FUZHOU, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian entrepreneur Hany Sobhy considers himself a citizen of Quanzhou in east China's Fujian Province. Ten years ago, he launched his garment export business in the city that is widely believed to be the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road.

"Centuries ago, my ancestors came to Quanzhou along the Maritime Silk Road," he said. "Now I have returned to the same place, building and operating business in a modern and open China."

VIBRANT TRADE HUB

With a warehouse at the port city Shishi under the administration of Quanzhou, Hany Sobhy is eyeing the advantages of the coastal area's complete industrial and supply chains, its relatively low warehousing and living costs, and a climate similar to that of his hometown -- the city of Marsa Matruh on the north African coast.

When he first arrived in Shishi, he found that there were few foreign vessels in local ports, as they handled mainly domestic trade. But today, Shishi is a transport hub connecting the world.

"Thanks to the opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative, Shishi now offers faster and more direct trade routes," he said. "Our garments can reach the Philippines in just two days, compared to a week in the past."

Currently, ports in Shishi operate over 20 international container routes linking countries and regions such as Thailand, India, Brazil and South Africa. In terms of international trade, container throughput of ports in Shishi accounts for nearly 80 percent of Quanzhou's total, according to Huang Jingsheng, operations director of Quanzhou Pacific Container Terminal Co., Ltd., a local port operator.

Huang noted that Shishi's major port, Shihu, has introduced driverless electric trucks for container transport and a smart system that can monitor ship conditions and offer optimized berthing plans to reduce congestion.

"Through digital and automated operations, we have reduced the time required to load and unload containers on international vessels to less than 12 hours," he said.

In recent years, the variety of products exported through Shihu Port has expanded from construction materials such as stones and light industrial goods to higher-value items such as new energy vehicles and batteries, Huang said.

This current export trend reflects the development of China's high-quality productive forces. In the first half of 2025, the value of Fujian's mechanical and electrical product exports totaled 259.46 billion yuan (about 36.53 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 46 percent of the provincial total. Among those exports, lithium-ion batteries, automobiles and ships saw respective growth of 22 percent, 47.8 percent and 36.5 percent, according to customs data.

OPEN EXCHANGE ENVIRONMENT

Openness is rooted in Fujian's culture. The Maritime Silk Road, which thrived during the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties in particular, saw ancient Chinese traders exchange silk and porcelain for exotic spices and rare treasures with foreign merchants. Today, the province continues to leverage its geographic advantages while refining its business services to boost international trade and exchanges.

Since its establishment in 2021, the Maritime Silk Road Central Legal District -- headquartered in Xiamen with branches in Fuzhou and Quanzhou -- has attracted over 4,000 enterprises specializing in legal services and technology, according to the provincial government. The district has served more than 160 countries and regions, offering services such as litigation, arbitration and mediation.

"Fujian has close economic and trade ties with countries and regions in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Europe. The district integrates expertise in international legal affairs and provides enterprises with comprehensive services," said Cai Ruizhu, head of the district's Maritime Silk Road International Legal and Business Integration Service Base.

An international legal service center established by Yingke Law Firm in the Maritime Silk Road Central Legal District offers guidance on overseas business establishment, investment, compliance and intellectual property protection in over 100 countries, supporting enterprises as they go global.

"In the past, many companies lost commercial lawsuits or arbitration cases due to language barriers and their unfamiliarity with foreign legal systems," said Xue Ni, executive director of the center. "We help companies defend their rights and minimize losses by providing professional legal consultation services and connecting them with international legal advisors well-versed in the laws of host countries."

Beyond trade and investment, Fujian also promotes people-to-people exchanges. Riding the waves of the China travel trend and the country's updated visa-free travel policies, the province recorded over 1 million trips made by foreign tourists in the first half of 2025.

"The Maritime Silk Road has always been and will continue to be a route for economic and cultural exchanges, as well as a path toward peaceful development and friendship," said Zhang Enqiang, deputy director of the Quanzhou Maritime Museum.

(Qiu Letao, Xi Zhimiao, Hu Wei and Tian Fengwei also contributed to the story.)