Filipinos in Xiamen
By the end of 2008, there are approximately 580 documented Filipinos in Fujian province, mostly professionals working as company managers, engineers, doctors, architects and teachers. Others are entrepreneurs/businessmen, entertainers and students specializing in Chinese language.

There are three Filipino community organizations under Post’s jurisdiction: Filipino Association in Xiamen (FAX), Filipinos in Quanzhou (FINCH) and Filipinos in Fujian (FIF).  Although they are not officially registered with the host government owing to restrictions of Chinese civil law on the establishment of private organizations both by expatriates and local private individuals, the Foreign Affairs Office of Xiamen Municipal People’s Government tolerates its existence.
FAX, FINCH, and FIF are fully recognized by this Post and have been active and supportive of all activities related to Filipino community affairs.

Philippines-Xiamen Cultural Ties

• Fujian Province is a well-known hometown of overseas Chinese.  About 85% of Filipino-Chinese in the Philippines trace their roots to Fujian, particularly to the cities of Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, and Shishi.  Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal traces his ancestry in Jinjiang City.

Sixto Mercado Tiongco Yap, known as General Ye Fei, was born in Quezon Province and became a governor of Fujian province.  He is considered one of China’s heroes.

A number of Filipino political leaders are of Chinese ancestry.  Senator Nikki Coseteng’s grandfather was a mayor of Xiamen city in the early 1930’s.  Some Filipino industrialists and bankers like Lucio Tan, John Gokongwei, George Ty, and Eduardo Conjuangco also have Chinese ancestry.

• The groundbreaking of the Chinese-Filipino Theme Park where a statue of Dr. Jose P. Rizal is erected was held in Jinjiang City during the state visit of H.E. President Joseph Ejercito Estrada on 19 May 2000.  The park further contributes to deeper cooperation and greater enhancement of friendly relations between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China.

• Sister-City relations between Xiamen City and Cebu City have been active and strong.  Exchanges between the two cities have intensified people-to-people contacts and promoted the understanding and friendship between Cebu City and Xiamen City.

• Sister-Province relations of Bohol Province and Jiangxi Province have been established during the signing of the 2006 Framework Agreement between the two provinces. During the visit of Jiangxi Vice Governor, Madame Xie Ru and her delegation to Bohol, the two provinces expressed their desire to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of agriculture, tourism, mining industry, culture and education.

Economic Relations
The total trade volume between the Philippines and Xiamen for 2008 reached US$761.32 million Xiamen imports (RP exports) amounted to US$320.25 million down by 37.31% while Xiamen exports (RP imports) reached US$414.06 million with an increased rate of 19.82%. Major commodities exported by Xiamen were raw materials, aquatic products, textiles, yarns, umbrellas, garments and accessories while imported products include, among others, nickel ores and nickel concentrate, integrated circuit, microelectronic spare parts, automatic data processing equipment and its spare parts and iron ores.

According to Chinese government data, in 2008, there are 179 Philippines-funded projects in Xiamen City, with a total contracted foreign investment amounting to US$353 million.  Philippine investments in Xiamen include real estate, warehouse trading, entertainment, garments, electronics, machinery, food and furniture industry

Major investments in Xiamen include the following:

• SM City Mall Xiamen (existing since 2001) and the new SM Lifestyle Center (under construction);
• Robinson’s Mall and Residences (under construction);
• Eton Properties: Bank Center
• Xiamen Hua Hui real Estate Development Co. Ltd. (US$23.87 million)
• Hai Tian Real Estate (US$13.2 million)
• Gui Feng Real Estate (US$12.5 million)
• Xiamen Gao Zheng Plastics Industry Co. Ltd. – plastic film manufacturing (US$5 million)
• Xiamen Ying Ge Sanitary Ware Co. Ltd. – construction and sanitary ceramics manufacturing (US$6 million)
• Jie Ying Garment Manufacturing, Xiamen – garment design manufacture and processing (US$5.9 million)
• Delta Lighting (Xiamen) Industry Co. Ltd. – electronics manufacturing (US$5 million)

General Information
Province:     Fujian
Territory:      1569.3 square kilometers
Population:  2.33 million
Climate:          Subtropical, generally mild and temperate. Average annual temperature is 21° C. Winter is not harsh while summer is free from extreme heat. Annual rainfall is about 1200mm, mainly concentrated during the months of May and August.

Political System and Structure
Administrative Divisions:
All six (6) sub-municipal entities in Xiamen are districts Siming, Huli, Jimei, Haicang, Tong'an and Xiang'an, whereas other Fujian municipalities have mixed districts and counties.

