The National Development and Reform Commission has responded to the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone Industrial Development Guidance, stating that the State Council has approved the establishment of an inter-ministerial joint conference mechanism for the construction of the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone.

In addition, the roll-on/roll-off ship route between Pingtan and Taipei is scheduled to open in April this year. Pingtan has caught the attention of the public in the past month thanks to the release of its opening-up and development strategy.

The State Council replied to the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone Development Plan in November 2011, endowing Pingtan with 28 preferential policies in seven areas.

The guidance and conference mechanism show that the central government supports and is accelerating Pingtan's opening-up and development.

The guidance encourages Pingtan to develop high-tech, service, agriculture and tourism industries, said local observers.

Dramatic changes have taken place in Pingtan in the past three years. Its opening-up and development are proceeding smoothly.

The Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone was established in February 2010. In the last three years, great progress has been made in infrastructure construction, industrial project matching, special policy application, communication, cooperation, and cross-Straits transportation, said its administration committee.

With an investment of 100 billion yuan ($16.08 billion) over the past three years, the stimulation of infrastructure construction has played the largest role in Pingtan's development.

The Pingtan Strait Bridge and Yuxi-Pingtan Expressway, the main channel connecting Pingtan and the outside, opened to public in December 2010.

Other new projects that have opened include the No 1 passenger wharf and the city's main road network. The first-stage of the emergency water diversion project has also been completed.

A total of 52 high-quality industrial projects with a total investment of over 110 billion yuan have come to Pingtan, speeding up their development and construction.

As the first pilot zone in the mainland aiming at cross-Straits communication and cooperation, Pingtan is following a new cooperation pattern that has made significant breakthroughs.

For example, Pingtan has received more than 300 groups of political, economic, and cultural celebrities from Taiwan, a total of 3,500 people. Service has commenced for the Fujian-Taiwan One-Card No Roaming Service. The Strait Publishing House and the Employee Communication Center have also been established.

By the end of 2012, 85 Taiwan-invested enterprises have come to Pingtan, 19.5 times the number before the establishment of the pilot zone.

Haitan Street, where Taiwan products are sold, has begun to take shape. A community of Taiwan people is gradually forming. About 200 professionals have started businesses here.

"With the establishment of the zone, I firmly believe that Pingtan will attract more Taiwan people to invest here. It will become a demonstration area for cross-Straits cooperation," said Xue Qingde, a Taiwan businessman who has spent 10 years in Pingtan.

On Nov 30, 2011, the Straits ship sailed to Taichung for the first time, opening an express ship route between Pingtan and Taiwan.

To date, the Straits has transported about 120,000 passengers between Pingtan and Taiwan. Cargo transportation has also been initiated, reducing cargo delivery time between Taiwan and the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta to within 24 hours.

A trial voyage for a direct ship route between Pingtan and Taipei was successfully completed on Nov 30, 2012. The route will officially open soon. It is estimated that the route will transport 300,000 – 400,000 passengers this year.

Progress has also been made in administrative system reform, including projects aiming at improving people's well-being and port construction and management. Pingtan Port will be approved this year and start operation in the second half of the year.