Pingtan, a comprehensive pilot zone off the coast of Fujian province and the closest point on the mainland to the island of Taiwan, is becoming a key hub for international trade and logistics. The island, designated as China's second international tourism island after Hainan, has solidified its role in cross-Straits integration with the latest milestone achieved by a key shipping route.

The ro-ro cargo ship "Taipei Express" recently completed its 1,000th voyage from Taipei Port, marking a significant milestone for the vital maritime trade link. The vessel, carrying a full load of goods including liquid crystal displays and fresh fruit, arrived at Pingtan's Jinjing Port Area on the morning of September 18.

Since its launch in December 2017, the "Taipei Express" has been the first high-speed ro-ro cargo ship to operate between Pingtan and Taipei Port. It offers a fast and efficient shipping channel, connecting cargo from major global seaports and airports to Pingtan via Taipei Port through multimodal logistics such as "sea-rail combined transport" and "sea-sea combined transport." The journey takes a minimum of 5.5 hours, a major advantage that has fueled the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce in the region.

In recent years, leveraging its geographical advantage for cross-Straits trade, Pingtan's cross-border e-commerce has developed rapidly, becoming one of the mainland's key logistics hubs for Taiwan. Lin Xingwang, director of the Commerce Department of the Pingtan Economic Development Bureau, told reporters that thanks to the stable cross-Straits logistics channel, Pingtan Port has cumulatively exported more than 25 billion yuan in cross-border e-commerce goods. Additionally, over 50 billion yuan of liquid crystal panels from Taiwan have been shipped through Pingtan Port to major production areas like Jiangsu and Guangzhou. Furthermore, more than 3.5 billion yuan of agricultural and fishery products from Taiwan have entered the mainland market through Pingtan Port, essentially establishing the port as the main channel for Taiwan's agricultural and fishery products to enter the mainland.

The Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone Cross-Straits Shipping Express Co., Ltd. general manager, Huang Yongfeng, highlighted the consistency of the route's operations. "The volume of cross-Straits maritime cargo is growing steadily," he said, "and the 'Taipei Express' maintains a regular schedule of three sailings per week. In addition to our fixed sailing schedule, we add more voyages during holidays to better serve cross-Straits economic and trade exchanges."

The range of cargo transported has also expanded over time. Chen Qiaoyun, manager of the Customs Declaration Department at Pingtan Foreign Agency Shipping Company, noted that the ship now handles a wider range of high-value goods. "The imported and exported cargo transported by the 'Taipei Express' has expanded from initial daily necessities and small commodities to time-sensitive products like live abalone, liquid crystal panels, and even heavy equipment such as road transport vehicles," Chen said.