Center to provide mainland services for Taiwan residents

The Chinese mainland's first maritime affairs and customs service center for compatriots and enterprises from Taiwan was founded on March 13 in Quanzhou, a coastal city in East China's Fujian province, to provide more comprehensive and considerate services to Taiwan residents and companies.

Wang Feng, deputy director of Quanzhou Maritime Safety Administration, said the local customs and maritime administrations have opened special counters in the center, and more government departments will soon join them to offer services to Taiwan compatriots and enterprises in the months to come.

The center provides a series of centralized services for Taiwan compatriots and enterprises, focusing on government service appointments, mediation of disputes involving Taiwan enterprises and consultation on the "Mini Three Links" passenger and freight transportation route, he added.

The Mini Three Links refers to small-scale trade, shipping and postal services between Fujian province and Kinmen and Matsu islands.

"The center will continuously expand its service projects and scopes, and provide more comprehensive guarantees and better services for Taiwan compatriots who invest, do business, work, live and study in the city, according to their actual needs," he said.

According to Wang, with the help of the local maritime administration, the Taiwan-funded Hudson Yacht Group has obtained entry and exit port permits for six newly built yachts and has exported them to countries such as Australia and the United States, as well as Southeast Asian nations, since 2022.

Hudson Yacht Group, which operates from Shijing township in Nan'an city, has actively approached maritime, customs and related departments in recent years, requesting safety guarantees and policy assistance for the trials of its new yachts, Wang added.

Hong Sek-chin, president of the Nan'an Fellowship Association, said his association has 75 member companies, and they have strong demand for services in dealing with port affairs and Taiwan policy consultation.

"Heavy fog often breaks out in the area of the Quanzhou-Kinmen passenger terminal in the morning, affecting normal ferry services between Fujian and Kinmen. Many Taiwan people have been calling us to learn about the latest ferry service schedules and related information to avoid missing the ferry," Hong said.

The center will be able to provide Taiwan residents and companies with more useful information and channels to solve their problems when more government departments and units have settled in the center in the following months, he said.

Located opposite the city's passenger ferry terminal, the center offers various facilities such as tea, coffee, mobile phone charging and Wi-Fi.