DAILY Monday, September 30, 2019 | 7

Land­sea corridor opens up opportunities for Zhanjiang

Zhanjiang, a port city in ’s province, is striving to become a major engine of modern coastal economic development. LANG SHUCHEN / FOR

Guangdong port city to play a key role Zhanjiang’s position at the inter­ ports, mainly regions along the cor­ in developing China’s western region Key projects section of the Guangdong­Hong ridor including , , Kong­Macao Greater Bay Area, Chi­ , and , for a na () Pilot Free Trade Zone network that covers the central and By CHEN HONG Zhanjiang had 36 key projects Zhanjiang Port’s current 300,000­ (Port) and the city cluster of Beibu western region, according to the [email protected] either break ground or become oper­ tonnage deepwater channel into a Gulf will help fulfill the interactive company. Zhanjiang is facing ational on Saturday, a timely gift to 400,000­tonnage one, which has development of the western region It has already built and operates a China’s new land­sea corridor for the nation’s celebration of the 70th investment of 3.87 billion yuan. with the three national strategic are­ dry port in province. its less­developed western region is unprecedented anniversary of the founding of the The project is expected to turn as, according to Zhanjiang develop­ Given Zhanjiang’s position link­ creating new opportunities for Zhan­ opportunities in being People’s Republic of China. Zhanjiang Port into the only world­ ment and reform bureau. ing the Silk Road Economic Belt and jiang, a port city in South China’s The projects involve capital of 77.6 class deepwater port and wharf in “China Merchants Group, the the 21st Century , Guangdong province, to serve as an highlighted in several billion yuan ($10.89 billion) and South China capable of accommo­ largest shareholder of Zhanjiang the group will strengthen ties with important starting off point. national strategies.” belong to fields ranging from high­ dating 400,000­tonnage vessels, the Port, can provide convenience to the Association of Southeast Asian According to a development plan, tech and growth industries to infra­ largest in the world, when it is com­ construction of the corridor which Nations as well as the overseas unveiled by the National Develop­ He Weimin, researcher at structure, welfare and public pleted in a year’s time. has arranged 34 ports in the coun­ ports and industrial parks of China ment and Reform Commission on its Guangdong Ocean University facilities. tries and regions involved in the Belt Merchants Group on the one hand, website in August, Zhanjiang will A key project is the expansion of YUAN SHENGGAO and Road Initiative,” a senior official and seek cooperation with rail build a network of railways, roads of the bureau was quoted as saying companies on the other hand. “As a and air connections to link the inland It has been included in the new by Zhanjiang Daily. result, we will build a land­sea northwestern region to major ports massive land­sea corridor plan, in scale professional wharves for dry plan is paid­off in the city’s develop­ As one of the five major industries logistics corridor to facilitate the in the south. which it’s required to place much and bulk cargo and to carry out ment mission, which has been iden­ of Zhanjiang, the heavy chemical two­way goods flows that connect It aims to speed up the opening­up emphasis on leveraging its role as a dredging projects at the port’s tified as building “a passageway, a industry will rapidly develop in the the Belt and the Road,” said an of the region and deepen its econom­ traditional estuary for the southwest­ entrance. free trade port and a pilot zone”, port­centered areas, which will radi­ executive of the group. ic and trade ties with the outside ern region, and becoming a better Zhanjiang Port is the first modern meaning that the city will take part ate to the cities and nurture the “Zhanjiang is facing unprece­ world. linkage point with the Yangtze River port the nation developed after the in the construction of the interna­ industrial chain along the corridor, dented opportunities in being Zhanjiang is located in western economic belt. founding of the People’s Republic of tional sea­land corridor in the west­ he noted. highlighted in several national Guangdong, but geographically The central government will sup­ China, and has played a key role in ern region, strive to become a part of Zhanjiang Port Group also sees it strategies, I’m sure it will embrace neighbors the Guangxi Zhuang port the upgrading of the Zhanjiang the city’s opening­up and in the the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free as a historic opportunity to be a part the development,” said He Weimin, a autonomous region and is separated Port to develop bulk cargo and cold­ national Belt & Road Initiative. Trade Zone and build a national of the new land­sea corridor plan. It researcher at Guangdong Ocean Uni­ from Hainan province by a strait. chain transportation, to build large­ Zhanjiang’s participation in the pilot zone for marine economy. is projected to build additional dry versity. From hard times to the age of affluence

