Strong foundation with great growth potential

Fujian has seen 30 years of robust growth and is still one of coastal China's most rapidly growing economies, ranking high among other provinces in per capita GDP, household consumer spending, and market privatization. Its key economic indicators are as follows:

An economic output worth $276 billion, in 2011, putting it in 12th place among all of China's provinces in 2010, with a GDP that surpassed the provincial average by 5 percent.

A per capita GDP worth more than $7,456 annually, putting it in 7th place among all provinces and aer capita GDP above the national average by 14 percent, with sales of consumer goods reaching $97.9 billion in 2011, and a CPI that remains stable during periods of rapid GDP growth.

Preferential policies

Fujian province was one of the first provinces to carry out the opening-up and reform policies of the central government for re-integrating with the global economy in 1978, and its strategic development plan for the new century calls for a West Coast Economic Zone open to the outside world through coordinated development. This is a comprehensive regional economic zone reaching into surrounding areas, and connecting both sides of the Taiwan Straits. It has its own natural features and advantages and was recognized as a national strategy in 2005.

The city of Xiamen, one of Fujian's most important, became one of China’s four Special Economic Zones (SEZ), at the time, which allowed it and later other cities in the province to open up large parts of the economy to foreign investment at an early date. Now, more than 30 years later, the central government has again chosen Fujian as a special development zone whose purpose is to integrate with Southeast China and the greater Asia-Pacific region.

The nation’s 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2016) calls for high-level policy support for Fujian for development in the following ways:.

1. Pilot cross-Straits cooperation program with Fujian being given special authority to experiment with increasing cross-Straits integration, with Xiamen and Pingtan used as cooperative districts in the economic and social spheres.

2. Greater infrastructure investment to link regional hubs via state-of-the-art rail, air and port facilities.

3. Develop a globally competitive industrial center focusing on high-value products in the electronics and industrial equipment sectors.

4. Build a strong cultural and outdoor tourism sector by capitalizing on the environmental resources and strong green province record.