Xiamen Area of China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone [Photo provided to ftz.xm.gov.cn]
With its total area of 43.78 square kilometers, the Xiamen Area of China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone — or Xiamen Free Trade Zone, or XMFTZ for short — is located in the port city of the same name in East China's Fujian province.
Ever since it was launched — on April 21, 2015 — it has been working hard to promote high-level opening up.
Acting on the decisions and policies of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council — as well as those of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and the Fujian government — the area has issued an array of innovative initiatives that have boosted the high-quality development of the FTZ.
Over the past 11 years, the Xiamen FTZ has rolled out 677 innovative measures, 153 of which are national firsts. Among these, 31 reform practices have been selected by the State Council for nationwide adoption, and six have been recognized as "Best Practice Cases" among all national pilot FTZs.
The Xiamen FTZ has expanded its opening-up efforts to support national strategies while steadily growing foreign trade and investment. Although the zone covers less than 3 percent of the city's total land area, it accounts for 35.5 percent of Xiamen's total foreign trade imports and exports.
It also plays a key role in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center, and is in charge of managing "Silk Road Maritime" — China's first comprehensive BRI logistics brand focused on shipping.
Launched in 2018, the service had grown to 141 named container routes nationwide by Dec 31, 2025. These routes have collectively completed 22,287 voyages, handling 26.25 million TEUs. Of these, Xiamen Port alone operates 65 named routes, which have made 13,857 voyages with a throughput of 15.64 million TEUs.
The Xiamen FTZ has focused on creating a world-class business environment. Its port operations have been rated four stars for five consecutive years in national assessments of the top 10 coastal container ports. It also operates a nationally leading International Trade Single Window platform.
The FTZ is home to the pioneer zone of the Maritime Silk Road Central Legal District and has established the Maritime Silk Road Integrated Base for International Legal and Commercial Services. To date, 92 partner institutions have joined the base, including 10 international organizations and overseas entities, with its services covering more than 100 countries and regions.
The Xiamen FTZ has taken the lead in exploring new pathways for integrated cross-strait development. It was the first in the Chinese mainland to establish two national-level Cross-Strait Youth Entrepreneurship Bases and a service center for Taiwan businesses. To date, nearly 1,500 Taiwan-invested enterprises have been established in the zone.
The Xiamen FTZ has developed a "platform + industry" economic model, is home to a major one-stop aviation maintenance hub, ranks 4th nationwide in aircraft financing leasing and 1st in used aircraft financing leasing, and is the 4th largest wine importer among ports in China.
It is also the country's only pilot zone for bonded integrated circuit R&D, and it has attracted over 170 billion yuan ($25 billion) in private equity through its two fund hubs.