Misplaced Pages

#626373

68-677: These letters were sent from the early 19th century till the 20th century. They were initially delivered by men known as zui-kheh ( 水客 ) literally "Water Traveller", who travelled frequently between Southeast Asia and the Teochew region for business. Towards the end of the 19th century, delivery of the Teochew Letters became a full-fledged industry, known as the Qiaopi industry ( 侨批业 ). Qiaopi agencies in Southeast Asia collected

136-820: A "reversal of fortunes" in China's dealings with foreigners since the century of humiliation . Researcher Zongyuan Zoe Liu writes that "[t]he success of these cities as 'red' treaty ports represented another step in China's overall reform and opening-up plan while legitimizing the leadership of the CPC over the Chinese state and people." Primarily geared to exporting processed goods, the five SEZs are foreign trade -oriented areas which integrate science, industry and innovation with trade. Foreign firms benefit from preferential policies, such as lower tax rates , reduced regulations and special managerial systems. Since its founding in 1992,

204-566: A collection of 120,000 Teochew Letters, consisting of both originals and copies. The Teochew Letters has immense historical value. It is an archive of the cultural and collective historical experiences of the Teochew people. Its contents reflect society at all levels, touching on international relations, national issues, and details of daily life important to families. As such, the information they contain bear intrinsic value for further research, as they are able to authenticate and supplement contemporary written history. Qiaopi ( 僑批 ) literally means

272-671: A focus on manufacturing consumer goods with the goal of transitioning to producing machinery, photovoltaic materials, and chemicals. It received support from China's Ministry of Commerce and the Export-Import Bank of China . As of March 2020, the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone had 174 factories employing more than 30,000 people. The RIP is China's largest industrial cluster and manufacturing export area in Thailand. As of late 2018,

340-596: A national demonstration zone for Reform and Opening Up, starting with an investment project in Shekou prepared by Yuan Geng on behalf of the Hong Kong -based China Merchants Steam Navigation Company . This project, initially a ship breaking facility, was approved by Li Xiannian on January 31, 1979. In April 1979, Xi Zhongxun and other Guangdong officials presented in Beijing a proposal to give broader flexibility to

408-534: A part of Chenghai County in Chao Prefecture ( Chaozhou ). As early as 1574, Shantou had been called Shashanping ( 沙汕坪 ). In the seventeenth century, a cannon platform called Shashantou Cannon ( 沙汕頭炮臺 ) was made here, and the place name later was shortened to "Shantou". Locally it has been referred to as Kialat. Connecting to Shantou across the Queshi Bridge is Queshi ( 礐石 ) which had been known by

476-466: A permanent population of 13,648,232 as of the 2020 census. Nevertheless, its built-up area spread on 11 districts, Puning city and Raoping county was home to 12,543,024 inhabitants as of 2020 census. This is de facto the fifth built-up area of China after Guangzhou-Shenzhen Pearl River Delta megacity, Shanghai-Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou conurbation, Beijing and Hangzhou-Shaoxing agglomeration. Most residents are linguistically Chaoshan Min . Chaoshan dialect

544-507: A positive business environment for Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises investing in these regions." Overseas SEZs also foster support for China in the international system and help advocate for developing country causes through South–South cooperation . They "help China demonstrate it is acting as a responsible great power in these regions." Deng described China's SEZs as "social and economic laboratories where foreign technologies and managerial skills could be observed", including in

612-425: A result, a multilevel diversified pattern of opening and integrating coastal areas with river, border, and inland areas has been formed in China. Economic policies of SEZs included tax exemptions, reduced custom duties, reduced priced land, and increased flexibility to negotiate labor contracts and financial contracts. SEZs were also authorized to develop their own legislation. The Shenzhen Special Economic Zone

680-612: Is a variant of Min Nan (Hokkien-Taiwanese) spoken in the neighbouring Southern Fujian and Taiwan. There are also Hakka , popularly known as Half- Hakka ( 半山客 ), living mainly in Chaoyang District and Chaonan District, although they speak Chaoshan on a daily basis and practise Chaoshan culture. The Mandarin-medium education system, widely promoted throughout China, has made most people, especially younger generations, speak Mandarin fluently. Cantonese language TV and labor migrations to

