On the morning of October 16, 2024, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited the Xiamen area of the China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone.
During his visit, Xi emphasized the importance of deepening the reform and opening up efforts in the current landscape, noting that the expectations are now higher than ever, both in depth and breadth. He urged Fujian and Xiamen to adapt to the evolving situation, steadily promote institutional openings, align with international high standards, and produce more institutional and policy outcomes to further enhance high-level foreign investment.
In the afternoon of the same day, Xi was briefed on the work of Fujian’s provincial party committee and government. He set out clear guidelines for future actions: to implement the free trade zone upgrade strategy comprehensively, proactively engage with major regional strategies, and deeply integrate into the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative to create a core area for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, thus consolidating the significant role of domestic and international dual circulation.
The Xiamen area of the China (Fujian) Free Trade Zone was officially inaugurated on April 21, 2015. Since its establishment, Xiamen has seized opportunities and actively explored new paths for opening up to the outside world, using openness to drive reform, development, and innovation.
The images captured on October 16, 2024, showcase the comprehensive service hall of the China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone in Xiamen and various construction achievements within the area. The region has proven to be a vital hub for both domestic and international trade, fully leveraging its port facilities.
The establishment of free trade pilot zones has been a strategic move by the central government to advance reform and opening up in the new era. The first free trade pilot zone in China was launched in Shanghai on September 29, 2013. Over the past decade, a total of 22 free trade zones have been set up, creating an innovative development pattern across the country.
As Xi has remarked, free trade zones serve as “test fields” for reform, where successful practices and innovations can be cultivated and later disseminated throughout the nation. Since their inception, many institutional innovations from these zones have been adopted nationally, playing a crucial role in advancing China’s economic reform agenda.
As a new high ground for China’s opening up and a crucial driver for high-quality development, free trade zones are vital in fostering global economic integration. In the first half of 2024, the total actual foreign investment in the 22 free trade zones reached 103.96 billion yuan, with total import and export volume hitting 4.1 trillion yuan. Even with only 0.4% of the country’s land area, these zones accounted for over 20.8% of foreign investment and 19.5% of trade, underlining their significance in China’s economic landscape.
The system established in these free trade areas will continue to benefit not just China but the global community by contributing to the establishment of an open world economy.
The reporting team included Ju Peng, Lu Ye, Lin Shanchuan, Jiang Kehong, Yang Guanyu, Cao Yiming, Fang Zhe, Xie Jianfei, Zhang Tao, Ding Lei, Wang Kai, and Wang Xiang, with production by Bi Xiaoyang, Lu Ye, Lin Shanchuan, Jiang Kehong, Xu Rui, and Zhang Haobo from Xinhua News Agency.
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