"One family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, one family on Fujian and one family on Taiwan." What does Fujian do?

What should we think of implementing the concept of "one family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, one family on Fujian and one family on Taiwan"? How should Fujian implement it? The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council recently issued the "Opinions on Supporting Fujian in Exploring New Paths for Cross Strait Integration and Development and Building Cross Strait Integration and Development Demonstration Zones". The clear work goal of this Opinion is to basically complete the demonstration zone for cross-strait integration and development, and fully demonstrate the effect of Fujian as the first home for Taiwanese compatriots and enterprises. Next, we will explore a new path for the integration and development of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait through the following two questions:

How to view Fujian's unique position in the integration and development of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait? Also, why choose to issue this Opinion at this time? Firstly, let's understand the basic content of this Opinion.

Support Fujian in exploring new paths for cross-strait integration and development

Fujian has a unique position and role in the overall work towards Taiwan.Always respect, care for, and benefit our Taiwanese compatriots, improve policies and systems to enhance their well-being and enjoy equal treatment; Adhere to a problem oriented approach, highlight the importance of leading by example, expand authorization and empowerment, and continuously promote policy and institutional innovation; Adhere to the principle of prioritizing ease over difficulty, progressing gradually, continuously advancing, and achieving long-term results, adapting measures to local conditions and conditions, supporting regions with good conditions and prominent advantages to take the lead in pilot projects, guiding other regions to find their positioning and collaborate to increase efficiency. The clear work goal of the Opinion is to basically complete the demonstration zone for the integration and development of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and fully demonstrate the effect of Fujian as the first home for Taiwanese compatriots and enterprises. The policy and institutional system for integrated development is becoming more perfect, and the social atmosphere of "one family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, one family on Fujian and Taiwan" is becoming stronger; The personnel exchanges between Fujian and Taiwan are more convenient, trade and investment are smoother, and communication and cooperation are expanding to a wider range and deeper level; The demonstration effect of Xiamen and Kinmen, Fuzhou and Mazu's integrated development is constantly emerging, and the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone is fully playing its role in Taiwan's integration. The Opinion also proposes 21 specific contents, including "building the first home for Taiwanese compatriots and enterprises to land", "promoting deep integration of Fujian and Taiwan's economy and trade", "promoting comprehensive integrated development of Fujian", and "deepening social and cultural exchanges between Fujian and Taiwan".

Building Effective Connection Channels and Accelerating the Construction of a Cross Strait Common Market

This Opinion on Supporting Fujian in Exploring a New Path of Cross Strait Integration and Development and Building a Demonstration Zone for Cross Strait Integration and Development points out that Fujian has a unique position and role in the overall work of Taiwan, with "one family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, one family on Fujian and Taiwan". Next, we will focus on the situation in Fujian. As the only comprehensive experimental zone for Taiwan in the country, Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone is further exploring relaxing market access, simplifying investment approval processes, focusing on breakthroughs in trade freedom and convenience, building more effective channels to connect with the Taiwan market, personnel, and factors, and accelerating the construction of a common market for both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwanese compatriot Zhou Zhenggui, who lives and works hard in the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone, received food sent by relatives and friends from Taiwan on that day. Zhou Zhenggui told reporters that it originally took a month of mailing time, but this time it only took 5 days.

Taiwanese compatriot Zhou Zhenggui: In the past, the cost of mailing packages from Taiwan to the mainland was approximately NT $4500 per kilogram. Now that we have the "Taiwan Mainland Connection" platform, the cost is only 60 RMB.

The "Taiwan Mainland Pass" referred to by Zhou Zhenggui is the first digital platform in China to serve Taiwanese compatriots. This year, it launched a direct mail service for personal small packages in Taiwan to the mainland. Mail from Taiwan is charged uniformly based on weight, and the sender can also enjoy a one-stop service such as customs clearance and express delivery.

He Yixing, Logistics Manager of Fujian Xintongtu Information Technology Co., Ltd.: All routing information can be seen on our app. In Taiwan, when you place an order, relatives and friends in mainland China can sit and wait for the goods to be received.

