Fujian province promotes high-quality development in all aspects. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

On Feb 7, the first working day of the Year of the Tiger, Fujian province held a launch ceremony for 230 key projects, marking the beginning of the province's high-quality development of the year.

According to statistics, the province's four pillar economies made significant progress in 2021, with the added value of the digital economy reaching 2.3 trillion yuan ($361.3 billion), the gross marine economy production surpassing 1.1 trillion yuan, the green economy boosting strong development with carbon neutrality and carbon sink trading projects underway, and the cultural and tourism economy promoting more Fujian products to go global.

Fujian's efforts to improve innovation as a critical factor for the province's all-around high-quality growth are behind the rise of four pillar economies.

Anta, a Fujian-based athletic wear company, for example, supplied professional equipment to 12 Chinese teams competing in 15 events at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, demonstrating Fujian innovation in a worldwide event.

Located along the core area of Maritime Silk Road, Fujian province shoulders the key tasks of serving the new dual-circulation development paradigm, in which domestic and foreign markets reinforce each other, so that the province actively integrates itself into the new development layout.

For example, the province's trade with countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative increased 31.8 percent in 2021, and the province held a slew of international trading events such as the 21st China International Fair for Investment and Trade.

In 2021, 437 China-Europe freight trains loaded with Fujian-made electronics, machinery, daily necessities, and food, departed from Xiamen, Wuyishan, and Ningde in Fujian province to over 30 cities in more than 10 countries such as Russia and Germany.

Fujian, the nearest mainland province to Taiwan, maintained closer economic, trade, cultural exchanges and communication with Taiwan in 2021, with 1,495 Taiwan-invested companies newly added in Fujian and over 40,000 young people from Taiwan coming to Fujian for internship, employment and starting businesses.

Over the past year, Fujian's progress also presented in improving people's livelihoods in all aspects, including employment, education, healthcare, elderly care, and recreation.

Statistics showed that the province residents' incomes increased in 2021 and the per capita disposable income of the province's residents was 40,659 yuan, a nominal growth of 9.3 percent and an actual growth of 8.5 percent from that in 2020.