Fujian over past decade: going prosperous, going green

East China's Fujian province's gross domestic product (GDP) made strides by jumping over 2 trillion yuan ($279.02 billion), 3 trillion yuan, and 4 trillion yuan continuously since 2012, with an average annual growth rate of 8.1 percent.

In 2021, Fujian's GDP reached 4.88 trillion yuan, moving up to the eighth place nationwide, its general public budget revenue reached 574.4 billion yuan, growing 7.4 percent annually on average, and the per capita disposable income of its residents hit 40.659 yuan, ranking seventh nationwide, posting an average annual growth rate of 8.5 percent.

Over the past decade, Fujian has stepped up its efforts to boost scientific innovation. It is the largest hybrid rice production province in China, and has independently cultivated white-feather chicken broilers, and led the nation with aquaculture techniques for seafood cultivation. Also, the number of the province's high-tech companies exceeded 8,900 in 2021, increasing 4.8 times.

The real economy is a distinguishing development of Fujian. The added value of the manufacturing industry accounted for 34.2 percent of the province's total GDP.

Fujian has also been enhancing its digital economy, marine economy, green economy, and cultural and tourism economy. In 2021, its digital economy's added value exceeded 2.3 trillion yuan, accounting for 47.6 percent of the total GDP, and its marine economy's gross product exceeded 1.1 trillion yuan.

Over the past 10 years, Fujian has been insisting on coordinated development and has achieved more balanced urban and rural development. The province has been boosting the integrated development of Xiamen, Zhangzhou, and Quanzhou, developed the GDPs of Fuzhou and Quanzhou over 1 trillion yuan, and achieved an urbanization rate of 69.7 percent.

Fujian stands in the first tier among coastal areas in China for implementing opening-up policies. It is also a core area in the routes of the ancient maritime Silk Road and today's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Its trade volume with countries and regions involved in the BRI increased 8.4 percent annually on average, which shows that Fujian is forging ahead on the road to realize "buying and selling globally".

Fujian has also made strides in green development, balancing and promoting both economic development and environmental protection. With about 3 percent of China's population, 1.3 percent of its land and 2.9 percent of its energy consumption, Fujian has created 4.3 percent of the nation's total economic output.