BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- China needs to accelerate integrating coastal port cluster development with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as well as enhance those international shipping centers' role as shipping hubs for Belt and Road construction, according to Zhu Zhen with National Office of Port Administration under China's General Administration of Customs.
Specifically, efforts could be made to further improve software, hardware and infrastructures of ports in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dalian, Tianjin and Xiamen and their associated port clusters, fully exploit policy benefits offered by pilot free-trade zones (FTZs) to promote the new business model such as offshore finance and cross-border e-commerce and support core clusters that focus on high-end shipping services such as international trade settlement, shipping insurance, shipping financing and security lending, Zhu noted.
Meanwhile, China should further enhance global resource collection and allocation by international shipping centers, utilizing technologies such as mobile Internet, Internet of Things, smart Internet, big data and cloud computing in port management, shipping services, collection and distribution systems and logistic systems to develop high-end services.
Emphasis could be attached to a better business environment through cross-border investments, trade and transportation facilitation and large shipping enterprises are encouraged to take share of international market through inviting foreign partners and going overseas, according to Zhu.
Also, more could be explored in terms of the development of free-trade ports with Chinese characteristics. Unique and special industries could be developed for global comparative advantage and subsequent international competitiveness.
Zhu also noted that free trade ports could be developed based on pilot free trade zones, within which systems and mechanisms that are in line with international rules should be established. (Edited by Niu Huizhe, niuhuizhe@xinhua.org)
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