748-607: Is also suggested. Based in Shantou, Shantou Airlines Co. operated by China Southern Airlines has a 15 aircraft fleet in service. There are 3 railway stations which serve Shantou: Chaoshan Railway Station and Chaoyang railway station which lie on the Xiamen-Shenzhen Railway line, and Shantou Railway Station which lies on the Guangzhou–Meizhou–Shantou Railway and is under construction for

SECTION 10

#1732772927627

816-430: Is de facto the 5th built-up area in mainland China between Hangzhou - Shaoxing (13,035,026 inhabitants), Xi'an - Xianyang (12,283,922 inhabitants) and Tianjin (11,165,706 inhabitants). Shantou, a city significant in 19th-century Chinese history as one of the treaty ports established for Western trade and contact, was one of the original special economic zones of China established in the 1980s, but did not blossom in

884-457: Is located at the mouths of the Han , Rong ( 榕江 ), and Lian Rivers . Shantou is 301 km (187 mi) northeast of Hong Kong . Shantou has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cwa ), with short, mild to warm winters, and long, hot, humid summers. Winter begins sunny and dry but becomes progressively wetter and cloudier. Spring is generally overcast, while summer brings

952-510: Is provided by bus, ferry, bike sharing system and taxi. Residents also travel by private car and motorbikes . There are two bridges throughout the city that cross the Shantou Harbor: the Queshi Bridge and Shantou Bay Bridge . A metro system is planned with construction of 3 lines (Lines 1, 2, and 3) commencing in 2018 and opening of the system planned in 2020. Shantou previously had its own civil airport, Shantou Waisha Airport . It

1020-883: The Shandong Peninsula , the Liaodong Peninsula (in Liaoning Province), Hebei Province and Guangxi autonomous region. In June 1990, the Chinese government opened the Pudong New Area in Shanghai to overseas investment, and additional cities along the Yangtze River valley, with Shanghai's Pudong New Area as its " dragon head." Since 1992, the State Council has opened a number of border cities and, in addition, all

1088-1387: The Shantou Daily (Municipal) keep providing both newspaper service and e-newspaper service for Shantou citizens and other readers. Education is overseen provincewide by the Guangdong Education Bureau. Shantou has a host of well-known schools: Shantou is twinned with: Shantou has friendly relations with: Many notable Chinese come from Shantou or their ancestral home is Shantou. Direct-administered municipalities . Sub-provincial cities as provincial capitals . Separate state-planning cities . Special economic-zone cities . Open coastal cities . Prefecture capital status established by Heilongjiang Province and not recognized by Ministry of Civil Affairs. Disputed by Oroqen Autonomous Banner , Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia as part of it. Only administers islands and waters in South China Sea and have no urban core comparable to typical cities in China. The claimed province of Taiwan no longer have any internal division announced by Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC, due to lack of actual jurisdiction. See Template:Administrative divisions of Taiwan instead. Special economic zones of China In justifying opening up and

1156-623: The Yangtze River and inland areas. First, the state decided to turn Hainan Island into mainland China's biggest special economic zone (approved by the 1st session of the 7th NPC in 1988) and to enlarge the other four special economic zones. Shortly afterwards, the State Council expanded the open coastal areas, extending into an open coastal belt the open economic zones of the Yangtze River Delta , Pearl River Delta , Xiamen - Zhangzhou - Quanzhou Triangle in south Fujian,

1224-633: The "Letter of the Overseas Chinese", with "phoe" ( 批 ) being the Southern Min expression for "letter". The term has sometimes been translated as Overseas Remittance Mail or Money Remittance Mail but these fail to capture the cultural aspect of the artefacts. As part of the larger Archive of Overseas Remittance Mails, the Teochew Letters were added to the China Archival Heritage Register in 2010. Together with

1292-722: The 1930s, as a transport hub and a merchandise distribution centre in Southeast China, Shantou Port's cargo throughput ranked third in the country. A brief account of a visit to the city in English during this period is the English accountant Max Relton's A Man in the East: A Journey through French Indo-China (Michael Joseph Ltd., London, 1939). On 21 June 1939, Japanese troops invaded Shantou . Japanese forces occupied Shantou until 15 August 1945. The Communist People's Liberation Army captured Shantou on 24 October 1949, 23 days after