By CHEN HONG people have been dramatically fields for food after harvest and ate improved and our country is getting their leaves,” Lin said. He added that He Ming, 70, is one of the resi­ strong and prosperous,” He said. food shortages became worse at the dents in Zhanjiang who experienced Talking about his hometown, he end of the 1950s and beginning of a poor and difficult time and wit­ said the city has sped up its develop­ the 1960s. Many people were starv­ nessed the rapid development of the ment pace. “High­speed rail finally ing. country. reached Zhanjiang last year and the When he started working for the “The kids were dressed in rags gross domestic product of the city aquatic company in 1971, people and had little to eat in my child­ surpassed 300 billion yuan ($42.1 could hardly have fresh seafood hood,” He said, according to a report billion) for the first time,” said He. without proper preservation tech­ Zhanjiang joins the high­speed railway network last year. It is designed to be a regional transport hub in by Zhanjiang Daily. “In my memory, He noted that city’s growth can be nology, he said. Fish was sold after the next five years. LANG SHUCHEN / FOR CHINA DAILY I didn’t even have pants before explosive given its advantageous heavy salting. With the development school­age and was covered by parts geographic location, abundant natu­ of the preservation technology and of mosquito net, which was hand­ ral resources and the incentive poli­ cold­chain logistics, local seafood made by my mother.” cies from the central and provincial could be sold abroad. New firms and updated transport His aunt gave him a pair of shorts governments. “People’s lives have been closely when he was eight years old, which Lin Yongqiang, also 70, shared the connected with the development of he cherished and took off after same confidence in the future of our country. Our economy has school, He recalled with tears in his Zhanjiang. grown fast and the food on dining network put city on investment map eyes. As a retired worker from a local tables is getting more abundant,” Born in 1949, the same year as the aquatic company, Lin said the food Lin said. By CHEN HONG tions, said the justice department of including BASF, a world­leading founding of the People’s Republic of can reflect the great changes the city Zhanjiang. It reviewed the normative Scan it! chemical company, indicated that the China, He retired from the Zhanji­ has experienced over the past 70 Zhanjiang, an emerging city in documents regularly, abolishing the business environment of the city has ang federation of trade unions 10 years. Read more about South China’s Guangdong province, outdated and revising documents. greatly improved. years ago. “When I was seven or eight years Zhanjiang, please is to catch rising investment opportu­ It also set up a strict mechanism to It also shows that the market is “Now farmers can live in their old, my family had to rummage for visit en.zhanji­ nities with improved administrative ensure the transparency and justice increasingly attractive and dynamic. own beautiful buildings. The lives of the small sweet potatoes left in the ang.gov.cn. services and better ecological envi­ of law enforcement. He attributed the positive achieve­ ronment. The customs department said it ments mainly to the transport The local government issued a cut the overall clearance time for upgrades and optimization of the comprehensive reform plan on opti­ imports to less than 40 hours in the industrial foundation, according to a mizing the business environment in first half of this year. This is down report by Zhanjiang Daily. July. nearly 60 percent from the level of The city joined the high­speed rail­ This includes measures to improve 2018. It is working on new measures way network last year. It is designed the commercial system, a manage­ to further reduce the clearance time, to be a national transport hub in the ment system for corporate invest­ cut costs and launch guarantees for next five years. ment, legal system and arrangements trade companies, said the customs This will connect it to Southwest for trade assistance. department. China, the Delta in The market supervision depart­ According to official figures, the Guangdong province and Hainan ment pledged to further simplify the number of newly registered market province, which is separated from procedure for setting up company entities surged 22.7 percent year­on­ Zhanjiang by the , registration and enhance the use of year to 50,000. The new foreign­fund­ said Chen. “Zhanjiang is fully capable e­channels to save time for compa­ ed companies rocketed 6.5 times to to become a sub­center of Guang­ nies. 143 in 2018. The city was selected as dong province,” he noted. It now takes just two days to fulfill one of the top 50 cities in China with Despite the fast development, data all the procedures for a new company the most investment potential. from the Department of Ecology and in Zhanjiang, according to the Chen Hongwen is an economic Environment of Guangdong indi­ department. researcher with a Party school in cated that the overall air quality of Companies and industrial associa­ Zhanjiang. Zhanjiang ranked first in the prov­ tions have been invited to participate He said the investment from a ince from January to August this The Zhanjiang branch of Baosteel, one of China’s largest steel makers. ZHANG FENGFENG / FOR CHINA DAILY in the drafting of the local regula­ group of transnational companies, year. The PM 2.5 index stood at 25. Government reaffirms vows to increase development, living standards

By CHENG HONG few local companies, industrial While sticking to high­quality always keeping the mission in Once a less developed city, its port industry, coastal tourism parks and infrastructure con­ development, especially in the mind” in Zhanjiang in mid­Sep­ Zhanjiang has developed at a fast­ industry, agriculture with local The local government of Zhanji­ struction sites in the city’s Maz­ modern service industry and tember, which had the presence of er rate after being positioned by characteristics, and promoting the ang, Guangdong province, has hang early this month, advanced manufacturing indus­ the city’s top officials, Mayor Jiang the provincial government as a integration of civil and military vowed to consistently improve the both Party Secretary Zheng Ren­ try, Party Secretary Zheng said the said, “We must always have the sub­center in the province at the industries. Meanwhile, it is sup­ living standards of its residents hao and Mayor Jiang Jianjun of government must ensure social people in mind and prioritize live­ end of 2017, and later being porting the real economy, diversify­ while accelerating economic Zhanjiang urged local officials to stability and improve the sense of lihood issues and do our bits to included in a couple of national ing its export market, increasing development, according to local understand the problems faced by fulfillment of local residents. make sure that people’s satisfac­ strategies. trade facilitation and enhancing officials. companies and provide effective At a thematic seminar on tion, happiness and safety will The city has attached much companies’ international competi­ During an inspection tour of a solutions. “remaining true to the Party spirit, continue to improve.” importance to the development of tiveness.

The page is sponsored by the Zhanjiang city government.