Wei Yuanpeng, Deputy General Manager of Fujian Xintongtu Information Technology Co., Ltd.: Let data "run more" and Taiwanese people "run less". In the future, you can place orders on cross-strait e-commerce platforms at any time and enjoy the convenience of shopping in the cross-strait common living circle.

Exploring a New Path of Integration and Development between the Two Sides of the Taiwan Strait

Fuzhou is the closest provincial capital city in mainland China to Taiwan, and it is also a hot spot for Taiwanese compatriots to come to mainland China for entrepreneurship and employment. In recent years, Fuzhou has leveraged its unique advantages, dared to take the lead, actively explored new paths for the integration and development of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, accelerated the construction of a leading city for Taiwan compatriots and enterprises to land as their first home, and contributed to the construction of a demonstration zone for the integration and development of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwanese compatriot Xu Zhenzhen came to Fuzhou in 2021 to start a business, mainly engaged in short video production, live streaming sales, cross-border e-commerce, and other businesses. In January of this year, she registered for the third batch of public rental housing allocation for Taiwanese residents in Fuzhou and successfully selected a 45 square meter house. The community is located in a bustling area of Fuzhou, with comprehensive supporting facilities, and a monthly rent of only over 900 yuan.

Taiwanese compatriot Xu Zhenzhen: Fuzhou has provided such good benefits, which have helped us solve the housing problem. Not only does it reduce the cost of work and life, but it also makes us feel firsthand the strong care that Fuzhou has for us Taiwanese compatriots. As soon as I moved into my new house, I felt like I had settled down in Fuzhou. Once one's heart stabilizes, entrepreneurship becomes more confident and motivated.

It is understood that in July 2021, Fuzhou issued the "Implementation Plan for Housing Security for Employment and Entrepreneurship Taiwanese Residents in Rong", which took the lead in incorporating employment and entrepreneurship Taiwanese residents into the housing security system on the mainland, and implemented a market-oriented standard of 30% rent reduction. The relaxed application conditions and simplified application process have received widespread praise from Taiwanese compatriots. According to statistics, since the end of 2021, Fuzhou has released a total of 1050 units of public rental housing for Taiwanese residents. Currently, four batches of rental housing selection have been carried out, with a total of 241 households and 363 Taiwanese residents living in public rental housing, fulfilling their dream of settling down.

"EFuzhou" launches new features to help Taiwanese compatriots better integrate into the local community

Fuzhou continues to implement various measures to provide equal treatment to Taiwanese compatriots, helping them better integrate into local work and life. "EFuzhou" is a commonly used government service software for the daily work, life, affairs, and travel of Fuzhou citizens. In October last year, "eFuzhou" was the first in Fujian Province's government service software to launch the "Taiwan Compatriot Online Real Name Authentication" function. In January of this year, it also innovatively launched the "Taiwan Hong Kong Macao Special Zone", allowing compatriots in Rongtai, Hong Kong and Macao to enjoy the same convenient services as ordinary citizens.

Taiwanese compatriot Li Jingji: The "eFuzhou" app can be authenticated online, which is more convenient than before. Especially the "Taiwan Hong Kong Macao Special Zone" among them has a rich range of services that meet the needs of Taiwanese compatriots. Many tasks can be easily completed by simply clicking on "eFuzhou" with your phone, which is very convenient. "EFuzhou" is the standard configuration for Fuzhou citizens, and we in Rongtai also enjoy the same treatment and service. It feels like we are also Fuzhou citizens.

Fujian's Jinmen Water Supply Project has supplied nearly 29 million tons of water in total

We cannot ignore the water supply project from Fujian to Kinmen here. On August 5, 2018, the water supply project from Fujian to Jinmen was officially opened, and the vision of "one family on both sides, drinking the same river water together" has finally become a reality. Last month, on August 5th, the water supply project from Fujian to Jinmen had reached its fifth anniversary. In the past five years of water supply, Fujian has supplied nearly 29 million tons of water to the Jinmen Water Supply Project, with a daily average of 15800 tons, accounting for 73% of the total daily water supply of the Jinmen County Water Plant. The dependence of Jinmen's livelihood water on groundwater has decreased from 68.0% to 14.3%. Especially in the spring of 2021, when Jinmen was hit by a severe drought that occurred once in fifty years, Fujian increased its water supply to the Jinmen Water Supply Project, with a daily water supply of 25700 tons, setting a new high since the opening of water supply, helping the villagers of Jinmen overcome the rare drought. The concept of "sharing the same river water with both sides of the Taiwan Strait" has gone through more than 20 years from its proposal to its implementation, overcoming numerous difficulties, and reflecting the close relationship between the two sides, where blood is thicker than water.

