The 2013 Cross-Straits Financial Summit Forum closed on March 31 in the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, an island county in Fujian province, Securities Times reported. This year's event sought to promote cross-Straits financial cooperation and the Chinese economy.

The forum was initiated by Zhang Yichun, a famous Chinese financial expert and director of the Financial Research Institute of Xiamen University. It was co-hosted by the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, the Financial Research Institute of Xiamen University and Gold Online, a financial website.

The forum aims to create a fair and open communication platform for cross-Straits financial industries by utilizing the zone's geographical advantages with Taiwan, the institute's intelligence networks and Gold Online's Internet influence.

Over 300 participants from banking, insurance, security, finance and other financial industries discussed hot topics about economics and finance at the forum. Shen Wence, president of Gold Online, said the company would continue to play an active role in promoting cross-Straits financial communication and regional economic development.

According to an official from the zone's administrative committee, Pingtan, the area closest to Taiwan on the Chinese mainland, has developed rapidly since the National Development and Reform Commission issued the General Development Plan for the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone in 2011.

In February this year, the State Council gave the zone approval to establish a joint meeting system to speed up Pingtan's development and opening-up.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Michael Thai