More help for people from island to travel, work and start enterprisesEven though only a few customers go to Xiao Huang-biao's food stand each day, the native does not regret coming to the Chinese mainland to seek his fortune.
Xiao, 52, arrived on the mainland from his hometown of Kaohsiung five years ago. In 2012, heopened a snack stand selling southern food in Pingtan county, Fujian province, wherehis wife comes from.
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Xiao Huang-biao, a native, explains to a customer how some snacks are made at his food standon the fifth floor of a shopping mall in Pingtan county, Fujian province. AN BAIJIE / CHINA DAILY |
His idea of opening the snack stand stems from an advertisement he saw at a hotel in Pingtanin which the local government promised to introduce policies to support and encourage people to set up businesses in the county.
Pingtan county is the nearest place on the mainland to , being just 68 nautical milesfrom 's city of Hsinchu. It takes only two and a half hours to travel from the county toTaichung in since the cross-Straits route opened in late 2011.
In November that year, the State Council, China's Cabinet, approved a plan to establish acomprehensive experimental area in Pingtan. Under the plan, the central government wouldchannel funds into the county to attract investment and create a "paradise" for both and local people to live in.
Xiao said he benefited from some policies when he started the business. For example, he didnot have to pay rent for his 10-square-meter food stand — apart from an initial 10,000 yuan($1,600) fee.
About 20 percent of his sales income goes to government taxes, which he said is acceptable.
Xiao said he also appreciates efforts made by the local government, because some officialsusually lead tourist groups to eat at his snack stand, which is on the fifth floor of a shoppingmall in a sightseeing street.
Most of the food he serves comes from Kaohsiung to ensure genuine flavor, but that has raisedthe cost, he said.
Xiao said the monthly sales income is about 10,000 yuan at most — the sole income for hisfamily of three.
Even though the number of customers eating at his snack stand is not as many as heexpected, Xiao remains optimistic about his business.
He said the potential market on the mainland is more than in , where natural and humanresources are limited.
He said Pingtan county is undergoing massive infrastructure construction, so it was natural thattourist numbers would decline. "But I believe the situation will be better in several years."
Zhang Zhijun, newly appointed minister of the State Council's Affairs Office, said onFriday that mainland authorities will announce more policies to make it more convenient for people to travel, work and start businesses on the mainland.
"We will do more practical things and good things for the compatriots," he said, addingthat non-governmental exchanges will be stepped up.
Ties between the mainland and have been boosted in recent years, with cross-Straitstrade reaching a record high of $168.96 billion last year, according to the Affairs Office.
Nearly 69,000 mainland tourists visited during the Spring Festival holiday in earlyFebruary, about 30 percent more than last year, China News Service reported.
More efforts neededGong Qinggai, director of the administration committee of the Pingtan ComprehensiveExperimental Area, said the government invested 100 billion yuan from 2010 to 2012 toimprove the region's infrastructure.
It will invest another 50 billion yuan this year for infrastructure work, including road and bridgeconstruction, Gong said.
Another sea route between the mainland and will be opened this year, with thedestination being Taipei, the island's political center, he added.
Gong said the local government is encouraging the development of seven industries, includingthe high-technology, service, touri and marine sectors.
It had attracted 93 companies to invest in Pingtan as of late January to the tune of $186million, according to the county government.
But for Xiao, the food stand owner, the government's efforts are not so tangible.
"I dare not go to far-away places because there are few buses here, and the buses are alwaysdelayed for unknown reasons," he said.
He used to be charged 8 yuan by the driver of a local "black taxi" — an unlicensed motorcycletaxi — but later learned from his wife the fare should have been 5 yuan at the most.
"If you talk to the taxi driver in a local accent, you will be charged a fair price, otherwise you willbe charged more," he said.
He had planned to buy an electric bicycle, but abandoned the idea because he is unclearabout local traffic rules.
Feng Ting-kuo, a politician with 's People First Party, said mainland authorities shouldprovide better social services to attract investors.
"I have been to Pingtan seven times, but I couldn't watch any TV programs here," hesaid during a cross-Straits symposium in Pingtan on Friday.
"We vowed to jointly build a home for both mainland and people, so tell me why I can'treceive my hometown's TV programs when I am at this home?" he said.
Insufficient social services will deter people from investing or living on the mainland, hesaid.
Gong, the local official, said the government will continue to improve the investmentenvironment and make life more convenient for investors.
Yan Anlin, a researcher at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said economicrelations have become the most active area of cross-Straits ties, while there is still insufficientpolitical dialogue.
"The political issue has impeded further cross-Straits communication," he said. "Politicaldialogue should be started as soon as possible."
But Xiao said he knows nothing about politics and only wants to see more people coming to eatat his food stand.
He said cross-Straits ties have been continuously boosted in recent years, and he is sure theywill improve.
