Ocean exhibition to bring opportunities
Zhanjiang's authorities are expecting the upcoming China Marine Economy Expo 2016 to play a big part in boosting local ocean and tourism industries.
According to city government officials, Zhanjiang, with its economic growth closely tied to its ocean industries, is looking to capitalize on the expo to expand its marine economy, technology, tourism, agriculture and infrastructure.
The city previously organized the event, known as the biggest oceanic exhibition in China, in 2014 and 2015. The event has helped to build a good platform for international business and trade cooperation, the officials said.
Local companies have been urged to grasp the opportunity to further expand their business links with the rest of the world.
The city government has plans for building Zhanjiang into a model city in China's marine economy, a hub for trade with Southeast Asia, a core city in the western part of Guangdong and a comprehensive port on the Chinese mainland in the coming years.
As one of the important starting points of the Maritime Silk Road, Zhanjiang has mapped out detailed plans to become a maritime powerhouse in Guangdong province, offering the shortest sea route from China's mainland to Southeast Asia, Europe and Africa. It has been an important foreign trade port in China since ancient times.
And now the city, which ranks about eighth in GDP in Guangdong province, has opened a number of international sea and air routes to connect it to major cities around the world. The city has also built advanced railway and highway networks linking it to other mainland cities.
Zhanjiang's marine industries have played an increasingly important role in its economic development.
The city's ocean industries generated an output value of more than 180 billion yuan ($26.12 billion) in 2015.
Zhanjiang, which has abundant agricultural and aquatic resources, needs the marine expo to increase its presence in the international market through expanding cooperation with the rest of the world, authorities said.
Zhanjiang is known as "the city of prawns". One in seven prawns sold around the world is from the city, according to the Zhanjiang Bureau of Commerce.
Official statistics show that Zhanjiang has a sea area of more than 20,000 square kilometers, a coastline of more than 2,000 km and more than 140 islands.
The annual China Marine Economy Expo will also help to boost the city's tourism industry and further raise Zhanjiang's reputation at home and abroad, according to the officials.
zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 11/24/2016 page12)
