Trucks pictured loading and unloading goods at a cross-border logistics park [Photo by Jiang Xinheng from Pingtan CMC]

Adhering to the spirit of modernization and further deepening reforms, Pingtan, an island off E China's Fujian province, has embraced a new era of rapid foreign trade growth, as outlined in the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reforms and Advancing Chinese-Style Modernization approved by the Third Plenum of the 20th CPC Central Committee. This strategic plan emphasizes the need to strengthen the integration of trade policies, fiscal and tax incentives, financial policies, and industrial strategies, thereby reinforcing the institutional foundation and policy framework essential for fostering a robust trading hub.

In recent years, Pingtan has leveraged high-standard institutional openness as a launching pad, innovatively introducing a series of trade facilitation measures to continuously elevate its level of opening up to the world. This strategic approach has propelled Pingtan to achieve remarkable foreign trade acceleration with distinct local characteristics.

The summer months witnessed a surge in cargo shipments from e-commerce giant Pinduoduo via the Pingtan port. At the Huatong Customs Supervision Warehouse in Pingtan, batches of well-packed goods embarked on their journey, bound for Taipei Port.

Collaborating with Huaxin (Pingtan) Logistics Co., Ltd., Pinduoduo has shattered records in terms of cargo container shipments from Pingtan. According to Chen Xiangquan, the general manager of Huaxin (Pingtan) Logistics, while Pinduoduo dispatched just over 20 containers from Pingtan in 2023, the number has soared to over 800 containers so far this year. "This significant increase underscores the growing recognition of Pingtan as a major logistics corridor to Taiwan among industry players," said Chen.

The first half of 2024 has brought momentum for Pingtan's port operations, with multiple cross-border trade indicators trending upwards. Data from the Economic Development Bureau of Pingtan reveals that from January to July 2024, Pingtan's foreign trade import and export volume reached 312,700 tonnes, up 27.38% year-on-year, while the number of import and export containers amounted to 41,800 TEUs, an 18.42% increase over the same period last year.

Lin Cheng, a staff member from the Port Affairs Division of the Economic Development Bureau, emphasized that future efforts will revolve around enhancing the quality of port operations, actively promoting innovation, and continually upgrading port services to drive regional development and openness.

Responding to the evolving market demands, Pingtan has achieved regular operations of the Pingtan-Taiwan sea-air multimodal transport channel, ensuring that cross-border direct purchases and express parcels dispatched from Pingtan reach Taiwan's consumers within three days.

"We aim to strengthen our partnerships with logistics service providers, actively participate in the construction of key infrastructure projects, such as warehousing and logistics facilities, and strive to improve the regional logistics distribution system." said Pan Chao, head of Pingtan-Taiwan Logistics Co., Ltd. in Pingtan. Additionally, the company plans to extend the logistics industry chain, refine the "intra-region short-haul + inter-region transportation" logistics distribution mechanism, and gradually enhance land transportation services for cross-border e-commerce imports and exports.

Remarkable milestones have been achieved in Pingtan's port development, including the launch of five international cruise departure routes, the arrival of the first 10,000-tonne container ship, and the inaugural cross-border export sea-air multimodal transport service. "Pingtan's port has embarked on a new level of high-quality development," noted Lin Qingfu, deputy chief of the Comprehensive Section of the Pingtan Port Administration Station of the Fuzhou Port Development Center. He added that future endeavors will focus on strengthening connectivity through ports and accelerating the development of Pingtan's ports to support the island's strategic vision of One Island, Two Windows, and Three Zones (The One Island, Two Windows, Three Zones strategy for Pingtan Island encapsulates a multifaceted development approach: One Island: Transforming Pingtan into an International Tourism Island to attract global visitors; Two Windows: Serving as a bridge for Fujian-Taiwan cooperation and representing China's broader commitment to international openness; Three Zones: Establishing areas focused on emerging industries, high-end services, and creating a livable environment to foster a well-rounded economy and community)."