China's Xiamen city awaits BRICS summit in September

In 2016 Xiamen's GDP reached 378.4 billion RMB, an increase of 7.9 percent year-on-year. [Photo/People's Daily Online]

Host city's rising economic profile

Xiamen's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016 reached 378.4 billion RMB, an increase of 7.9 percent year-on-year, with per capita GDP of 96,536 RMB. New contractual foreign investments were worth 7.6 billion US dollars. The service sector accounted for 69.1 percent of Xiamen's economic growth. The city received 67.7 million domestic and overseas visitors, reaping in 96.8 billion RMB in tourism revenue.

Belt and Road connectivity

According to China's Belt and Road Initiative blueprint, Xiamen is set to become the strategic pivot city of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. With China (Xiamen)-Europe freight trains running along the Silk Road Economic Belt across Eurasia, Xiamen is conveniently connected to the Polish city of Lodz, the gateway to Eastern Europe, thus linking the Maritime Silk Road with the Onland Silk Route.