Jia Qinglin (C), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visits Fujian Benz Automotive Company in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 14, 2012. Jia made an inspection tour in Fujian Province from June 14 to 17. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)
XIAMEN -- China's top political advisor, Jia Qinglin, on Sunday called for more efforts from local authorities to speed up the construction of a coastal economic zone near Taiwan, a development which he said will improve cross-Strait cooperation.
Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, urged local enterprises to step up industrial upgrading and enhance innovation so as to make traditional industries more advanced and develop newly emerging industries.
Local governments should also boost the development of the marine economy and boost exploration of ocean resources, while efforts should be made to protect marine ecology, Jia said at the end of a four-day inspection tour of southeast China's Fujian province.
China's State Council, the cabinet, approved a guideline in 2009 to support local authorities in stepping up construction of the zone to the west of the Taiwan Strait.
Jia said its swift completion is important because it is a frontier for cross-Strait exchanges.
He urged the Fujian provincial government to make more efforts and contribute to peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and reunifying China's mainland and Taiwan.
