File photo of the inauguration of the Cross-Straits Youth Startup Federation at the Taiwan Innovation Park, Pingtan, Fujian, June 14, 2015 [Photo/Chinanews.com]

The news portal Chinanews.com, on April 6 highlighted Pingtan's drastic growth in the past few years and reported that the area has developed from a barren island into a core area for cross-Straits cooperation.

The progress was the?result of a series of preferential policies issued by the central and provincial governments, such as the inauguration of Pingtan free trade zone.

According to local officials, the changes took place in four aspects:

1. Direct shipping routes linking Pingtan and Taiwan

Two direct shipping routes linking Pingtan and Taiwan cities of Taipei and Taichung have been developed. Statistics show that so far, tourists travelling across the Taiwan Straits via Haixia and Lina, two high-speed passenger liners shuttling between Taiwan and Pingtan, exceeded 450,000.

2. Cross-Straits data exchange

Now, Pingtan can receive electronic quarantine certificate from Taiwan via its cross-Straits inspection and quarantine center. The e-certificate contains information and a scan of the paper certificates issued by the Taiwan inspection and quarantine authority.

The center is the first of its kind on the Chinese mainland that have implemented dual data transformation on quarantine inspection with Trade-Van, a Taiwan service supplier.

3. Surge of cross-Straits trade

Over 4,800 batches of cargo were imported from Taiwan to Pingtan in 2015, which was about nine times the amount of the previous year. The petty trade with Taiwan has also thrived, with the total sales exceeding 700 million yuan ($108 million).

Local government?also announced 15 measures to boost the petty trade with Taiwan in August 2014.

4. Convenient customs clearance

Pingtan launched easier inspection and quarantine, registration, filing, and clearance procedures for local industries such as electronic information, new material and new energy. Those measures help enhance the area's important role in cross-Straits cooperation.