Leaders of Xiamen Municipal Government:
Party Secretary:
Hon. He Lifeng

Mayor:
Hon. Liu Cigui

Vice Mayors:
Mr. Ding Guoyan, Mr. Pan Shijian, Mr. Zhan Cangzhou, Ms. Huang Ling, Mr. Ye Zhonggeng, Mr. Guo Zhenjia, Mr. Pei Jinjia

Xiamen City is one of the five economic special regions in China. The establishment of Xiamen City as an administration unit can be traced back to the Song Dynasty.  In Chinese history, Xiamen had always been an important trading port on the southeast coast of China.

Xiamen is situated on the southeast coast of Fujian province, southeast of China across Taiwan Straits facing Quemoy Island and Taiwan midpoint between Hong Kong and Shanghai. 695 nautical miles away from Shanghai, 170 nautical miles from Kaoshiung, 287 nautical miles from Hong Kong, 816 nautical miles from Nagasaki, 1,650 nautical miles from Singapore and 677 nautical miles from Manila.

Known as "China's coziest city" Xiamen has a pleasant climate, scenic views, and clean environment. As testimony to this, Xiamen has received several foreign and domestic awards which include: 2004 UN Habitat Award; Gold Medal at the "International Nations in Bloom" competition in Stuttgart, Germany; "National Sanitary City"; "National Garden City"; "National Model City for Environmental Protection"; "National Excellence in Tourism"; "National Top 10 Most Livable Cities"; and "National Habitat Award".

Xiamen has several foreign sister cities such as: Cardiff (UK), Sasebo (Japan), Cebu (Philippines), Baltimore (USA), Wellington (New Zealand), Penang (Malaysia), Maroochy Shire (Australia), Kaunas (Lithuania), and Guadarazala (Mexico).

Economic Information
Xiamen was one of the first five special economic zones (SEZ) in China and one of the few municipalities enjoying independent status in state economic planning.   It enjoys provincial level autonomy and local legislative power in economic administration.

Xiamen has become one of the most important ports in China for international trade and cross-Straits trade. Two nationwide investment promotion events are annually held in Xiamen, "China International Fair for Investment and Trade" and "China Xiamen Machinery and Electronics Exhibition".

At present, Xiamen is building four major logistics parks, namely Dongdu-Xiangyu-Airport Logistics Park, Haicang Logistics Park, Xinlin Logistics Park and Liuwudian Logistics Park.

Statistics on the Economic Performance of Xiamen City

In 2008, Xiamen’s GDP amounted to RMB¥156 billion with a growth rate of 11.1%, RMB¥70.5 billion or 45% of which came from the Industrial Added Value. Its total fiscal revenue reached RMB¥41 billion with a growth rate of 17.7%.  The Gross Industrial Output of Xiamen City totaled RMB¥304.2 billion, up by 10% over the previous year.

Foreign Investment
By the end of 2006 the number of foreign direct investment reached to 7,554 with paid up foreign capital amounting US$15.63 billion.  Out of the global Fortune 500 companies, 38 have invested 67 projects in Xiamen with a total foreign investment of USD1.93 billion.  Well known foreign investors who invested in Xiamen include Dell, Kodak, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Marubeni, Matsushita, Toshiba, Philips, ABB, Areva, GE, Honeywell, Boeing, United Technologies, NEC, Sanyo, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, Itochu, Walmart, and many more.

In 2007, trade between Xiamen and Taiwan reached USD 3.04 billion (an increase of 40.6% over 2006) of which Xiamen exported USD 510 million (an increase of 8.8%) and imported USD 2.53 billion (an increase of 49.5%). Taiwan is Xiamen's biggest source of import and eighth largest export destination.

• The Xiamen Special Economic Zone (SEZ)

The Xiamen SEZ was set up in 1980.  It became the first patented technology zone in China. It provided services for firms including patent applications, research-development and production. The SEZ, with Xiamen Island as the center, has industrial production as its mainstay and science and technology as the vanguard of economic development along with an advanced tertiary industry.
Since the setup of the Xiamen SEZ, Xiamen has taken advantage of its favorable geographic location and the preferential policies granted by the Central Government to further build up its strength as a port city.  Xiamen has now established trade relations with 180 countries worldwide. Currently, there are more than 1,500 Taiwanese enterprises setting up in the zone.  

• Xiamen Haicang Investment Zone

The Xiamen Haicang Investment Zone was approved by the State Council in 1989.  It mainly engages in export-oriented, multifunctional, comprehensive industrial and seaport area. In order to speed up the development in Haicang, Haicang investment and construction was set up for coordination of investment in the zone.

