A container ship sets off from Xiamen Port in Fujian province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Region's role in Belt and Road Initiative and cross-Straits relations strengthened

The Fujian Pilot Free Trade Zone is aiming to integrate into the Belt and Road Initiative and build a higher-level open economic system with international influence and competitiveness, said local officials.

Wu Nanxiang, head of the Fujian Provincial Department of Commerce, said: "The FTZ is a test ground for the country's reform and opening-up. It will continue to make efforts in innovation and development with open cooperation, systems and mechanisms; promote comprehensive deepening of reform and opening-up; and show a greater performance in serving and integrating the new development pattern."

Shen Kaiyan, director of the Institute of Economics of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said: "In the future, the FTZ will serve the national strategy as its mission and focus on industrial upgrading, opening-up and modern governance."

The zone innovates rules and standards, enhancing client satisfaction by exploring and applying certain policies of a free trade port and promoting reform and opening-up with a broader scope.

Offering a number of pioneering reforms, the zone implements open investment management, efficient trade supervision and financial services. The quality of service has spurred a more convenient flow of human resources, capital, technology and data.

The zone boasts collaborative innovation and has established a liberalization and assistance system.

Chai Yong, director of the Fujian Electronic Port Service Center, said: "Fujian will expand the single-window service function for international trade and accelerate the information-based enterprise service projects in all aspects of cross-border trade in accordance with the principle of 'be the best' and to offer a one-stop, full-chain service for optimizing cross-border trade."

The FTZ promotes the coordinated development of special customs supervision areas and pilot free trade zones, and boosts the high-quality development of comprehensive bonded areas around the "five centers".

It strives to establish Fuzhou and Xiamen airport comprehensive bonded zones, transforms the Xiangyu Bonded Zone and integrates with the Xiangyu Comprehensive Bonded Zone. The zone supports the construction and development of a number of research and development institutions, and promotes the transformation and application of more scientific and technological achievements.

Another key goal for the FTZ is to highlight the transformation of government functions and create a first-class legalized, internationalized and convenient business environment.

It focuses on the concerns and demands of market players, continues to promote the reform of "streamlining the government, delegating power, and improving government services" as a whole, strengthens the ability to gather production factors and market allocation, and explores new experiences for the modernization of governance systems and governance capabilities.

The zone has improved the level of modern governance by assisting the exit of market entities, expanding the scope of simplified cancellation and improving regulatory rules.

It expands the "internet plus government service", realizes the entire process of online handling, and promotes the standardization and assistance of government service.

It promotes the clustering and development of upstream and downstream enterprises in the legal industry chain, and forms a legal protection service system that integrates law enforcement, judicial services, public legal services, legal theory research and full-chain services related to legal affairs.