Jinjiang, China's sport shoes capital, embraces for greater economic prospect

As pioneer of great success in China, Jinjiang, a county-level city of Quanzhou City in Fujian Province is a city with talents that is practicing modernization and industrialization. Talent is part of its development striving to be an international innovator. It is a city of dynamic culture, quality living and eco-friendly; enjoying religious tolerance with Christians, Muslims and Buddhist worshiping freely; it is an agricultural machinery producing city; enjoying social integration, coordinate development; quality upgrading; interactive improvement, persistent culture; scientific mechanism.

It is the new city of Maritime Silk Road, which is hoping to build an underground sewage treatment system; comprehensive transportation planning; urban road system; railway and intercity rail transit; expressway, ports, docks and airport, city slow traffic system and build the environment.

Jinjiang City in Fujian province, SE China

Jinjiang’s government and enterprises have worked together to face challenges and solved problems in the development of the city’s industries. City authorities strongly believe that every successful policy making attributes to close interaction and productive discussion between government and enterprises, and every public service innovation reflects the harmonious concept of "government guidance with enterprises as the mainstay."

In the process of economic development, the city’s entrepreneurs are among the first to expand business to other places in China and contribute to local economies. According to incomplete statistics, Jinjiang’s entrepreneurs have set up more than 10, 000 enterprises outside the city.

Jinjiang has more than 40, 000 private enterprises, accounting for 94% of total enterprises, generating gross output value of 424.4 billion Yuan, accounting for 98.2% of the city and contributing to the tax of 18.69 billion yuan, accounting for 93% of total revenue in 2016.

There are five main traditional industries in the city: textile and apparel, shoe-making, building materials and ceramics, food and beverage, paper products and package printing. The five main emerging industries are new materials, photovoltaic electronics, intelligent equipment and machinery manufacturing, automobile manufacturing and parts, and marine biotechnology.

The number of foreign-funded enterprises and joint ventures accumulated to 4, 439, with actual utilized foreign capital of $11.37 billion, and the degree of trade dependence was over 60%.

There are 42 Chinese well-known trademarks, of which 11 are listed in the China most valuable brand top 500. Hengan’s Mind Act Upon Mind, Anta and SBS Zipper are leading brands in their respective industry. There are more than 300, 000 brands franchise stores. There are also 14 regional product brands including China Shoes City and Jacket Capital of the world.

The city has a cornerstone brand of quality – seven enterprise technology centers, 51 provincial-level and above enterprise technology centers, one national industrial design centers, five provincial industrial design centers, 136 enterprises drafting the national and industrial brands.

There are 46 enterprises listed on main board with financing capital exceeding 39 billion yuan, and 46 enterprises waiting for IPO. There are 15 enterprises listed on National Equities, and 22 enterprises waiting IPO in the OTC market.

There are 20 M&A cases with transaction amount exceeding 10 billion yuan.

The city has a strong sports industry with comprehensive industrial chain. Over the years, Jinjiang has seized the market development opportunity, and utilized its advantages on geographical location, abundant resource, industrial clusters and space elements, sticked to intelligent manufacturing and consumption-driven, and built up an export-oriented sports industry structure module and functional system with unique competitiveness and characteristics. By cultivating a group of outstanding industries, competitive projects and event brands and promoting industry upgrading and urban economic structure optimization, Jinjiang has become a sports city with international influence and comprehensive competitiveness.

The sports industry gross output reached 147.23 billion yuan, ranked number one among similar cities; sport industry value added exceeds 40 billion yuan, accounting for 28% of Jinjiang GDP. There are 9, 110 sports enterprises, 21 listed sports enterprises, with total output of 27.33 billion yuan; and 350, 000 employees, accounting for one-fourth of working forces in the city.

Abu Bakarr Kargbo is a Senior Staff Writer of Standard Times Newspaper in Sierra Leone and an Intern at People’s Daily Online.