Xiamen photo:VCG

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in East China's Fujian Province on Tuesday, highlighting achievements the SEZ has made, while calling for further efforts to promote high-quality development as well as cross-Straits integrated development.

Over the past 40 years, the Xiamen SEZ has achieved historic progress across a number of fields, made important contributions to the country's reform and opening-up and socialist modernization, and played a unique role in promoting the great cause of the reunification of the motherland, which fully proved that the strategic decision to establish a special economic zone is completely correct, read the letter.

In the letter, Xi also expressed hope that Xiamen will continue to comprehensively deepen reform and opening-up, promote high-quality development and boost cross-Straits integrated development.

The letter was read out at a gathering marking the anniversary in Xiamen.

The establishment of Xiamen SEZ was a great initiative delivered by the Party and the country in advancing reform and opening-up and exploring the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Vice President Wang Qishan said in a speech at the gathering.

Stocks related to the Fujian Free Trade Zone jumped following the congratulatory letter. Zhongfu Straits Pingtan Development Co's shares rose 4.5 percent at Tuesday's closing, while Xiamen International Airport Co's stocks were up 3.58 percent.

Over the past 40 years, Xiamen's economic output has grown at an average annual rate of 15 percent. In 2020, Xiamen's GDP reached 638.4 billion yuan ($100 billion), and its per capita GDP exceeded the threshold of $20,000, data from the local statistics bureau showed.

Given its close proximity to the island of Taiwan, Xiamen has also played a major role in promoting business cooperation between the mainland and the island.

"Over the course of Xiamen's development, the majority of businessmen and compatriots from China's Taiwan island are not only participants, witnesses, but also beneficiaries," Wu Jiaying, chairman of the Taiwan Businessmen's Association in Xiamen, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Wu was awarded the title of "advanced role model" during the gathering. "We have helped Xiamen's construction, and also luckily caught up the 'train' of rapid development of the motherland's reform and opening-up," Wu said.

More than 20 major enterprises from Taiwan have invested in the SEZ, with cumulative investment reaching $11.7 billion, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The industrial output value of Taiwan-funded enterprises accounts for about a quarter of the total industrial output of major companies in Xiamen.

"More big Taiwan firms are increasing their investment in Xiamen since the start of the year, which has witnessed significant year-on-year growth in terms of investment value," Wu said.

Taiwan's exports to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong rose to $17.14 billion in November, up 18.9 percent year-on-year, according to data released by the island's finance authorities. The mainland and Hong Kong remained Taiwan's biggest export destination, accounting for 41.2 percent of the island's total exports in November.