1360-639: The Chinese government decided to open the Pudong New Area in Shanghai to overseas investment, as well as more cities in the Yang Zi River Valley. Since 1992, the State Council has opened a number of border cities and all the capital cities of inland provinces and autonomous regions. In addition 15 free-trade zones, 32 state-level economic and technological development zones, and 53 new and high-tech industrial development zones have been established in large and medium-sized cities. As

1428-527: The Chinese government initiated its policy of reform and opening up , as a response to the failure of Maoist economic policy to produce economic growth which would allow China to be competitive against not only industrialized nations of the west but also rising regional powers: Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Officials in Guangdong Province led by Provincial Party Secretary Xi Zhongxun and Yang Shankun sought to make Guangdong

SECTION 20

#1732772927627

1496-612: The Chinese government takes a hands-off approach, leaving it to Chinese enterprises to work to establish such zones (although it does provide support in the form of grants, loans, and subsidies, including support via the China Africa Development Fund ). Such zones fall within the Chinese policy to go out and compete globally. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation promotes these SEZs heavily. In southeast Asia, both state-owned and private Chinese companies are active in developing SEZs abroad consistent with

1564-492: The Chinese government's strategic priorities. Efforts in these SEZs are often viewed as part of the Belt and Road Initiative . China is involved in southeast Asia SEZs that include industrial parks, special export processing zones, technology parks, and innovation areas. From the Chinese government perspective, Chinese participation in overseas SEZs helps to increase demand for Chinese machinery and equipment and helps restructure

1632-749: The Guangzhou-Shanwei-Shantou 350 km/h high speed railway. The Shantou Cultural Revolution Museum ( 文革博物馆 ; Wéngé bówùguǎn ) was the country's only museum dedicated to the Cultural Revolution . It closed in 2016. In 1912 Swatow had four newspapers, all in Chinese. They were Han Chao Pao , Ming Chuan (People's Rights), Ta Fung Pao (The Typhoon), and Ta Tung Pao (Eastern Times). In 2018, Shantou Metropolis Daily Post and Shantou Special Economic Zone Evening News both stopped their traditional newspaper business and transform into e-newspaper newspapers. Meanwhile,

1700-524: The Pearl River Delta has also made Cantonese widely spoken as a third language by the younger generations. Governmental statistics show that 2.16 million overseas Chinese have roots in Shantou, with significant populations of Teochew people residing in Thailand and Cambodia , which constitute a majority of Thai Chinese and a majority of Chinese Cambodians . This is demonstrated by

1768-508: The People's Republic of China was founded. With higher-level administrative authority, Shantou governed Chaozhou City and Jieyang City from 1983 to 1989. Shantou is located in eastern Guangdong with latitude spanning 23°02′33″ – 23°38′50″ N and longitude 116°14′40″ – 117°19′35″ E; the Tropic of Cancer passes through the northern part of the city, and along it there is a monument, in fact

1836-596: The Pudong New Area came to 80 billion yuan, and the total industrial output value, 145 billion yuan. In May 2010, the PRC designated the city of Kashgar in Xinjiang a SEZ. Kashgar's annual growth rate was 17.4 percent in 2009, and Kashgar's designation has since increased tourism and real estate prices in the city. Kashgar is close to China's border with the independent states of former Soviet Central Asia and

1904-724: The Qiaopi collection of Jiangmen , Meizhou and Fujian , the Teochew Letters were included into the Asia/Pacific Regional Memory of the World (MOW) Register on 16 May 2012. Higher recognition is being sought through ongoing submission for inclusion in the prestigious UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2013. To increase general awareness of the Teochew Letters and to promote the UNESCO Memory of

1972-641: The RIP has more than 120 Chinese--owned companies, employs 35,000 (largely Thai nationals), and its gross industrial output was $ 12 billion. The first Chinese overseas SEZs facilitated the offshoring of labor-intensive and less competitive industries, for example in textiles. As Professor Dawn C. Murphy summarizes, these zones now "aim to transfer China's development successes to other countries, increase business opportunities for China manufacturing companies, avoid trade barriers by setting up zones in countries with preferential trade access to important markets, and create

