After more than half a year of preparations and with support from local government, the Fujian chamber of commerce in Tongzhou district, Nantong was founded on Nov 21. More than 800 people attended the celebration ceremony, which was hosted by Wang Guangyuan, vice-chairperson of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, and Lin Tianhu, member of the CPC Shishi Municipal Committee.

Hu Wenbiao, chairman of Jiangsu Rui'aifu Textile Technology Co Ltd – a domestic professional home textile fabric supplier based in Chuanjiang town in Tongzhou district, was selected as the first president of the chamber of commerce.

A large number of merchants from Fujian province have invested and started their business in Tongzhou district since the reform and opening-up. So far, there have been more than 10,000 Fujian merchants working and living in Tongzhou. They are engaged in the industries of home textiles, foreign trade, e-commerce, logistics, catering, chemical engineering, food, and security and construction material.

The Fujian merchants in Tongzhou have been keen to establish a chamber of commerce and develop as a group for a long time. The precipitate COVID-19 pandemic has helped them further recognize the importance of setting up a chamber of commerce.

Up to now, more than 200 entrepreneurs of Fujian origin who have developed in the district have signed up as members.

At the inaugural meeting, the chamber of commerce donated 500,000 yuan ($76,144) to the Nantong Charity Federation, and established a fund to be used for charitable projects on healthcare, education, poverty alleviation, and temporary assistance for the extremely poor.