• Xiamen Haicang Bridge

As a national key project, Haicang Bridge is the first super-scale 3-span suspension bridge with steel box beams, in China. The project started on 18 December 1996 with a total investment of RMB 2.87 billion.
Haicang Bridge is the second gateway connecting Xiamen with the mainland. It is a high-grade two-highway bridge with 6 lanes.  It extends 5926.527 meters. The main suspension bridge is 1108 meters in length with the key span extending 648 meters. The completion of the Haicang Bridge added a new landmark to Xiamen, a modern international scenic seaport and tourist city.  It gives large impetus to the development of Haicang and Xinlin Investment Zones, promoting economic development in Xiamen.

Industry Profile

• Manufacturing of electronics, machinery, chemicals are the pillar industries. Food processing, textiles, tobacco processing, paper-manufacturing, plastics production, beverage production, pharmaceuticals, construction materials and rubber processing are also significant sectors.
• Tourism, commerce, telecommunications and real estate complement this manufacturing industry.

Infrastructure and Financial Services
Xiamen’s Gaoqi International Airport is a modern international airport with sixty (60) domestic and six (8) international links. It is a first-class port, the fifth biggest in China and has links with 60 other ports in over 40 countries and regions.  Railways and highways connect Xiamen to other parts of China.  Postal and telecommunication facilities are relatively advanced. Industrial layout in the city is well defined and public facilities are well managed.

Xiamen Port is one of the top ten in China.  There are 81 berths of big, medium or small tonnage, including 16 deep-water berths, of which 6 can accommodate containers of over 10, 000 tonnages.  At present, Xiamen’s navigation routes are open to Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Kaoshiung and Singapore, Mediterranean Sea, Europe and America.

There are more than 600 financial institutions in operation in Xiamen. Apart from the state-owned commercial bank, Sino-foreign joint venture "Xiamen International Bank", and solely foreign-funded "Xiamen City Commercial Bank", overseas banks such as Jiyou Bank(HK), East Asia Bank (HK), Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd.(HK), United Overseas Bank (SGP), Overseas Chinese Bank (SGP), Bank of Orient (USA), Standard Chartered Bank (USA), Lyonnais Bank (France), Calyon Bank (France) ING Bank (Netherlands), Allied Bank (Philippines), Bangkok Bank (Thailand), Hang Seng Bank (HK), Citibank (USA) etc. have all established branches in Xiamen.

General Information
Capital: Fuzhou City
Territory:      121,400 square kilometers
Population:  35.81 million
Climate:          Subtropical oceanic monsoon climate with warm weather and plenty of rainfall. Temperatures range between 17°C and 21°C

Political System and Structure
Administrative Divisions:
Divided into nine (9) municipalities: Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Putian, Sanming, Nanping, Longyan and Ningde with 84 counties (or cities at county level) and districts

Leaders of Fujian Provincial Government:

Party Secretary:
Lu Zhangong

Governor:
Huang Xiaojing

Vice Governors:
Liu Dezhang, Wang Yifu, Chen Yun, Wang Meixiang, Ye Shuangyu, Li Chuan, Su Zengtian

Fujian Province, also known as Min, is situated in China’s southeastern coastal area, facing Taiwan across the Straits.  Fujian is the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk route.

In the Qin Dynasty, Min-Zhong Prefecture was set up in this area. In the early Han Dynasty (202 BC), Min-Yue State was created.  In 733 AD, Kaiyuan Region of the Tang Dynasty, an official post of Fujian-Jinglue-Shi was established. From then on the name Fujiancame into being.  During the South Song Dynasty, the administration in Fujian was divided into one Fu, five Zhous, and two Juns, which were all of the same official rank. Thus, Fujian is called Eight Min.

Economic Information
The economy of Fujian has witnessed rapid development in the twenty years since China adopted opening and reform policies. As a result, Fujian has set up economic and trade links with over 170 countries and regions.

Statistics on the Economic Performance of Fujian Province

Fujian province will be the major economic beneficiary of the opening up of direct transport with Taiwan which commenced on December 15, 2008.  This includes direct flights from Taiwan to major Fujian cities such as Xiamen and Fuzhou. In addition, ports in Xiamen, Quanzhou and Fuzhou will upgrade their port infrastructure for increased economic trade with Taiwan.

Fujian's GDP for 2008 is RMB¥929.475 billion (US$146 billion). It will soon join a group of provinces and municipalities with more than a trillion yuan GDP.