2040-650: The ROC being otherwise strictly controlled; it was praised by a Xiamen government official and PRC state media, but the referendum did not receive approval from the government of Taiwan before Chen's term ended in 2018. As part of its economic reforms and policy of opening to the world, between 1978 and 1984 China established special economic zones (SEZs) in Shantou , Shenzhen , and Zhuhai in Guangdong Province and Xiamen in Fujian Province as well as designating

2108-556: The SEZ seeks to capitalize on international trade links between China and those states. In 2015, then-magistrate of Kinmen County (ROC) Chen Fu-hai , along with a non-profit Taiwan organization "with close ties to the CCP", proposed a referendum in which Kinmen would become a special economic zone and obtain free trade and free investment between it and neighboring SEZ Xiamen on the mainland. The plan received controversy due to PRC investment in

Teochew Letters - Misplaced Pages Continue

2176-497: The Shanghai Pudong New Area has made progress in both absorbing foreign capital and accelerating the economic development of the Yangtze River valley. The government has extended special preferential policies to the Pudong New Area that are not currently enjoyed by the special economic zones. For instance, in addition to the preferential policies of reducing or eliminating Customs duties and income tax common to

2244-824: The Shantou metropolitan area are operated by the Government of Shantou. Management of these hospitals and other specialist health facilities are coordinated by Shantou Board of Health. Shantou's electricity is provided entirely by China Southern Power Grid , postal service operated by China Post . Shantou is one of the most important international telecommunications ports in China. Four international submarine communications cables land at Shantou submarine cable landing station, including APCN 2 , China-US Cable Network , SMW3 and South-East Asia Japan Cable System (SJC). China Telecom , China Unicom and China Mobile provide fixed lines, broadband internet access and mobile telecommunications services there. Public transportation

2312-522: The World Register application efforts, The Museum of Overseas Remittance Mail Relics launched an online museum for the Teochew Letters in June 2012. The website was created on behalf of the museum by the Cheung Kong School of Journalism of Shantou University . Shantou Shantou , alternately romanized as Swatow and sometimes known as Santow , is a prefecture-level city on

2380-534: The authorization of the Chinese central government in Beijing" with " tax and business incentives to attract foreign investment and technology". Trade was originally controlled by China's centralized government. However, these special zones are where market-driven capitalist policies are implemented to entice foreign investments in China. In 1986, China then added 14 additional cities to the list of special economic zones. The concept of Special Economic Zone arose in

2448-545: The biggest tax fraud in the history of the People's Republic of China was uncovered, estimated worthy of 32.3 billion yuan. In 2017, the analyzed data of Shantou GDP is approximately 230 billion yuan(US$ 35.4 billion). With an area of 2.34 km (0.90 sq mi), Shantou Free Trade Zone lies at the south part of Shantou city. It was ratified by the State Council of the People's Republic of China and founded in January 1993, and it formally came into use on December of

2516-690: The capital cities of inland provinces and autonomous regions. In addition, 15 free trade zones , 32 state-level economic and technological development zones, and 53 new and high-tech industrial development zones have been established in large and medium-sized cities. As these open areas adopt different preferential policies, they play the dual roles of "windows" in developing the foreign-oriented economy , generating foreign exchanges through exporting products and importing advanced technologies and of "radiators" in accelerating inland economic development. Most of China's SEZs are located in former treaty ports and therefore have symbolic significance in demonstrating

2584-497: The central government expanded the coastal area by establishing the following open economic zones (listed from north to south): the Liaodong Peninsula , Hebei Province (which surrounds Beijing and Tianjin ; see Jing-Jin-Ji ), the Shandong Peninsula , Yangtze River Delta , Xiamen - Zhangzhou - Quanzhou Triangle in southern Fujian Province , the Pearl River Delta , and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region . In 1990,

2652-442: The city receives 1,979 hours of bright sunshine annually. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from 0.3 °C (33 °F) (unofficial record of −0.6 °C (31 °F) was set on 18 January 1893) to 38.8 °C (102 °F). Shantou is a prefecture-level city . It has direct jurisdiction over six districts and one county . As of 2003, the district of Haojiang was established out of Hepu and Dahao which had been merged, and

