Coastline development boosts port's reputation

Last year Zhanjiang had multiple achievements in its efforts for opening-up.

Ports in the Baoman area and Donghai Island were opened up and brought the total number of opened-up ports in the city to six.

Zhanjiang Port Group Co's proposals for a bonded logistics center were approved, making it the 38th such center in the country.

A number of projects in city were included in provincial plans to meet the nation's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road strategy.

They include Guangdong Fenyong ASEAN Industrial Park, South Maritime Valley, Zhanjiang High-Tech Park, an aquatic and agricultural technology park, a seaside tourism park, a maritime high-tech base and a sugar-making center.

The opening-up of Baoman and Donghai port areas means 44,400 meters of coastline and 29 berths will open up to foreign trade.

Zhanjiang Port will be better positioned to attract multinational shipping companies and to enhance economic cooperation with Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas, according to the city's commerce bureau.

The latest opening-up move is set to boost the capacity of Zhanjiang Port, speed up development and help promote seaside industries and logistics.

The newly approved bonded logistics center will enable companies to expand their exporting, international trans-shipment and re-exporting businesses, according to Zhanjiang Customs. The center is scheduled to open in September.

Although it is an important distribution hub for bulk goods such as crude oil, iron ore, coal, fertilizers and sulfur in South China, Zhanjiang port has not achieved substantial growth due to limited storage space.

Without the center, some Zhanjiang companies had to use facilities in other cities.

The center will help companies cut operating costs, be more flexible with exports and better withstand risks in the global market.

It will also push forward the transformation of the processing trade in Zhanjiang.

The center is located in the seaside industrial park and has a planned area of 390,000 square meters and total investment of 535 million yuan ($86.35 million).

It will include 40,000 sq m of warehouses, a 130,000-sq-m storage yard and a dedicated rail line.

The Zhanjiang city government said it would work to expand the economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation with Southeast Asia and other countries and regions along the new Maritime Silk Road.

It plans to join in efforts to integrate cities in the Beibu Bay rim.

Customs management is due to be streamlined and cooperation in customs services with the adjacent the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Hai-nan province will be advanced.

liwenfang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/28/2015 page18)