Xiamen has greatly pushed forward its economic development by cracking down on smuggling, said Hong Yongshi, secretary of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Party Committee, who is attending the 3rd Session of the 9th National People's Congress in Beijing.

After serving as mayor of Xiamen for years Hong has since last year taken up the post as secretary of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Party Committee. By citing a group of figures he said:

Last year Xiamen had by its Custom duty collection achieved an income growth of 184% to show 100 percentage points rise over the nation's average growth rate of the year. For a growth of 3 billion yuan it has achieved a tariff amount to make one twenty six of the year's whole tariff amount of China.

For a crackdown on smuggling Xiamen has by itself not only purified its environment for local economic construction, there are also many trans-regional investors that have been attracted to make investment in the Xiamen Special Economic Region. So far, there are 24 transnational investors that have over 30 enterprises launched in Xiamen, hence greater ability for Xiamen to take part in international economic competition.

Xiamen has also intensified its effort to crack down on the crimes of tax evasion and cheating on money from the state. It has effected a change by its trade from a 522 million yuan deficit the year before last to a 645 million yuan surplus last year, thereby bringing about a high growth of GNP from such a poor economic situation in the place as caused by rampant smuggling.

When talking about his future economic work in Xiamen, Hong Yongshi lists his tasks as: take part in international economic competition, crack down on all kinds of crimes, protect environment, insist on the strategy for sustainable development, strengthen cross-Straits cooperation and exchanges and promote the peaceful reunification of China.