For years Tong'an, the largest district by size in Xiamen, has focused on technology and innovation.

Prominent among its effort is its Xiamen Technology Innovation Park in a coastal region of the district. It aims to be the largest R&D base on the west of the Taiwan Straits by attracting more State-level research institutes and top experts.

Several State-owned enterprises already have R&D facilities in the park, now developing its first phase covering nearly 4 square kilometers.

China Shipbuilding Industry Corp has invested 3.5 billion yuan ($517.8 million) and China Electronics Technology Group Corp has spent 2.6 billion yuan on facilities in the new park.

Investment from the Haixia Modern Agriculture Research Institute is expected to surpass 1 billion yuan. Its facilities will include major R&D centers for innovative agriculture, carbon sink technology, food processing and precision horticulture.

It will also have two Taiwan-funded cooperation centers and two trading markets for food and carbon emissions.

Eco-friendly design

According to its development blueprint, the eco-friendly park will feature an attractive coastal landscape and two scenic sites, the Meifeng Reservoir and the Guishan Mountain Park.

Several roads will be built for more access to the coastal landscape.

In addition to natural beauty, the park will have service centers for R&D, commercial buildings, industrial design and support facilities.

Developed with a total investment of 20 billion yuan ($3.3 billion), the park will begin full operation in five years, said officials.

By that time it will also be home to facilities providing technology support for Xiamen and the entire economic region on the west coast of the Taiwan Straits.

The park is also a national demonstrational area for commercial development of buildings using renewable energy.

It also plans to become a low carbon city pilot area.

Industrial center

Another ambitious project is designed for "emerging strategic industries", a 10 sq km area co-developed by the Tong'an district government and Xiamen Torch High-tech Zone.

The project is positioned to serve Xiamen's emerging technologies and as a professional park for industries across the Straits.

It is planned as home to companies engaged in next-generation information technology, new materials, marine high technology, electronics and the creative industry.

It will become a comprehensive park that has well-established facilities and sound services for both work and living, said officials

Smart city

Some industrial giants have already sensed the opportunities in Tong'an district and are starting their own sprawling operations.

Leading domestic home appliance maker Haier will invest some 4 billion yuan to build 15.33-hectare "smart city" named after itself in Tong'an district.

E-book and online commerce giant Amazon has also established a massive operation center in Tong'an.

Amazon Trade Co Xiamen, started with an investment of $ 290 million, is the electronic business portal's first operation in China outside Beijing.

Covering 14.67 hectares, its Tong'an base is expected to generate annual revenues surpassing 2 billion yuan.

Its Xiamen site is a unified operation for order processing, statistics, storage, logistics and retailing, said the company.

It uses several environmentally friendly and energy saving technologies in its operation as a low-carbon and ultra-modern logistics hub, it said.

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(China Daily 09/08/2013 page16)