Fuzhou drums up participation in cross-strait trade fair
A government delegation from Fuzhou was in Hong Kong yesterday to persuade local businesses to attend the annual cross-strait trade fair to be held in the capital of Fujian province in May.
Gao Qiping, a deputy publicity director of Fuzhou and head of the delegation, said more than 300 exhibitors mainly from the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong had already shown interest in taking part in the 12th Cross-Straits Fair for Economy and Trade, the largest of its kind in the country.
The event will be held at the newly built Fuzhou Strait International Exhibition Centre from May 18 to 22.
Gao, who did not disclose any further details about the Hong Kong exhibitors, confirmed that the city was the most important source of foreign investment for Fuzhou, accounting for 60 per cent of the total overseas investors in the area.
The five-day exhibition will focus on consumer electronics, biological technology, jewellery, cars, environmental construction materials, wedding goods and food products. Investment project presentations, symposiums, summit forums and cultural exchange activities will be held in conjunction with the fair.
Fuzhou, known as 'the hometown to overseas Chinese people', has been identified as a core city in the central government's blueprint to develop the economic zones to the western coast of Taiwan.
Under the development plan, Pingtan Island of Fuzhou, the nearest island county to Taiwan from the mainland, has been turned into an experimental zone to court investors from Taiwan and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the municipal government has also started a series of large-scale infrastructure, agricultural and industrial projects to boost cross-strait links.
Gao said Hong Kong played an important role in enhancing links between the mainland and Taiwan.
'Hong Kong is a unique platform with which we can explore more opportunities to work with Taiwan and other overseas places,' he said.