Jinmen is located in the southern waters of Fujian Province, facing Jinjiang across the water, with the closest distance being only 5.6 nautical miles. Affected by the subtropical climate, Kinmen is warm with little rain, and water resources are extremely scarce. Local residents have been relying on groundwater for a long time, but excessive extraction of groundwater has caused seawater infiltration, and the problem of soil salinization is becoming increasingly severe. With the economic construction and tourism opening up in Kinmen, the local water consumption has been increasing year by year, and the supply-demand contradiction has become more prominent. Long term water shortage has led to serious outflow of population and industries in Kinmen. As early as the 1990s, the mainland proposed to divert water from Fujian to Kinmen, but due to the narrow confrontational thinking of the Taiwan authorities, there has been no progress in cross-strait water connections. Until 2013, the cross-strait two sessions reached a consensus to promote the diversion of water from the mainland to Kinmen. In 2015, Fujian and Kinmen officially signed a water supply project contract. According to the plan, the water supply source for Fujian to the Jinmen area comes from the Jinjiang River Basin in Quanzhou City, and is transported to Jinmen through submarine pipelines at the Weitou estuary. In October of the same year, the project officially started construction in Jinjiang, Fujian; In 2016, the underwater pipeline under the responsibility of Kinmen Construction Company also began construction. On August 5, 2018, the raw water extracted from Longhu Lake in Jinjiang, Fujian Province, passed through more than 20 kilometers of water transmission lines and flowed into the receiving pool next to the Tianpu Reservoir in Jinmen in less than a minute. The people of Jinmen finally used mainland water. In the spring of 2021, Taiwan experienced the most severe water shortage problem in decades, and Kinmen also faced drought. The mainland has further increased its water supply, and the daily water supply for the villagers in Jinmen has been fully guaranteed. The history of water shortage in Kinmen is gone forever, becoming a model of cross-strait communication. On February 20th this year, the Jinmen Water Supply Source Guarantee Project, one of the 150 major water conservancy projects in China, began construction in Jinjiang City, Fujian Province, with a total construction period of 41 months. After completion, a water supply guarantee system with "dual water sources, dual lines, and multiple adjustments" will be built for Jinjiang, Jinmen, and other places, significantly improving the water supply guarantee level for Fujian to Jinmen, and deepening the integration and development of the two sides.

Since the beginning of this year, cross-strait exchanges have rapidly heated up and maintained a good momentum

At the regular press conference held by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on the 13th, Chen Binhua, the spokesman, said that since this year, the mainland has timely optimized and adjusted the epidemic prevention and control measures involving personnel exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, and exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits in various fields have rapidly heated up with good momentum.

Spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Chen Binhua: Since the beginning of this year, we have timely optimized and adjusted the epidemic prevention and control measures related to personnel exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, promoted the resumption of the "Three Links" and direct flights between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, announced the resumption of team tours for Taiwanese residents to the mainland, and the exchange in various fields between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait has rapidly heated up, with a good momentum. The number of Taiwanese compatriots coming to mainland China in the first half of the year increased by 7 times compared to the same period last year. Especially after entering the summer vacation, cross-strait exchanges have become more lively, and the enthusiasm and enthusiasm of Taiwanese people to participate in cross-strait exchanges have increased. In mid to late September, multiple cross-strait cultural exchange activities will also be held. We sincerely welcome compatriots on both sides of the Straits to pay attention to relevant activities, participate in cultural exchanges across the Straits, and jointly inherit and carry forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture.