As the largest and most opened free port in China and an important symbolic area for the development and opening of Binhai New Area, East Port invited business & investment from both home and abroad on Feb.8 2007. Around 170 companies attended this event, including world famous container liners, third party logistics companies, manufacturing enterprises, real estates, hotels and large groups. Port of Tianjin has respectively signed letters of intent with Mapletree, China Merchant Group, COSCO Logistics, etc.
Mr. Huang Xingguo, executive vice mayor of Tianjin, attended the meeting and addressed a speech. Mr. Yu Rumin, president of Tianjin Port (Group) Co. Ltd., delivered the main inviting business & investment speech. Leaders from Tianjin municipal committee of development and reform and Tianjin Customs attended the meeting. People in charge of China Communication Construction Group, China Merchant Group and HSBC also attended the meeting. Mr. Zhao Yanhu, vice president of Tianjin Port (Group) Co. Ltd. participated the event and Mr. Tian Changsong, vice president of Tianjin Port (Group) Co., Ltd. hosted the meeting.
Mr. Huang Xingguo addressed, “the state council has made it clear that Binhai New Area is the national comprehensive ancillary reform test area, where important reforms can be tested beforehand. Many large scale enterprises has participated in the development and opening of Binhai new area, which has become one of the most energetic area in China. Dongjiang Port is an important of Tianjin port and east free port is an essential functional area in Binhai New Area. In order to accelerate the development and opening of Binhai New Area, put forward comprehensive ancillary facility reform and drive regional economy, we will further improve the function of east free port, including international transfer, international distribution, international purchase, international transit trade and international export processing. The Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone boast “six most” in China, that is, the largest area, the best condition, the most favorable policy, the most efficient, the most convenient customs clearance and the freest environment. Tianjin municipal government will fully support domestic and foreign companies to participate the construction of east port, providing favorable condition for investors.”
During the meeting, Mr. Yu Rumin, president of Tianjin Port (Group) Co., Ltd., said, “along with the development and opening of Binhai New Area was brought into overall national strategic plan, Tianjin Binhai New Area will become a new increasing pole driving the regional economy. As the most important part of national ancillary reform test area, Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone has several functions of container hub port, free trade zone, export processing area and bonded logistics area. Port of Tianjin will continuously test according to international practice and operation mode of international hub port and free port. We will actively construct east free port into the first free port and trade area and test area for boosting the development and opening of Binhai New Area, providing investors with favorable environment and enhancing the ability of radiation of Binhai New Area.
In May 2006, state council‘s document of comment on the issue of boosting the development and opening of Binhai New Area clearly states that Binhai New Area was approved as national comprehensive ancillary reform test area, within which several important reform measures will be tested. In the near future, priority will be given to further development and opening of Binhai New Area, where east free port will be set up, focusing on international transfer, international distribution, international purchase, international transit trade and export processing. The construction of east free port will become a big breakthrough for the development of Binhai New Area. The revenue function and foreign exchange policy of Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone will be implemented according to relative regulation of “state council’s reply on setting up Yangshan free port”. All the policies of banking, land, finance and tax given to Binhai New Area can be enjoyed by Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone.
In this January, it is addressed in the “Reply to the Master Plan of Dongjiang Port, Port of Tianjin (2006-2020)” that: as the important part of the future development of Port of Tianjin, Dongjiang Port is the important space carrier for Tianjin to construct the northern international shipping center and logistics center, develop the port economy and ocean economy, is the characteristic large comprehensive port area, and become the most opened new port area with blue sky and clean sea in the 21st century of China. So Dongjiang Port has the most favorable preferential policy, the most completed function allocation, the most outstanding location advantage, the most convenient transportation condition, the most efficient customs clearance and the friendliest ecological environment, and will become the investment space with largest potential in the Bohai economic circle.
The Dongjiang Port, Port of Tianjin is divided into three areas of terminal operation area, logistics processing area and comprehensive service area, with five functions of container terminal operation, container logistics processing, business trade, living residence and leisure tourism. The terminal operation area is located to the west of the port area. With the width of 1000m and a total quay length of 8 km, the terminals will be able to accommodate the most advanced container vessels and meet the requirement of the container development of the port in the following 10—15 years. The logistics processing area is located in the middle of the port area, which can provide convenient logistics services to Chinese and foreign logistics companies with its location advantages with its services of cargo processing, distribution, purchase, packaging and allocation. The comprehensive service area is located in the east of the east port area with four functional areas of northern residence area, commercial office area, recreation and tourism area and the cruise terminal area. In the cruise terminal area, a largest cruise home port will be constructed there and equipped with the facilities of commerce, hospital, education, catering, hotel and apartment.
The planned Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone consists of the logistics processing area and a part of terminal operation area with the total area of 10km2. It is supervised by customs closely with modern information technology. It will be constructed to be the largest and most opened free port, become a modern, internationalized and intellect port island with scientific plan, complete functions, modern facilities, preferential policies, effective supervision, convenient service and beautiful environment, become the core economic functional area of northern international shipping center and international logistics center, the test area of comprehensive reform and the important symbolic area of the opening and development of Binhai New Area. This time, the 25 projects of the four parts of Dongjiang Port Beigangchi Container Terminal Phase Three, Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone Logistics Processing Area, 2km2 scene coast of first phase of the Comprehensive Service Area and the cruise home port attract the attention of many large corporate groups. The world famous companies including PSA, Mapletree, China Merchant are looking forward to cooperate with Port of Tianjin, it also attracts the container shipping companies, logistics companies, famous real estate companies and relevant companies and agencies to pay attention to the Dongjiang Port, Port of Tianjin.
Since the construction of North Giant Breakwater was started in June 2002, till the end of 2006, RMB 4 billion was invested in the Dongjiang Port, till the end of 2007, 16km2 land will be reclaimed to above +5.0m in the Dongjiang Port, which can meet the requirement of the construction of Beigangchi Container Terminal Phase Three, Logistics Processing Area Phase One, and eastern scene coast. The 4km2 of 6 container berths in Beigangchi Container Terminal Phase Three, Logistics Processing Area, customs supervision and port office facilities will come into operation to realize the first phase operation of the free trade zone, and complete the first phase of the urban complement facilities such as water supply, power supply and telecommunication. The 30km2 land of the Dongjiang Port can be all reclaimed in 2010.