ASEAN Media Delegation of the "Reporting Trip" Visited Fuzhou

On 26 June 2015, ASEAN media delegation visited Fuzhou. It made site visits to Fuzhou Area of China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), Weimin Commune O2O Pavilion, the China-ASEAN Marine Product Exchange (CAMPE), and Fuzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Center. The delegates were interested in the roles of the above authorities and facilities in joint building the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” with ASEAN countries. Questions were raised and interviews were made to learn experience from the concerned officials and businesses.

Highlight of today’s visit was the ASEAN media delegates’ interview with Mr. Yang Yimin, Mayor of Fuzhou City. The Mayor briefed on the advantages and characteristics of Fuzhou, history of the City in relation to the ancient and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road as well as how the City was integrated into the “One Belt One Road” initiative and the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road”.

Fuzhou is the hub for trade with foreign countries as well as hub for the cultural exchange among the countries along the Maritime Silk Road. Mr. Yang also briefed on the City’s achievements as well as future programmes and activities to promote cooperation such as the convening of the Mayors’ Summit, International Film Festival, international meetings and conferences, etc.. He highlighted on Fuzhou’s cooperation with foreign countries, particularly with ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, etc.. The Mayor was committed to accelerating cooperation in various areas with ASEAN countries and other countries along the Maritime Silk Road. Fuzhou has been designated to be the location of the China-ASEAN Maritime Product Exchange. It also set up the 21st Century Maritime Fund to facilitate the cooperation between Fuzhou and foreign countries.

The Mayor received the interview and replied to many questions raised by the ASEAN media delegation, such as the priority of Fuzhou to promote cooperation with ASEAN, how to advance the advantages of Fuzhou in making joint cooperation projects with ASEAN countries and how to enhance the roles of overseas Chinese from ASEAN countries in Fuzhou, etc. He expressed his readiness to learn from advanced experience in some specific areas from ASEAN countries.

As a major city of history and culture, Fuzhou is the capital city of Fujian Province. It is among the first batch of coastal cities opened to the outside world and is a nation-wide famous hometown of overseas Chinese especially in ASEAN. Fuzhou, traditionally regarded as a starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, has been recently designated as the core area of the strategic hub city of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road".

In Fuzhou, the delegation was accompanied by H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Mr. Ding Xiaoming, Director-General-level Inspector of SCIO of China, Ms. Zhao Jun, Vice Editor-in-Chief of China Report, and Ms. Lada Phumas, Director of IPRD of ACC, and Mr. Huang Yulong, Assistant President of China Report.