By YI FAN

TAIWAN businessman Zhuang Bingyao walks around his 600 mu (1 mu = 1/15 hectare) orchard, paying particular attention to the Taiwan strain of Indian jujube. He explains, “Fujian has a climate similar to Taiwan’s, but with a broader temperature range. The jujube planted here is sweeter.”

Zhuang is deputy general manager of the Hongkuan Strait Agricultural Experiment Co. Ltd., a modern agricultural experiment base whose total investment volume stands at 110 million yuan. Twenty strains of guava, Indian date, star fruit, pitaya, and mango are cultivated in this orchard. In March 2000, the company was awarded the “Fujian-Taiwan Agricultural Cooperation and Exchange Demonstration Project.”

Facing Taiwan across the straits, Fujian is the ancestral home of 80 percent of Taiwan people. Transfers of Taiwan agricultural industries to the Chinese mainland in the 1980s marked the start of Fujian-Taiwan agricultural cooperation.

In 1997, two Cross-Straits Agricultural Cooperation Experimental Zones were established in Fuzhou and Zhangzhou respectively. They provide a perfect platform for cross-straits agricultural exchanges and cooperation. To date, the experimental zones have introduced 1,194 Taiwan-funded agricultural projects, with contractual utilization of Taiwan capital amounting to US $17.9 billion. They are ideal investment territories for Taiwan businesspeople, and play a key role in cross-straits agricultural cooperation that has brought huge benefits to both sides.

Fuzhou Experimental Zone

In 1984, the State Council permitted 14 coastal cities to open to foreign investors. Fuzhou was one of them. As capital of Fujian Province, Fuzhou is a famous historical and cultural city and commodity distribution center. It stands at the forefront of cross-straits trade. Since its establishment, the experimental zone has introduced 830 overseas funded agricultural projects, with contractual utilization of overseas investment amounting to US $930 million.

Characteristic, deep-processed and pollution-free vegetables are the highlight of Fuzhou’s agricultural development. The Hongkuan Straits Agricultural Experiment Co., Ltd. and Fujian Sanhua Modern Ecological Agricultural Garden are two major enterprises cultivating such vegetables.

There are many Taiwan funded enterprises in the Fuzhou experimental zone. Liu Meihui is chairman of the board and general manager of the Changle Huiweng Planting and Breeding Comprehensive Development Co., Ltd. Rather than inherit and run her family’s business in Hong Kong, she decided to contract 3,000 mu of barren hillsides to plant longan, olive, mango, and loquat. These fruit trees help retain moisture in the soil and also fertilize it.

Fuqing City in the experimental zone has developed pig production that ranks first in Fujian, in terms of both scale and output value. One of the biggest pig producers in China, Fuqing has 796 private hog farms, contributes 70 percent of Fuzhou’s daily pork supply and provides 2,000 pigs monthly to the Hong Kong market. An example of Fujian-Taiwan agricultural cooperation, Fujian Shuangfu Purebred Swine Farm takes the lead in Fujian’s pig raising industry.

Leading enterprises in the experimental zone are engaged in vegetables, fruits, and pig raising. Since its establishment, the pilot district has introduced 130 fine flora and fauna varieties from Taiwan. Fuzhou’s agriculture has since achieved optimized structure and improved quality.

Zhangzhou Experimental Zone

Zhangzhou is a main ancestral home to Taiwan compatriots. Both its climate and soil are similar to those of Taiwan, making it top choice as site of the Taiwan agricultural industries’ transfer to the Chinese mainland. Establishment of the Zhangzhou Cross-Straits Agricultural Cooperation Experimental Zone further promoted Zhangzhou-Taiwan agricultural cooperation.

Frost-free and with spring weather all year round, the Zhangzhou experimental zone is an ideal place for subtropical fruit, flower, and tea production. To date, 760 Taiwan-funded agricultural projects have been approved. Contractual utilization of Taiwan capital amounts to US $1.276 billion and actual utilization stands at US $635 million.

The island of Dongshan County is familiar to older people as location of the popular movie Haixia made in 1975. In 1990, Dongshan began introducing fine abalone and asparagus varieties from Taiwan. Its annual abalone production of 1,200 tons makes it China’s biggest abalone production base. During this ten-year cooperation with its Taiwan counterpart, Dongshan has developed into an abalone island.

Asparagus introduced from Taiwan has been further improved in Dongshan, and a large number of farmers have made a fortune from this lucrative product.

The Taiwan-funded Tianfu Group, established by Taiwan merchant Li Ruihe in Zhangpu County, Fujian Province in 1993, is a multi-producing tea group that engages in manufacture, marketing, research and cultivation. It has 520 domestic and international chain stores and is one of the world’s biggest tea sales networks. Li also established the Tianfu Tea Garden, a tea production base in Sichuan Province, whose aim is to vitalize the local tea industry and bring Sichuan tea to the world.

Li considers tea a culture rather than a business, having masterminded the building of China’s famous tea museum in Zhangpu. In this tastefully decorated tea cultural center can be found teas from every corner of the world, along with poems celebrating this restorative beverage and the chance to observe the ancient tea ceremony.

Longhai City in the pilot district is also ideal investment territory for Taiwan businessmen and has created a warm and friendly investment atmosphere. Longhai is the biggest area with the highest concentration of Taiwan-invested projects in Fujian.

Taiwan fresh soya beans are a new strain of the popular fresh soya bean family. Since being introduced to Longhai by Chengxi Farm, this green and pollution-free vegetable has created job opportunities and improved farmers’ incomes.

A good investment environment is the biggest lure for Taiwan businessmen to Fujian, many of whom have lived here for a decade. They are disappointed that Taiwan and China’s mainland have yet to realize the “Three Direct Links,” and are eager to witness peaceful reunification, closely followed by convenient cross-straits economic exchanges.