Port ramps up development, opens up to foreign ships

Early last month the State Council formally approved opening Caofeidian port to foreign ships. Local official have announced several large-scale construction projects to help establish the Caofeidian Port Industrial Zone over the next few years.

Caofeidian, North China's largest deepwater port, will become the country's leading heavy industry base, said Yuan Zhigang, director of the Development and Reform Commission of Tangshan city.

The area will soon have annual steel manufacturing capacity of 15 million tons and plans to build a 15-million-ton oil reserve base.

The local government hopes Caofeidian will be named a national development area, like the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area, said Yuan.

"We need to draw up a strategic plan to drive the region's development," he added.

(China Daily 03/09/2009 page5)