. He also transformed his office into a reception room, providing consultant service for other Taiwan compatriots who intend to work here. Besides, he has a great zeal for public service and often offers impoverished students aid. 

Over time, compatriots and businesspeople from Taiwan liked seeking help from Xue when they had disputes. They kindly called Xue a “peacemaker.”

“It takes time and energy to serve as a mediator. Sometimes I pay out of my pocket for the settlement.” He also promoted the establishment of a mediation committee for Taiwan-related disputes in Pingtan. 

The peacemaker’s reputation spread far and wide. In early 2020, a mediation workshop named after Xue Qingde was unveiled, the first of its kind on the mainland. 

As of now, the workshop has settled over 60 disputes, with a mediation rate of 91%.

Starting in the second decade, Xue witnessed rapid development and drastic changes of Pingtan. Previously, he went to Fuzhou and Guangzhou to replenish stocks for the clothing store. When he returned and encountered strong winds, the ferry’s operation would be suspended. He had to sleep in the car. Nowadays, two sea-crossing bridges connect Pingtan and the mainland. The travel inconvenience has become a thing of the past. 

Pingtan Island looks like a Kylin, an auspicious creature in Chinese mythology. With the two bridges, the Kylin adds two wings and soars into the sky,” exclaimed Xue.

Today, the once-isolated island has become an entrepreneurial hotspot. More and more compatriots from Taiwan work here. Xue Qingde is full of confidence in the future of Pingtan,”I believe when people from both sides of the Taiwan Straits work together, the common homeland will be better.”

Source: Chinanews.com

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