Machinery equipment on display at a cross-Straits industrial commodity fair (LIN SHANCHUAN)

Statistics by the municipal administration showed that 30,542 enterprises were newly registered during the first half of 2014, the period when the new rule was implemented.

On September 3, Xiamen Customs became the first customs office to replicate the reformed regulatory policies in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. With the new policies, businesses in the bonded zones regulated by Xiamen Customs will enjoy greater convenience in terms of taxation, registration, cargo transportation and customs clearance.

Moie Wines is one of the companies benefiting from the new policy at Xiangyu Bonded Zone. As a registered company, it can get involved in bonded exhibitions and trade inside and outside the zone. On the premise of secured taxation, the company is allowed to sell its products during the exhibition and make a customs declaration once every 30 days.

"With the implementation, logistics costs are largely reduced. It is conducive to our company's capital flow," said Chen Yanzhen, Deputy General Manager of Moie Wines. "Previously, we had to finish taxation and cargo clearance first before selling products outside the zone," Chen added.

Transportation network

Taking advantage of its coastal location, Xiamen seeks to establish itself as a transportation hub connecting water, land and air traffic routes. The Port of Xiamen is ranked the 17th largest container port in the world. According to Xiamen Port Authority, the well-developed world-class port handled 191 million tons of cargo, including 8.08 million 20-feet equivalent units (TEUs) of containers in 2013, increasing by 10.8 percent and 11.2 percent year on year respectively. It has 167 container shipment routes in total, connecting major world ports to meet various business logistics demands.

Xiamen is also building the Southeast International Shipping Center. With the port of Xiamen as the base and supported by other ports along the coast of Fujian Province, the center may serve as an international container trunk line port complex, regional cruise home port and sea gate to trading centers along the Maritime Silk Road.

"We planned to gather capital, skilled staff and information related to shipping and marine trades at the center and make it a frontier of maritime cooperation," said Ni. By 2015, when it is set up, the center will be able to accommodate up to 230 million tons of cargo and 10 million TEUs of containers.

Meanwhile, Xiamen is accelerating its efforts on airport construction. Data by the Civil Aviation Administration of China showed that Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport was the 11th busiest airport in China in terms of passenger traffic, with 19.75 million passengers being processed per year, and the eighth busiest in terms of cargo traffic, handling 299,500 tons in 2013.