China/Taiwan commercial hub planned for Pingtan

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What Shenzhen has been to Hong Kong will be what Pingtai is to Taiwan, all in due course.

Construction full steam ahead.

Some facts about Pingtan:

China's 5th largest island
Distance to Taiwan: 150km on average, with the shortest 125km
250 billion yuan(some $40 billion) investment over 5 years, of which 150 billion earmarked for the 1st 3 years
5 ports built or to be built
1st 3.1-mile long sea spanning bridge nearly complete, another on the drawing board
6-lane expressway to the Mainland under construction
Highspeed rail link planned
Attracting 4000 high calibre people: 1000 from overseas, 1000 professionals and executives from Taiwan, 1000 cadres from Fujian province, and 1000 local cadres

By Bridget Borgobello
08:14 November 25, 2011

International architectural firm 10 Design has recently won the opportunity to master plan a 93-hectare (230-acre) waterfront central business district as part of a new development for Pingtan in China. Pingtan, being the closest Chinese island to Taiwan, is to be transformed into a new commercial hub in an effort to attract trade between the two sides of the Straits.

 

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[Defcon 1]

if this will be a part of china???? how does it affects taiwan?????

 

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Pingtan is China's fifth-largest island and almost twice the size of Hong Kong (image: 10 Design)

10 Design is working with educators, artists and manufacturers to explore and advance the island's sustainable development (image: 10 Design)

Roads and trams will be integrated along a series of terraced landscapes (image: 10 Design)

10 Design has come up with a futuristic model, including contemporary skyscrapers, theaters, convention and exhibition centers (image: 10 Design)

 

[amoy]

Not yet to be excited abt such a grandiose plan for Pingtan thing despite its closeness to Matsu under TW rule. Even though Mainland China allows it to be an Taiwanese enclave politically and economically TW administration has shown little interest up to date in the scheme, needless to mention Democratic Progressive (DDP) is very likely to overtake TW in the upcoming presidential election, by a slim margin. And DDP tends to alienate TW from Mainland politically while maintaining economic engagement (ECFA etc.) owing to overwhelming dependence on ML China

Whats practical for now may be advancing Xiamen - Kinmen as bridgehead for cross strait ties

 

[Ray]

Good going.

It will be a good for economy of China.

 

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Transforming Pingtan will be no small feat. The island, that is currently home to established sea farming and transportation industries, is China's fifth-largest island and almost twice the size of Hong Kong. The development includes a 4.99 km (3.1 mile) Pingtan cross-Straits bridge, ending the need for ferries, with a second cross-Straits bridge on the drawing board. An expressway connecting Pingtan and Fuzhou (shortening the journey to 1.5 hours) is also in the works, as are five new ports, including a 200,000-ton (181,437-tonne)-capacity port and two 300,000-ton (272,155-tonne) ports.

The Ten Design team has come up with a futuristic model for the island, including contemporary skyscrapers, theaters, convention and exhibition centers and an array of commercial and cultural facilities. Towards the center of the district will lie a newly-created freshwater lake, designed to conserve gray water collected from the local urban landscape.

Overall, the master plan hopes to see the creation of 3.3 million square meters (35.5 million square feet) of urban construction, with roads and trams to be integrated along a series of terraced landscapes. This will ultimately reduce the impact of traffic, whilst also providing safe and clear pedestrian routes. The waterfront will see a series of leisure attractions, with retail outlets lining the canals.

10 Design is now reportedly working with educators, artists and manufacturers to explore and advance Pingtan's sustainable development.

 

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if this will be a part of china???? how does it affects taiwan?????

Over 200 Taiwanese business delegations have visited the island over a short time span.

Over 200 Taiwanese firms, mostly high tech enterprises, have bought land or set up shop on the island, one of which is investing 7.3 billion yuan to make it the firm's global base of manufacturing.

It is envisaged that 1 million Taiwaneses, who have the same culture and speak the same local dialect, will work and live on the island by 2020.


High-speed Pasenger Ship to Connect China, Taiwan
Posted Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
A high-speed passenger ship connecting mainland China to Taiwan is ready for its maiden voyage.

Chinese official television showed images of the new ship "Haixia" and said the vessel will make its first trip Wednesday from Pingtan city in east China's Fujian province to Taichung in Taiwan, with 500 people on board.

Taiwan entrepreneur Jia Xiaocheng said the opening of a speedy route will improve business exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.

