A bridge and a sea

Zhoushan is China’s first prefecture-level city established as an archipelago, consisting of 2,085 islands of various sizes, with a land area of only 1,440 square kilometers.

In the past, this “city of a thousand islands” was isolated at sea, with “no travel possible without boats,” severely limiting its development.

In September 1999, Zhoushan initiated a project to connect the islands to the mainland, initially on a small scale. It was not until January 2003, shortly after taking office as Zhejiang Provincial Party Secretary, that Xi Jinping conducted his first research trip to Zhoushan, marking the beginning of the largest island-to-land connection project in China’s history.

After a detailed analysis of Zhejiang and Zhoushan’s maritime advantages, Xi Jinping clearly stated, “This is a very important project. If the island-connecting bridge is built, it will fundamentally drive Zhoushan’s development.”

To the east of Zhejiang lies the sea, with a long coastline. Starting from Zhoushan, Xi Jinping spent over four months conducting field research, visiting 18 coastal counties (cities, districts) in succession.

In September 2004, Xi Jinping visited Zhoushan again for an inspection. He explicitly demanded that the island-connecting project be accelerated to achieve completion as soon as possible. He said, once completed, it would be like “a thousand miles in one day,” adding that the economic and social benefits it would bring could hardly be overstated.

During his tenure in Zhejiang, Xi Jinping visited Zhoushan 13 times for inspections and research, leaving his footprints across its many islands. He clearly stated, “In the new century and new stage, where is the further space for Zhejiang’s economic development? At sea!”

With Xi Jinping’s active promotion, the funding and national approval hurdles for the Zhoushan Cross-Sea Bridge were resolved one by one, accelerating the pace of the island-connection project.

On December 26, 2009, after a decade of construction, the Zhoushan Cross-Sea Bridge—the largest island-to-land connection project in China’s history—was officially opened to traffic. This bridge, spanning from the mainland across the sea, connects the four islands of Jintang, Cezi, Fuchi, and Lidiao, directly reaching Zhoushan’s main island.

Thus, the marine economy of Zhoushan, and even Zhejiang, entered a fast track of development.

Externally, the Zhoushan Cross-Sea Bridge has become a key transportation hub in the “3-hour tourism circle” connecting core Yangtze River Delta cities like Ningbo, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, enabling Zhoushan’s transformation from an “isolated island at sea” to a “maritime hub.” Internally, the full opening of the bridge has not only facilitated residents’ travel and significantly reduced corporate logistics costs but also provided crucial support for Zhoushan to secure major national strategies such as the national-level new area and free trade zone.

Building one bridge activates an entire sea.

During his work in Zhejiang, Xi Jinping once admitted, “Developing the marine economy is something I have long dedicated myself to and explored.” Regarding ocean governance, he has a profound and grand strategic vision.

As early as during his work in Fujian, Xi Jinping creatively proposed the strategic concept of building a “Maritime Fuzhou,” becoming

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