
1. XMFAO serves cross-island development

Lin Na, executive vice-president of the Xiamen Municipal People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, as well as officials from the American and Oceanian Affairs Division of the Foreign Affairs Office of Xiamen, Fujian province, visited the Aotou Marine Economic Development Demonstration Zone in Xiang'an district on Aug 19.
They looked around several art galleries and the history museum of Aotou village, aiming to learn about the village's efforts to promote rural revitalization, community governance, and the development of the cultural and creative industry and seeking ways to help with cross-island development and community internationalization.
The Aotou Marine Economic Development Demonstration Zone has fully used its marine resources to develop three pillar industries involving high-end technology, culture and tourism, and fishing.
It has also combined eastern and western art with rural culture and tourism to develop an international art community revolving around fine arts, delicacies, fishing ports, and fishermen's songs.
2. Singapore's 56th National Day celebrated in Xiamen

The Consulate General of Singapore in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, held a reception on Aug 20 to celebrate the country's 56th National Day, as well as the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the consulate general.
Nelson Ng Chiun Ming, Singaporean consul general in Xiamen, delivered a speech at the reception. Liao Huasheng, vice-mayor of Xiamen, attended the event.
The consul general said that economic cooperation between Singapore and China has maintained robust growth in spite of the uncertainty in the global economy. China has been the largest trade partner of Singapore since 2013 and its investments in Singapore is still increasing.
Ng noted that his country and Fujian province have also maintained a long-term partnership in trade and investment, port operation, aircraft maintenance, city planning, as well as in the service, education and medical industries. Many Singaporean companies have been operating in Fujian for dozens of years.
"I hope that Singapore and Fujian can deepen their ties in digital economy, sustainable development and medical treatment to achieve mutual benefits," said Ng.
China has launched a new pilot program to allow eligible enterprises greater access to overseas financing in support of green and low-carbon transformation projects, the country's foreign exchange regulator said on Aug 21.
To further streamline the experience, China is expanding tax refund stores, broadening the range of refundable goods, and refining refund procedures, ensuring an efficient and seamless shopping experience for global visitors.