2720-567: The coastal provinces of Guangdong and Fujian to attract foreign investment , with additional exemptions in four cities, namely Shenzhen in the Pearl River Delta region, Zhuhai and Shantou in Guangdong and Xiamen (Amoy) in Fujian Province. For these, Chinese Paramount leader Deng Xiaoping coined the name "special zones" and characterized them as experiments in the mold of the pre-1949 Communist base areas. The proposal

2788-402: The devastating Swatow Typhoon , which killed 5,000 out of the 65,000 people then inhabiting the city. Some nearby villages were totally destroyed. Several ships near the coast were totally wrecked. Other ones were blown as far as two miles inland. The area around the city had around another 50,000 casualties. The total death toll was above 60,000, and may have been higher than 100,000. In

Teochew Letters - Misplaced Pages Continue

2856-441: The development of manufacturing technology, a private real estate market, and management techniques. Many scholars argue that SEZs played a decisive role in the development of China and the success of Communism as implemented in China. Since their inception, SEZs have contributed 22% of China's GDP, 45% of total national foreign direct investment, and 60% of exports. SEZs are estimated to have created over 30 million jobs, increased

2924-448: The district of Jinping Shengping and Jinyuan ; Waisha and Xinxi Town, part of former Chenghai City, was merged into Longhu District; Chenghai City became Chenghai District; Chaoyang City was divided and became Chaoyang and Chaonan District respectively. Shantou's economy is medium by Guangdong standards. Manufacturing accounts for a large and increasing share of employment. Canning , garments, lithography, plastic, and toys are some of

2992-894: The domestic Chinese industrial value chain by moving low-end production activity abroad. It can also help bypass trade barriers during periods of friction such as the U.S.-China trade war by facilitating exports to Europe and North America. The Chinese government has identified certain southeast Asian SEZs as highlighted destinations for Chinese investment. These highlighted overseas SEZs include: Kawasan Industri Terpadu Indonesia-China, Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone in Cambodia, Thailand-China Rayong Industrial Park (RIP), Longjiang Industrial Park in Vietnam, Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone in Laos, and Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park. The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone began with

3060-475: The eastern coast of Guangdong , China, with a total population of 5,502,031 as of the 2020 census (5,391,028 in 2010) and an administrative area of 2,248.39 square kilometres (868.11 sq mi). However, its built-up (or metro) area is much bigger with 12,543,024 inhabitants including Rongcheng and Jiedong districts, Jiexi county and Puning city in Jieyang plus all of Chaozhou city largely conurbated. This

3128-480: The easternmost in mainland China, at 23°26′33″N 116°35′20″E  /  23.44240°N 116.58885°E  / 23.44240; 116.58885 . The highest peak in the city's administration is Mount Dajian ( 大尖山 ) on Nan'ao Island , at 587 m (1,926 ft); the highest peak on the geographic mainland is Mount Lianhua ( 莲花山 ), at 562 m (1,844 ft) in Chenghai District . The city

3196-502: The economic and technological development zones, the state also permits the zone to allow foreign business people to open financial institutions and run tertiary industries . In addition, the state has given Shanghai permission to set up a stock exchange , expand its examination and approval authority over investments and allow foreign-funded banks to engage in RMB business. In 1999, the GDP of

3264-552: The entire island province of Hainan as a special economic zone. In 1984, China opened 14 other coastal cities to overseas investment (listed from north to south): Dalian , Qinhuangdao , Tianjin , Yantai , Qingdao , Lianyungang , Nantong , Shanghai , Ningbo , Wenzhou , Fuzhou , Guangzhou , Zhanjiang , and Beihai . These coastal cities have been designated as the "open coastal cities" ( simplified Chinese : 沿海开放城市 ; traditional Chinese : 沿海開放城市 ; pinyin : yánhǎi kāifàng chéngshì ). Then, beginning in 1985,

