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From Fishing Hamlet to Golden Gateway
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  • A bird's eye view of Xiamen, Fujian Province (BEIJING REVIEW)
  • Xiamen becomes part of the China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone, which opened in April 2015 (WANG XIANG)
  • Freighters unload goods at the Port of Xiamen (WANG XIANG)
  • Workers on a production line at the Standard Foods Co. factory in Xiamen (WANG XIANG)
  • Coca-Cola cans at a factory of the Swire Coca-Cola Beverage Xiamen Ltd. (WANG XIANG)
  • A staff member shows a flexible chip at Yunchuang Zhigu, a privately-owned industrial park in the Xiamen Area of China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone (WANG XIANG)
  • The Guaren community of foreigners offers residents support and advise on how to live and run businesses in Xiamen (WANG XIANG)
  • Xiamen was historically the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road and is now integrating into the Belt and Road Initiative (WANG XIANG)
  • A view of Huandao Road along the coast of Xiamen (BEIJING REVIEW)
  • Xiamen is also known as Egret Island, home to the great white egret (WANG XIANG)
  • Bougainvillea speetabilis, the city flower of Xiamen, can be seen everywhere (WANG XIANG)
  • A newly married couple has a photoshoot on the beach of Xitouxia in Xiamen
  • Kids play in a park on a beautiful day in Xiamen
  • Seniors rehearse a chorus, leading active lives in Xiamen
  • Foreign residents living in the Guanren community
  • Xiamen lights up at night
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Once a sleepy city with fishing as its main industry, Xiamen was known as Egret Island for its vast great white egret population. But its identity changed after China introduced its historic reform and opening up in 1978 that would eventually transform the country into the second biggest economy in the world. The reform led to the establishment of four pilot free trade zones (FTZs) in four megacities. Xiamen became part of the China (Fujian) Pilot FTZ, which opened in April 2015. Its proximity to Taiwan has advantages, with businesses from Taiwan preferring to invest in Xiamen. 

Xiamen is the second easiest city in China to do business in after Beijing, according to China's first ease-of-doing-business ranking compiled by the National Development and Reform Commission this year. The yardstick includes how attractive the regulatory environment is for investors and the quality of development.

Multinationals such as Coca-Cola and Dell are now operating out of Xiamen. According to local government statistics, in 1978, there were only 370 industrial enterprises in Xiamen, all of them either state-owned or collectively owned. Last year, the number of foreign-funded enterprises with yearly revenues over 20 million yuan ($2.88 million) reached 687. Their output value accounted for over 60 percent of all such enterprises in the city.

Xiamen has also become an international conference and event destination. It holds annual events like the China International Fair for Investment and Trade, the Xiamen International Marathon and the IRONMAN Triathlon. In 2017, it hosted the Ninth BRICS Summit, which put it in the global limelight. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who gave a keynote speech at the summit, described the impact of reform and opening up on the city, calling it a “gateway of China's external cooperation.”

Historically, the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Xiamen is integrating into the Belt and Road Initiative, the two-pronged global trade and cooperation vision proposed by Xi in 2013, comprising the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The local government has created a Maritime Silk Road investment fund for new investment opportunities, while the port has developed Belt and Road cruise products combining maritime cultures. According to the Xiamen Statistics Bureau, in 2017, Xiamen's trade with other countries along the Maritime Silk Road was 208.3 billion yuan ($30.1 billion), with investment totaling $2.2 billion.

Forty years ago, it was rare to find foreigners in Xiamen. Today, they are a familiar sight with many settling down in Kulangsu, a pedestrian-only island that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site rich in architectural and cultural heritage.

Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo

Comments to linan@bjreview.com

 

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