Industrial Capacity
Agriculture still plays an important role in the Fujian Province.  Rice is the main crop, supplemented by sweet potatoes and wheat and barley. Cash crops include sugar cane and rapeseed. Fujian leads the provinces of China in longan production, and is also a major producer of lychees and tea. Seafood is another important product, with shellfish production especially prominent.

In volume terms, Fujian is the second largest producer of aquatic products in 2007, only after Guangdong. In 2007, heavy industry accounted for 52% of the total industrial value-added while light industry took up the rest.

Foreign Trade
Major export markets included the US, Japan and Hong Kong.  Hong Kong was the third major export market of Fujian in 2007.  Fujian’s exports to Hong Kong increased by 17.4% in 2007 to US$3.6 billion. Fujian’s major export items included mechanical & electrical products, automatic data processing equipment, clothing and accessories and footwear etc.

Major import goods included mechanical & electrical products, liquid crystal television, integrate circuit etc. Major import sources included Japan, the US and Malaysia. Fujian’s import from Hong Kong stood at US$138 million in 2007.

Foreign Investment
Fujian recorded continued increase in inflow of FDI in recent years. Hong Kong is the largest source of FDI in Fujian, accounting for 41.9% of the province’s utilized FDI in 2007. Philippines, US and Singapore are other major investment sources.

Communication & Telecommunications
There are currently four- (4) airports in Fujian Province: Xiamen-Gaoqi International Airport; Fuzhou-Changle International Airport; Wuyishan Airport and Jinjiang Airport. An expressway connecting Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Shantou and Hangzhou is already in use while extensive and efficient railroads provide convenient mass transportation. The two major ports along the coast of Fujian Province: Fuzhou Port and Xiamen Port secure maritime links with more than sixty (60) international ports worldwide.

The networks for mobile communication such as cell phone and pager, fixed-line telephone, digital data transmission and multi-media telecommunications are all accessible through the whole province. Program-controlled telephone switching systems are available in all cities at county level and above.  Internet has also been widely used in major cities as well as the rural areas.

Education, Science & Technology
The Fujian Provincial Government had instigated a nine-year compulsory education plan throughout the whole province. There are 33 institutions of higher education and 16 polytechnic colleges.  In addition, there are 3,007 high schools and 13,664 primary schools.

Fujian has seven (7) hi-tech development zones: two at the national level, five at the provincial level.  It has one national software development area.  Apart from these, there are 530 research institutes of all types and 511 hi-tech enterprises.  In 2002, 6,521 patent rights were approved throughout the province, which ranked 8th in the country.

Cultural Aspects
Min Opera, Puxian-Xi, Liyuan-Xi, Gaojia-Xi and Xiang Opera constitute the five major local operas in Fujian.  Furthermore, there are over 20 minor operatic folk shows in Fujian Province.

Fujian has 93 art ensembles, 82 theatres, 80 museums, 10 art galleries, 80 cultural halls, 82 libraries, 10 TV networks, 10 radio stations, 66 newspaper publications and 186 magazine publications.

There are about 1,200 gymnasiums and stadiums.  The Fujian Provincial Sports Center accommodates a 30,000 seating capacity.  The design of Xiamen Sports Center is based on the model of the Beijing Olympic Center.  In 2002, athletes from Fujian won four gold medals in international events and took the first place in ten Asian events.

Environmental Protection and Public Health
Great attention has been paid to environmental protection in Fujian Province. There are 64 nature reserves, six of them at national level.  In 2002, 90.34% of industrial wastewater, 92.41% of waste gas and 95% of industrial wastewater underwent treatment and passed environmental standards.

Fujian Province boasts 9,765 public health institutions of various kinds, including 1,331 hospitals and clinics, and 101 sanitation and anti-epidemic stations. Seven municipalities have set up First-Aid stations at the provincial level.

International Exchanges
Over the past 20 years, a multi-level pattern of opening-up has taken shape in Fujian Province. Fujian has established contacts with the rest of the world through the fields of economics, culture, education and human resources.  Delegations led by heads of state and government, as well as officials of various levels have visited Fujian Province.

General Information
Capital: Nanchang City
Territory:      166,900 square kilometers
Population:  43.7 million
Climate:       Subtropical. Average temperatures are about 3 - 9 °C in January
and 27 - 31 °C in July

Political System and Structure
Administrative Divisions:
Divided into 11 prefecture-level divisions, all of them prefecture-level cities: Fuzhou;Ganzhou;Ji'an;Jingdezhen;Jiujiang;Nanchang;Pingxiang;Shangrao;Xinyu;Yichun; Yingtan

Leaders of Jiangxi Provincial Government:

Party Secretary:
Su Rong

Governor:
Wu Xinxiong

Jiangxi also known as “Gan” Province is located along the southern banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south. Jiangxi borders Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to the northwest.

