CHINA> News
|
CHINA> News
|
|
Coastal zone plan gets State backing
By Han Tianyang (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-10 08:41
An innovative new plan for the development of Liaoning's coastal economic zone was discussed and approved at the executive meeting of the State Council in July, boosting Dalian's prospects of gaining recognition as an international shipping center. Dalian has long been a key urban center in China, well known for its transport, industry, trade, finance and tourism industries. It is widely recognized as one of the most economically dynamic and open cities in the north of the country. After years of steady progress, it has already established several areas of competitive advantages over rival cities, including economic critical mass, industrial structure, urban functionality and overall competitiveness. In 2003, both the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council made clear their wish to establish Dalian as a leading northeast Asian international shipping center, second only to Shanghai in China. In order to realize this goal, the municipal party committee and the government of Dalian have pooled their efforts and moved it to the top of their collective agenda. Between 2004 and 2008, the city's investment in port construction was 35.8 billion yuan, some 6.8 times greater than the total investment from 1949 to 2003. Its throughput of cargo has also increased greatly. In 2008 the port handled 246 billion tons of freight, almost double the volume it handled in 2003. The container throughput of Dalian Port in 2008 was 4.525 million twenty feet equivalent units (or TEUs), about 2.7 times its throughput in 2003. The port's water capacity has also increased and is now 4.1 million dead weight tons - 2.8 times its capacity in 2003.
After six years of continuous effort, Dalian has now laid the groundwork for its bid to be a force in international shipping. This has been achieved through a comprehensive program of improvements across all of its core functions. Today Dalian's port facilities form a large-scale, specialized, intensified and modern freight-focused cluster, with 198 operating berths transporting goods, such as oil, grain, ore, containers, roll on-roll off cargo and others, to a vast range of international destinations. It is now capable of handling the world's largest containers and bulk cargo ships. The port's traffic capacity is up to 200 million tons and its throughput capacity of containers is now nearly eight million TEUs. Dalian Port now services 300 ports in more than 160 countries and regions across the world. It handles more than 70 percent of all exported cargos and 94 percent of all exported containers shipped through northeast China. Following the launch of the new plan for Liaoning's coastal economic zone in July, Dalian now plans to accelerate its bid to be international shipping center. As part of this process, it will expand its strategic cooperation with a number of its key partners, including the Beiliang Port, the Dalian Ocean Fishery Group, the Jinzhou Port, as well as both the Qinhuangdao Port and the Caofeidian Port. This greater integration of the region's port resources is aimed at consolidating its role as a leading shipping center. The port will also seek to improve its planning and infrastructure function. It has already commissioned work on the construction of large-scale specialized berths, deep-water routes, breakwaters, and port inspection facilities. In total, it has initiated 25 new port infrastructure projects this year, representing an investment of more than 40 billion yuan. Preferntial policies In addition, the municipal government will continue to implement preferential policies for the port and its waterway-related enterprises, ensuring their continued growth despite the current financial crisis. This growth will be further supported by Dalian's plan to expand its throughput of domestic trade containers, whilst continuing to consolidate its existing successes in handling foreign trade containers. As part of its goal of building an international logistics hub in northeast Asia, the port will also provide enhanced facilities for the collection of goods from a wider range of regions, including northeast China, eastern Inner Mongolia and the far eastern parts of Russia. In order to enhance its throughput capacity, the port has also designated the dock facilities in Jingzhou as a dedicated container transfer site. It is supporting this development through equity participation. Last, but far from least, Dalian will continue to pursue a policy of streamlining customs clearance requirements at the port. To this end, it will bid to create a high-quality and efficient customs service, with the goal of providing non-stop clearance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In line with the plans of establishing its international shipping presence and supporting the Liaoning coastal economic zone, Dalian will also focus on developing the facilities of the Changxing Island Port and the Dagushan industrial park. It will also accelerate the development of its E-Port initiative in Liaoning, a project aimed at maximizing the opportunities for electronics customs declarations and online payments. |