3332-544: The fifth SEZ. In 1990, Pudong district in Shanghai became the sixth "SEZ". In 2009, Binhai district in Tianjin became the seventh SEZ. Special economic zones in mainland China are granted more market-oriented economic policies and flexible governmental measures by the government of China . This allows SEZs to utilize economic management which is more attractive to foreign and domestic businesses. In SEZs, "...foreign and domestic trade and investment are conducted without

3400-463: The general trend of offshoring more simple manufacturing as globalization increased. Successes in the initial SEZs led to the establishment of additional SEZs in 14 coastal cities: Dalian , Qinhuangdao , Tianjin , Yantai , Qingdao , Lianyungang , Nantong , Shanghai , Ningbo , Wenzhou , Fuzhou , Guangzhou , Zhanjiang and Beihai . Since 1988, mainland China's opening to the outside world has been extended to its border areas, areas along

3468-902: The government in China ordered its functions to be transferred to Bank of China . Family correspondence combined with remittance was not unique to the Teochews. Other groups of overseas Chinese, including the Hokkien , the Cantonese and the Hakka , also used this method to communicate with their families. The Qiaopi agencies of the different groups served only their own community circle and their services did not overlap. An estimate of 170,000 Qiaopi letters have been collected by researchers and private collectors. The majority are Teochew Letters. The Museum of Overseas Remittance Mail Relics, based in Swatow, has

SECTION 50

#1732772927627

3536-635: The heaviest rains of the year though is much sunnier; there are 8.2 days annually with 50 mm (1.97 in) of rainfall. Autumn is sunny and dry. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 14.7 °C (58.5 °F) in January to 29.1 °C (84.4 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 22.58 °C (72.6 °F). The annual rainfall is around 1,618 mm (64 in), about 60% of which occurs from May to August. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 28% in March to 58% in July and October,

3604-759: The income of participating farmers by 30%, and accelerated industrialization, agricultural modernization, and urbanization. However, issues like prioritizing the short-term gains, encompassing a limited number of industries, and lack of entrepreneurial promotion are pointed out by critics of the SEZs. Others, like Gopalakrishnan, point out that "Left out of the picture are inequities in development, arable land loss, real estate speculation and labour violence", as well as significant transparency problems in bureaucracy. China has benefitted from SEZs through foreign enterprises bringing in expertise, technology, and equipment. In turn, private firms have benefitted from inexpensive labor,

3672-684: The late 1950s in Ireland. The Irish government established the Shannon Free Zone to encourage foreign investment through tax incentives. Various Chinese leaders visited Shannon Free Zone, including Jiang Zemin (in 1980) and later Zhu Rongji , Wen Jiabao , and Xi Jinping . In the late 1970s, and especially at the 3rd plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in December 1978,

3740-528: The letters and remittances from the migrant workers and sent them to their corresponding partner in Swatow. The agencies in Swatow then distributed the letters to local agencies located in the counties and villages of the Teochew region. The men employed to hand-deliver the letters and money to the families were known as phoe-kha ( 批脚 ), literally the "Feet of the Letters". The Qiaopi industry ended in 1979 when

3808-462: The local people through the 19th century as Kakchio. It was the main site for the American and British consulates. Today the area is a scenic park but some of the structures from its earlier history are somewhat preserved. In 1860, Shantou was opened for foreigners and became a trading port according to Treaty of Tientsin . It became a city in 1919, and was separated from Chenghai in 1921. 1922 saw

3876-501: The majority local Chinese populace is dominantly Teochew and as well as the second largest group of the local Chinese population in Singapore. Shantou people share the same culture with other Teochew . The tea-drinking tradition widely practised in town is a classic instance. According to China Daily , Shantou people "drink more tea than anyone else in China, in total 700 million yuan (US$ 87.5 million) each year". Most of

3944-521: The manner that cities such as Shenzhen , Xiamen and Zhuhai did. However, it remains eastern Guangdong's economic centre, and is home to Shantou University , which is under the provincial Project 211 program in Guangdong. Shantou was a fishing village part of Tuojiang Du ( 鮀江都 ), Jieyang County during the Song dynasty . It came to be known as Xialing ( 廈嶺 ) during the Yuan dynasty . In 1563, Shantou became