"We have 200 employees in the city of Fuqing, (with the establishment of the sea route), it's easier for people from Taiwan Region to travel here. It's also convenient for mainland employees to go to Taiwan."

The television report says "Haixia" can accommodate 260 vehicles and 760 people. Ticket prices range from less than $100 to almost $200. It says the customs office on China's side can process 800 people simultaneously.

Local official Gong Qinggai said there will be more direct passenger ships across the state in the future.

"It's economic and cozy to take the speedy Haixia. It can meet the demand of exchanges across the straits to a large extent. We hope there will be more ships, three or five possibly, to be the main channel of communication between both sides."

High-speed Pasenger Ship to Connect China, Taiwan « VOA Breaking News

Economic relations between China and Taiwan have improved since President Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008. The two sides split in 1949 after the communists took power in Beijing.

 

[asianobserve]

Good, this will be like Singapore and our country...

 

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There are 4 NEW AREAs in China, all modelled to some extent on Shenzhen and Pudong(of Shanghai), that are undegoing accelerated development and major transformation. They are the Binhai New District of Tianjin, the Liangjiang New District of Chongqing, the Xixian New Area of Xi'an and Xianyang， and the Pingtan Experimental Zone。

 

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City to open govt jobs to Taiwan residents
Updated: 2011-11-26 07:59
By Chen Xin and Hu Meidong (China Daily)

XIAMEN, Fujian - Authorities in Xiamen, a city in Fujian province, say they will consider hiring Taiwan residents for government jobs.

"We could do some trials to have Taiwan residents in our civil service on contract," said Yu Weiguo, Xiamen Party chief. "The positions that might be open might be those that have to do with economic and cultural exchanges between Xiamen and Taiwan."

Fujian, which faces Taiwan across the Straits, proposed the idea earlier this year.

The province will explore ways to allow Taiwan residents to work in the civil service and to take part in the management of social and public affairs, said an article that appeared on the Fujian Provincial Administration of Civil Service's website in May.

"Until now, no Taiwan resident has taken a government job in Fujian," said an officer in the Fujian Provincial Administration of Civil Service's position management office on Tuesday. "But we are considering offering some low-level positions, first on Pingtan Island, a test development zone," said the officer, who declined to give his full name.

Peng Weixue, a Taiwan studies expert at the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the mainland and Taiwan have taken to exchanging workers with each other more and more often. Still, it is not easy to include Taiwan residents in the mainland's civil service.

"Taiwan's laws forbid residents from taking government jobs on the mainland," he said. "Those barriers can be removed only if Taiwan authorities amend those laws."

Peng said Taiwan and Xiamen are seeing more cooperation and exchanges with each other.

Fujian, a place with many policies pertaining to Taiwan, already allows Taiwan residents who study in Fujian to stay there to work after they have graduated. Beyond that, the province started in 2009 to hire Taiwan residents for jobs in hospitals, public schools, regional investment-promotion organizations and other institutions affiliated with the government.

Unlike contract work, those positions carry more housing and other types of benefits.

Chen Ching-tsao, a 33-year-old resident from Taiwan, obtained a doctorate degree at Peking University and became a teacher at Xiamen University this past year.

"Such policies provide a fair way that Taiwan workers can compete with those on the mainland," he said. "Because of these policies, Taiwan students that study here can have more options when they graduate."

In July 2010, Fujian's labor authorities opened 15 jobs in institutions affiliated with the government to Taiwan workers. And in March, Xiamen opened six positions at hospitals and schools to Taiwan residents who obtain a master's degree from a mainland university this year.

Yu Weiguo said Xiamen will open even more jobs to workers from Taiwan in the coming years, especially as the economic and cultural ties between the two places become stronger.

This past year, Xiamen benefited from $340 million in investments from Taiwan. And more than 2,600 direct flights have occurred between Xiamen and Taiwan cities in the first nine months of the year, 88 percent more than had in the same period this past year.

China Daily

(China Daily 11/26/2011 page4)

 

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The "Haixia" High-speed Pasenger Ship Connecting Mainland China and Taiwan：

 

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The Haixia Hao Video
[video]http://www.tudou.com/v/pxHn5vhH0BQ/v.swf[/video]

 

[asianobserve]

The "Haixia" High-speed Pasenger Ship Connecting Mainland China and Taiwan：

Malaysia-Singapore bridge:

Seamless integration but no single soverignty.

 

[asianobserve]

Maybe this one is another good picture on the matter:

Shiny friendship venture...