A hinterland to Yangtze River Delta, Zhujiang River Delta, and Southeast Fujian Delta, Jiangxi is the only province that adjoins the three areas in China, and serves as the gate to central China in the southeast coastal area.

Economic Information
Rice is the dominant crop in Jiangxi. Cash crops commonly grown include cotton and rapeseed.

Jiangxi is rich in mineral resources, leading the provinces of China in deposits of copper, tungsten, gold, silver, uranium, thorium, tantalum, niobium, among others. Noted centers of mining include Dexing (copper) and Dayu County (tungsten).

Jiangxi possesses 94 industrial parks and three zones for export processing. With an advantageous geographic location and abundant natural resources, Jiangxi is a hot place for domestic and overseas investment. More than 10,000 investors have established their businesses here. Foreign investment has remained the first in five consecutive years among the six provinces in Central China

Statistics on the Economic Performance of Jiangxi Province

Foreign Trade
In 2007, major export markets included the US, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan. Major exports included textile materials and products, chemical and related products, base metals and related products.

Chile was the leading source of imports, followed by Peru and the US in 2007. Major imports included minerals, base metals and related products.

In 2007, Hong Kong was Jiangxi's 3rd largest trading partner, Jiangxi's exports to Hong Kong reached US$616 million and imports from Hong Kong reached US$63 million.

Foreign Investments
Among the world's largest 500 enterprises, 30 have already established presence in Jiangxi by the end of 2007, these include Pepsi Cola, Walmart Toshiba, Metro etc. The Nanchang-Jiujiang Industrial Corridor which is situated along the Nanchang-Jiujiang Expressway has become a popular spot for foreign investment.

In 2007, there were 867 newly approved foreign invested projects, with contracted amount of US$5,446 million, mainly engaged in manufacturing (82.6% of the total utilized amount) and real estate (9.6%).

Hong Kong is the largest source of foreign direct investment in Jiangxi. In 2007, Hong Kong investors signed 558 contracts (64.4% of the total) with a US$3,307.8 million contracted amount of investment (60.7% of the total). The utilized investment from Hong Kong amounted to US$1,789 million in 2007(57.6% of the total). Other major investors came from Taiwan and the US.

Culture
Jiangxi is the main area of concentration of the Gan varieties of Chinese, spoken over most of the northern two-thirds of the province. Examples include the Nanchang dialect, Yichun dialect and Ji'an dialect. The southern one-third of the province speaks Hakka. There are also Mandarin, Hui, and Wu dialects spoken along the northern border.

Although little known outside of the province, Jiangxi cuisine is rich and distinctive. Flavors are some of the strongest in China, with heavy use of chili peppers and especially pickled and fermented products.

Jiangxi also was a historical center of Chan Buddhism.

Education
At present, there are nearly 700,000 students in more than 60 universities and colleges in the province. The urbanization rate in the province has reached 38.68 percent. Subsistence allowances and medical assistance have covered both urban and rural residents with special difficulties. Policies of cooperative medical care system, exemption of tuition and general fees in compulsory education, as well as special aid to the students, have been carried out throughout the province.

Environment
Jiangxi is an ideal place both for living and business. Provincial forest coverage reaches 60.05 percent, ranking second in China. Water area of the province is 25 million mu, placing third in the nation. Jiangxi's fresh water quality is excellent and ranks first in China. There are three national ecological model zones, five national nature reserves, 11 national scenic spots, 14 national forest parks, and 136 provincial natural reserves in the province. Blue mountains and green waters form an oasis where a harmonious and balanced development between humans and the nature is achieved.

Transportation
Jiangxi enjoys a convenient transportation. Shanghai-Kunming and Beijing-Kowloon Railways cross the province. Six trans-provincial expressways have been put into operation. There are five civil aviation airports in such cities as Nanchang, Jiujiang, Jingdezhen, Ganzhou, and Ji'an, serving for dozens of domestic and international airlines.  With all major arteries being converted to expressway, the mileage of expressways in the province total more than 2,200 kilometers. The five civil aviation airports have opened up dozens of domestic and international air routes. These expressways and air routes, together with crisscrossing railways, water ports in Nanchang and Jiujiang, have formed in the province a convenient water-land-air transportation network.