Weifang is a city noted for exchanges with Taiwan that have an early start, a solid foundation, numerous platforms and a wide scope.

The Weifang municipal Party committee and the city's municipal government have always attached great importance to exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan and made efforts to create favorable conditions for Taiwan compatriots in entrepreneurship, employment, schooling, and living.

The city has successively established platforms such as the Shandong-Taiwan Economic and Trade Fair, issued a series of policies including the "notice to encourage and support Taiwan college graduates for entrepreneurship and employment in Weifang", and created a good environment fit for living, working, business, studying and travelling for Taiwan businesspeople and compatriots. 

There are 339 Taiwan-funded enterprises in Weifang, of which 12 have been selected as the Top 100 Taiwan-funded enterprises in Shandong province. 

The city has one state-level Shandong-Taiwan exchange base, six provincial exchange demonstration sites, and three Shandong-Taiwan exchange centers of agriculture, science and technology, as well as vocational education facilities.

It has also set up a demonstration base in Shouguang for agricultural science and technology cooperation across the Taiwan Straits, and successfully held 23 sessions of the Shandong-Taiwan Economic and Trade Fair, establishing an important platform for cross-Straits policy announcement, communication and dialogues, exchanges and cooperation. 

The fair is important to Shandong's opening-up and cooperation with the outside world. It was praised by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council as the oldest and largest-scale trade and cultural exchange meeting with Taiwan.

On Feb 28, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the National Development and Reform Commission issued 31 measures that aimed at giving Taiwan residents who reside on the mainland for study or work equal treatment with other mainlanders.

Much importance was attached to the document by the Weifang municipal Party committee and the municipal government, who immediately instructed relevant departments to study the measures and formulate implementation procedures to ensure preferential services for Taiwan investment, enterprise transformation and upgrading. Through accommodation and other services youth employment and entrepreneurship could be encouraged on a larger scale.

Combining the actual work of the city and studying the spirit of the "31 measures" with consultations from various departments at all levels as well as repeated research and redrafting, the Weifang municipal Taiwan affairs office and the municipal development and reform commission and other departments formulated 80 measures to benefit Taiwan people who study, work and live in Weifang. Those measures were approved at the 22nd executive meeting of the Weifang municipal government on Aug 6.

To promote the implementation of the "31 measures", two Taiwan businessmen were awarded the city's labor medal on Labor Day. One was awarded as a "Model Worker of Shandong province", a practical action to promote equal treatment of Taiwan compatriots as Weifang residents.

Of Weifang's 80 measures to benefit Taiwan people, 50 are implementation measures based on relevant national ministries and commissions and provincial government policies, and 30 are incentive and support policies based on the development features of Weifang.

The policies mainly involve economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, as well as opportunities for studying, internship, employment, entrepreneurship and accommodation of Taiwan compatriots in Weifang.

A focus on economic and trade cooperation: creating conditions for high quality development

In combination with Weifang's construction as an industrial city, 29 measures are focused on economic cooperation to provide support for the comprehensive and equal participation of Taiwan compatriots in Weifang.

The measures mostly cover aspects such as encouraging Taiwan-funded enterprises to develop key industries, establish central platforms, enjoy tax incentives and support funds, develop technology shares, establish scientific research institutions, participate in major infrastructure construction, government purchases, and preferential land use. 

They also simplify registration procedures for Taiwan capital to broaden the breadth and depth of Taiwan businesses' and compatriots' participation in Weifang's economic development.

For instance, Taiwan-funded enterprises and Taiwan compatriots are encouraged to participate in Weifang's efforts to replace old development drivers with new ones and rural revitalization. They will enjoy the same treatment as local enterprises in the screening and declaration process of major projects as well as in related financial support policies.

The industrial and commercial registration process will be simplified for Taiwan-funded enterprises. Also simplified is the notarization of Taiwan natural person's shareholder status: notarization is no longer needed once an investor's identity certificate is issued by the Weifang municipal Taiwan affairs office.

The "unity of multi certifications" for Taiwan-funded enterprises will be fully implemented, after which 45 relevant enterprise licenses will be integrated into one business license so that Taiwan-funded enterprises are no longer required to provide additional supporting materials.