Zhang Zhaomin (center), Party chief of Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, attends the fifth plenary session of the 12th NPC, China's legislature, in Beijing on March 5. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Pingtan remains an investment hotspot for Taiwan businesses, according to Zhang Zhaomin, deputy to China's National People's Congress (NPC) and Party chief of Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone.

The closest city to Taiwan on the Chinese mainland, Pingtan has been actively promoting economic and cultural exchanges with Taiwan over recent years, and it appears to be paying dividends.

"Pingtan boasts unique geographical advantages in relation to Taiwan. It's very convenient for Taiwan residents to commute between Pingtan and Taiwan on high-speed ferries. Currently, a lot of Taiwan residents choose to work in Pingtan and spend the weekends in Taiwan," Zhang Zhaomin said in an interview in Beijing on March 6.

In 2016, a total of 80,000 passengers travelled between the city in Fujian province and Taiwan by taking high-speed roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries, he revealed.

And with the tremendous support from the central government, Pingtan is still a hotspot for Taiwan residents to start businesses or seek employment.

A total of 210,000 Taiwan residents applied for the Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents in Pingtan in 2016, according to Zhang.

Cargo shipping from Taiwan to Pingtan increased 280 percent year-on-year in 2016, reaching 72,000 tons, while more than 2,000 businesspeople from Taiwan went on business trips to Pingtan.

The island city also received visits from more than 800 village heads from Taiwan, who conducted in-depth communications with their counterparts.

Zhang also pledged that Pingtan shall continue to strengthen its in-depth cooperation and communication with Taiwan in the fields of economy, culture and society, making more contributions to the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.