4012-493: The most densely populated regions in China. Former Chaoyang City was China's most populous county-level administrative region, with 2.4 million inhabitants. Shantou has direct jurisdiction over six districts and one county, and the six urban districts of Shantou have a population of 5,330,764. With it and the surrounding cities of Jieyang and Chaozhou , the administrative metropolitan area known as Chaoshan covers an area of 10,404 km (4,017 sq mi), and had

4080-404: The population in Shantou is non-religious or practices traditional folk religions , Buddhism , Taoism , or worship of Chinese deities and ancestors . About 2% of the population belongs to an organised religion, with 40,000 Protestants , 20,000 Catholics and 500 Muslims . St. Joseph's Cathedral of Shantou is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shantou . The public hospitals in

4148-436: The principal products. Toy manufacturing is the city's leading export industry, with 400 million U.S. dollars worth of exports each year. Canaton Calculator Co. is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company. Guiyu , a populous town in Chaoyang District , is the biggest electronic waste site on earth. Health-environmental issues incurred have concerned international organizations such as Greenpeace . In 2000,

SECTION 60

#1732772927627

4216-403: The same year after its supervision installations were checked and accepted by the General Administration of Customs . It has been comprehensively developing export processing, storage, international trade, finance and information industry. Its goal is to establish a modernized international zone that is open to overseas by drawing experience from international free trade zones. Shantou is one of

4284-661: The series of economic reforms that ensued in China , Deng Xiaoping referred to Karl Marx and his theories, which predicted that nations need to undergo urbanization and a stage of capitalism for a natural socialist transition. One of the most renowned reforms under Deng was establishing four special economic zones (SEZ) along the Southeastern coast of China, with Shenzhen , Shantou , and Zhuhai located in Guangdong province and Xiamen located in Fujian province . The four aforementioned special economic zones were all established from 1980 to 1981. As of 2024, there have been 3 additional special economic zones. In 1988, Hainan became

4352-409: The unusually high number of international direct flights between Bangkok and Shantou. In addition, there are at least two Teochew -speaking air hostesses on board each China Southern flight between Shantou and Bangkok. The Teochew presence, furthermore, is evident in Singapore and Malaysia ; Johor Bahru , a coastal city situated at the latter's southernmost tip, is known as 'Little Swatow', due to

4420-729: Was approved on July 15 and the four special zones were officially established on August 26, 1979. As part of an effort to overcome domestic political resistance, the name "special economic zone" was ultimately chosen over "special zone" to emphasize that only economic, not political, experiments should be carried out. Within these SEZs, export-focused businesses had the leeway to quickly respond to demand in foreign markets. These initial SEZs successfully attracted foreign capital, primarily from ethnic Chinese in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. Foreign businesses in these areas were generally motivated to move production to China's SEZs because of lower labor costs, preferential economic policies, and

4488-411: Was formerly the main airport serving the Shantou until nearby Jieyang Chaoshan Airport was opened on 15 December 2011. Shantou Waisha Airport became a military airbase since then and all civilian flights were transferred to the newly built airport in Jieyang. Taxi is the usual way to travel between the airport and the city proper. The taxi fare is around 60 RMB . Airport-Downtown Shantou shuttle charter

4556-462: Was just 0.2 percent of Hong Kong's. In 2018, the city's GDP hit 2.42 trillion yuan (US$ 372 billion), overtaking Hong Kong. Successes in Shenzhen prompted Chinese central authorities to instruct provincial officials to learn from Shenzhen. From 1990 to 2018, Chinese enterprises established eleven SEZs in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East including: Nigeria (two), Zambia, Djibouti, Kenya, Mauritius, Mauritania, Egypt, Oman, and Algeria. Generally,

4624-561: Was the most active SEZ for legislative experiments over the period 1979-1990 and these had a significant role in shaping national economic legislation on foreign trade and investment. Out of the special zones, perhaps the most successful was Shenzhen. It transformed from 126 square miles of villages into a business metropolis. As seen by the table below, the ten years of economic reform from 1980 to 1990 increased population in Shenzhen by six-fold, GDP by around sixty-fold, and gross industrial output by two-hundredfold. Before 1980, Shenzhen's GDP

#626373