A Treasure Map

By+Yu+Lintao

In ancient China， merchants shipped por- celain， tea， silk and other fine and precious commodities from southeast coastal ports to far-flung destinations in Southeast Asia， Europe and even Africa along the maritime Silk Road. In the same region today， containers piled high with electronic devices， fashionable clothing and household articles lie awaiting delivery to points around the globe. Against the backdrop of China becoming increasingly integrated into the world economy， the country has decided to revive the ancient maritime Silk Road.

This proposal was officially raised by Chinas top leadership at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee held last November. The plan has excited the ambitious managers of Chinese cities lying along the ancient maritime route. It has also aroused the interest of countries that may benefit from the Chinese strategy to boost their own economies.

In the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Mayor （Summit） Forum recently held in Fuzhou， capital of southeast Chinas Fujian Province， scholars and officials of cities from China and abroad shared their views on the significance and the best way of reviving this ancient route.

Wei Jianguo， Deputy Secretary General of China International Economic and Exchange Center （CIEEC）， said the economic size of China requires the country to shift its development strategy from continental bridge economy to marine economy. The marine economy referred to in this Chinese strategy is not simply acquiring of resources from the ocean， but rather the integration of the regional economy along the sea route.

According to Wei， the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road strategy aims to revive the shipping route and connect important cities of ASEAN， the EU， the Arab League and the African Union along the route to form a circle of common interests and win-win cooperation.

“With this strategy， the 97 port cities within the circle can all share the fruit of the peaceful development of China， benefiting people of the whole region，” said Wei.

Fuzhous role

The southeast coastal region has always been the frontier of Chinas opening up to the world. This time， the cities in the region once again immediately sensed new development opportunities.

yang yimin， Mayor of Fuzhou， said his city will strive to become a key port on the modern maritime Silk Road.

Fuzhou has a long history of overseas trade. Its Gantang Port， which has existed for 1，500 years， was mainly used to trade with East Asian and Arab countries.endprint

Being adjacent to both the yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta， the most dynamic economic regions in China， Fuzhou also possesses unique geographical advantages. As a port city， it has a sea area of 11，000 square km and 1，137 km of coastline， which contribute to a strong ocean economy. The Fuzhou Port is one of the 25 pivotal international ports of China.

yang said his city is building an interconnected traffic system with ASEAN countries， making Fuzhou a transferring hub for trade between Chinese inland regions and ASEAN countries.

A strong industrial base also provides Fuzhou with advantages in foreign trade and cooperation. It has established trade relations with about 217 countries and regions around the world thus far. Data from the Fuzhou Statistical Bureau show that， driven by the export rise of its electronic devices， machinery， energy and apparel， its foreign trade volume totaled $31.43 billion in 2013.

Fuzhou is also planning to expand cooperation in building industrial parks and marine cultivation bases in ASEAN countries.

Another advantage Fuzhou enjoys， according to the mayor， is the large number of Fuzhou natives living in Taiwan as well as overseas. For hundreds of years， many people from the area have moved overseas to make a living. At present， many of their descendants have become successful businessmen or entrepreneurs around the world， especially in Southeast Asia. These people offer important resources. “They can play a role as a bridge linking Fuzhou and foreign countries，” yang said.

Wei of the CIEEC said that as coastal provinces， although Guangdong and Zhejiang have their own respective advantages， Fujian enjoys more distinctive favorable conditions in terms of uniting efforts across the Taiwan Straits in implementing the maritime Silk Road strategy. It is one of the best opportunities for Chinas mainland and Taiwan Province to achieve winwin cooperation， said Wei.

Better connectivity

For cities and countries along the maritime Silk Road， Chinas ambitious plan promises not only comprehensive connectivity among regional players but also big opportunities for regional growth.

Thai King Tiong， Mayor of Sibu， a port city of Malaysia near the Strait of Malacca， showed great interest in Chinas proposal.

“Malaysia has a very favorable geographical advantage as it lies at a pivotal point of the maritime Silk Road. If we can make full use of it， our two countries can push a common development in trade， economy and civilization，” Tiong told Beijing Review.

Tiong hopes the two countries can offer each other more preferential policies， including tax preference， to promote bilateral investments. He noted the fleets of Fuzhou can play a larger role in promoting trade and economic cooperation between the two cities.

Mohammad Ibrahim Khalili， Mayor of Hashtgerd of Iran， said the modern maritime Silk Road can further enhance connections between regional countries， adding that such a network is a base for the development of human civilization and the core of coexistence among different countries.

As a coastal city in Iran， Hashtgerd is an important link between Iran and Europe. Its port served as an important transfer station to export silk to European countries in ancient times.

Khalili hopes his city can regain its vitality in the process of building the modern Silk Road.“Through this much-needed interconnection， we can reinvigorate civilization，” said Khalili.endprint